Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge, Hluhluwe

Coming of Age

What sets this luxury lodge apart from all others is its spectacular location on the edge of a vast valley in Hluhluwe Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal. The architecture makes the most of this setting, with a dramatic, full-height glass front and wooden deck which reaches out into the view. From this vantage point, you can watch the light change as the sun rises and sets, while witnessing animals move silently below, undisturbed and protected in a pristine natural habitat.

The main lodge is upmarket, with snazzy furnishings and tasteful local fabrics. Lighting has been used to great effect to showcase a wall-length mural of wildlife. Throughout the lodge, movement has been created by photographic wall murals and I have to remind myself to close my mouth as each turn reveals a new breath-taking scene. The long pool is framed on one side with bright aloes and on the other side with nothing but open valley views.

This new lodge represents a coming of age for South African hospitality. Offering the best that local architecture, photography, décor, food and natural wildlife, the lodge is a celebration of all that this unique corner of the globe offers its privileged guests. Community-owned, the professionalism, warmth and pride of the staff marks our point in history as we transform into a developed nation. Lodge manager Sphamandla Shabalala says “It is Isibindi’s commitment to staff development that attracted me to take up the position at this lodge. I love taking staff from a basic level and growing them into competent professionals” he explains. “It is so rewarding to see people grow – it’s such a sense of achievement.”

Accommodation experience:

Despite the many amazing features of this lodge, I am most excited about waking up to this gorgeous face – a giant photograph of a warthog. I set my alarm early, even earlier than necessary to catch the morning game drive. I smile as I wake and greet my newfound best bud. I sit in bed with my coffee and notice new modern features of my suite which I had not seen the night before. I marvel as the sky turns pink, then pale blue, then ochre and I feel intensely proud to be a South African on this gentle and beautiful dawn.

Beautiful Food at Thonga Beach Lodge, Mabibi, Northern KwaZulu-Natal

Insert Before and After Selfie Here

Look there’s no need to make a complete scene, but do allow yourself a silent little weep when you encounter the heavenly food at Thonga Beach Lodge, Northern KwaZulu-Natal. How often does one find food that is truly delicious at the same time as being wholeheartedly healthy? Here you can camp out at the lunchtime buffet table, come back again for the high tea, eat every course of the glamorous dinner and start all over again with a cooked breakfast – all without self-recrimination of any kind.

The Thonga open deck lunches have all the right colours – bright green salads, red and yellow roasted peppers, orange caramelized butternut, green-black pumpkin seeds and olive coloured … well olives. You will find creamy Gorgonzola, lemon glazed chicken, glossy asparagus and fresh muscles in white wine sauce.

Dinners have creative spicing on sustainable fish, plentiful pesto super-green sauces, tender ostrich fillets and succulent pork.

If the thought of too much health makes you lose the will to live, fear not – decadent puddings and teas elevate the meals from worthy to worshipful. I meet the friends-forever kind of drunken chocolate mousse and I take a defensive stance over the red velvet muffins at the tea table (they have the good icing over which many a war has started from Mabibi to Manchester). I have a fleeting image of finding squashed cupcakes in my luggage back home, shrug and take another.

Despite these delicacies, combined with the plentiful beach activities and visits to the serene spa, you will come out of this holiday looking the healthiest, happiest version of yourself. Take a ‘selfie’ before and after photo to show the change from pudgy, pasty, stressy old you to slim, smooth, toned, shiny, happy new you – with just a hint of cream cheese icing on your nose to authenticate the image.

White Elephant Safari Lodge, Jozini

Life seems real

“It is essential to experience all the times and moods of this place.”

                                                                     Thomas Merton

Every moment at White Elephant Safari Lodge is an experience of the African bushveld of Northern KwaZulu-Natal.  From the sounds of the singing veld, to the views of the setting sun, to Bushbuck, warthog and giraffe wandering around the lodge, one feels immersed in this location and greatly privileged to be so closely connected to the land. The warm welcome by lodge hosts make one soon become an integrated local, learning the names and daily rhythms of the elephants and other family members. It is even possible to request an outing with an elephant behaviour researcher connected to the lodge and stationed at the Pongola Game Reserve.

The accommodation in authentic canvas safari tents further connects one to the African surrounds, though glamping this is for sure. The white linen is offset by rich oranges and red, softened again by a misty mosquito net. A glorious freestanding Victorian bath is set up against the back of the tent such that you may lift the sides to feel as if you are outdoors. If this is still not enough contact with African blue skies, an outdoor shower under a kindly Acacia tree will complete your fantasy.

Accommodation Experience

Having been to many game reserves and luxury lodges in Africa, I somehow still find myself captivated by this one. Perhaps it is the openness of this lodge which allows a free flow of animals, and that one is intimately connected to this environment by being in a tent. Or it may be the unique feature of this lodge that it overlooks the vast Jozini Dam and this combination of African bushveld next to a vast water source is an unusual and luxurious one. This allows one to choose between game drives, an outing with the elephant research station staff, water activities on the dam, or simply lazing in the lodge swimming pool while the animals move gently around you, all of which is perfect for this hot and sunny part of the world.

Gin and tonic in hand, I sigh with happiness as I sit on my deck appreciating the sun setting, creating pink light over the Jozini Dam. It is a hot day, the whole country being gripped in a heat wave. Nonetheless my hair is still damp from having just showered outdoors and I feel cooled simply being close to water. One quickly becomes integrated into the rhythms of this place, which mirror the movement of the fauna and flora of this environment. Above all, here there is a sense of great belonging, a oneness with the land and locals. I am reminded of the words of Thomas Merton in his journal, written in a very different climate and time, yet reaching into this time and this sense of integration with a natural place and its natural daily rhythms:

“How full the days are, full of quiet, ordered, occupied (sawing wood, sweeping, reading, taking notes, meditating, praying, tending to the fire, or just looking at the valley). Only here do I feel fully human. And only what is authentically human is fit to be offered to God ... Life seems real.”                                                                                                                       Thomas Merton

Oysterbox Hotel, Umhlanga

Oceans of kindness and spaciousness

With summer arriving in full force in South Africa, I have a hankering to go down to the sea again – not as some distant blue blob on the horizon – I want to be right up against the sea, the sight, sound and smell of the surf hitting me as I wake and look up from my bed. And I know exactly where to find this along KwaZulu-Natal’s spectacular coastline – the Oysterbox Hotel, one of South Africa’s premier beachfront hotels.

Indeed, this beachfront cabana is the perfect place from which to appreciate the ocean. The double doors face full out onto the sea, and my cabana is right near the pathway leading down into the vast swimming beach. However, I plan to hardly leave my suite in order to fully experience this place, with its elegant plantation-style white shutters, cool, cream floors, a colonial-style paddle fan and airconditioning. There is a grand four-poster bed from which to appreciate the sounds of the sea and the thread count of the bed linen reaches new highs from which I suspect there is no return. I am temporarily distracted from the view by a careful search for the label on the linen, without mussing up the sleek bed. The deep bath in the marbled bathroom provides another temptation away from the view, as does the integrated lighting, such that even when you open the cupboards, recessed, soft downlights come on.

The hotel has multiple dining options which also make the most of the prime waterfront location. Timeless architecture of royalty, cool tiled floors connect the vast indoor and outdoor spaces and one feels like a princess of a bygone era wafting through the interesting spaces of the hotel.

Indeed the hotel has withstood the toughest test of time and I find here a kind of solemn elegance to the regal architecture and décor. There is no pandering to the latest trends of bling or brash and the hotel stands dignified, confident in its superior location, superb luxury, unruffled history and inimitable class.

Accommodation experience:

There are many reasons to stay at the Oysterbox Hotel – great access to the beautiful Umhlanga beach, Durban city and surrounds, plentiful hotel facilities to satisfy every whim, including a world class spa, and every luxury imaginable. My choice is perhaps more unusual – I wish for a quiet retreat as close as possible to the ocean, such that it may do its work on my psyche. My ‘meditation cave’ is rather more luxurious than the traditional hermitage, though there be plenty of white, dark and light inside. The privacy of the suite impresses me and I enjoy a private, low hedge-walled garden in which to escape from the world. Yet there will be no ascetic False Self boosting here and I fall upon the gifted pink macaroons, finally understanding what the fuss is all about as they simultaneously melt and explode with flavour in my mouth. My complimentary Umhlanga Schling cocktail is already telling me I am lovely and belong. I have a luxurious bath, don a red silk and toweling gown and sit up in the high bed to gaze upon the sea and wait.

It is dusk and the light turns blue, at first pale and haunting, deepening into a Prussian blue, purple then black. The lights are on in a ship far out on the horizon and I send out good thoughts to them from my position of great privilege and comfort, as I send out good thoughts to my friends who are struggling and also lost at sea, unable to have this type of luxurious respite which I am currently enjoying.

The sea is rough tonight and crashes into my room just as I had hoped, the bass notes reverberating in the headboard. I need the freshness of this ocean to buffet my mind and I am reminded of Jeff Foster’s sense of self and emotions joining into the vastness of a spacious ocean self.

There is a cleansing and calming which happens when we dare to take the time out in solitude and silence to reconnect with nature and ourselves in the present. Contemplative psychologist James Finley encourages us to “Become the kind of person who is not a stranger to reflecting in a quiet and open way on the infrastructure of our heart and relationships.” And somehow the solid elegance of this hotel, along with the delightful treats and luxuries make this a compassionate and beautiful place from which to do so right up against the ocean of kindness and spaciousness itself.

D’Vigne Lodge, Greytown

Happy Place

I was happy to have to spend a few days in lush rural KwaZulu-Natal for work. I find myself at D’Vigne Lodge, a surprisingly luxurious and affordable bed and breakfast in small-town Greytown. The country decor - florals and gingham and wingback chairs - works well with the classic 1930’s Victorian manor house, with its pressed ceilings and original high bay windows.

What I love about D’Vigne Lodge:

• Pristine Victorian red-brick building, with two gabled wings and a cleverly enclosed glass verandah lounge
• Pretty garden with green lawns in front, such that the house is set back from the road
• Enormous sunny suites
• English country themed rooms, with white-painted furniture
• Ornate fireplaces, pressed ceilings and original wide wooden floorboards
• Deep slipper baths
• Soft, big white towels
• Heaters, electric blankets and fans

Accommodation Experience:

My latest sophisticated psychological theory is this – do what makes you happy. This advanced thinking is based on complex academic premises which are threefold:

      1.    Life is short

      2.    When you are happy you make other people happy (the converse theorem applies)

      3.    When you do things on the basis of oughts, shoulds or any form of guilt, false self
         or expectations of others, it will usually come with a back-lash.

In this pursuit of happiness, it is our unique combinations of passions and interests that make us who we are. And so I set out with a glad little heart to do two seemingly paradoxical things which make me happy - training of community development facilitators in uMvoti, while staying in some fabulous character finds. My stay at D’Vigne Lodge, is utterly charming and would make even the most jaded traveller’s heart glad.

After unpacking a few of my favourite things, I lie back on the cream chaise lounge in my suite. I settle in with a cup of tea, reflecting that it is lovely when you enter into a space and fit into it with ease and pleasure. When you are happy, the world somehow creates pleasant spaces around you, responding to your own approach with generosity and kindness.

The Old Coach House, Greytown

Balance of Wellbeing

Character-stays in a historic building, with themed decor, showing a sense of humour and love of all things local, are a rare and marvellous find. This one is a gem. The Old Coach House in Greytown is a 1900’s farm style building with a long verandah, complete with broekie-lace twirls. A gateway to the KwaZulu-Natal battlefields, this is a bed and breakfast which offers a dynamic display of history and culture, with a modern and luxurious twist. Whether you choose to stay in the Boer Room with its striking Nguni cow images, or the Zulu Room with its dramatic black and white zebra patterns, or the Indian Room with veiled white four-poster bed, you are sure to join in the celebration of diverse South African cultures.

What I love about the Old Coach House:

• Spacious rooms in an old, but beautifully maintained building, with high ceilings and original pressed light fittings with pretty chandeliers
• Original wooden floors, deep, wide and high sash windows
• Affordable luxury
• Culturally themed rooms
• Enormous thick towels, deep baths and spread-out bathrooms
• Electric blankets, heaters and fireplaces
• A pretty garden and plenty of parking space

Accommodation Experience:

Although I feel I should be more culturally adventurous, I am secretly pleased to be appointed to the English Room because it has an enormous deep bath and clever use of British blue, red and white. Each time I walk into the bathroom I want to laugh out loud when I see the bald British flag so prominently displayed. More Ascot than Country Rose, the suite is surprisingly elegant and glamorous.

Themed rooms rely on a balance between total commitment to the theme, and a certain restraint. This is expertly achieved at The Old Coach House. I feel a sense of deep wellbeing – perhaps achieved by this balance of humour and professionalism, affordability and luxury, convenience and beauty, interest and calm.

Goble Palms, Morningside, Durban

Edwardian Haven

The description of “a beautiful Edwardian Lodge, set high up on the ridge, overlooking the sea, in Morningside” was more than enough for me and I made my cheerful way to Goble Palms during mid-winter in ever mild and sunny Durban.

A Regency girl at heart, I was not disappointed by the grand scale of the rooms, high windows and double doors. True to their slogan “Contemporary Colonial Comfort”, the decor at Goble palms is opulent, rich and embracing. Oversized furniture matches the spaciousness of the rooms, while pale taupe brushed linen curtains and blinds provide a calming effect. Soft white cottons are offset against dark wooden furniture. Gilded lamp stands and carved golden mirrors punctuate the look with glamour.

What I love about Goble Palms:

• Interconnected Edwardian buildings with a clever use of space and rooms facing different directions
• Conveniently situated in a quiet, green suburb and high on a hill, but with easy access to Durban central or Durban North
• A multitude of verandahs and patios make the most of every aspect of the Durban sunshine and sea breezes
• High windows and double doors allow the rooms to feel light and airy despite their size
• Ball and claw baths face onto green palms outside
• Thick carpets, comfy couches, tiled bathrooms and cool white cotton bed-linen
• Friendly and professional staff
• Complementary sherry and Amarula liquor

Accommodation Experience:

I have heard it said that an extrovert draws energy from being with people, whereas an introvert draws energy from time alone. Goble Palms certainly caters for both – for the extroverts it is well placed near the trendy restaurants and clubs of Florida Road, while the manor house itself has plentiful indoor and outdoor seating areas, creating small and larger sociable spaces in which to gather and process the day’s adventures in the company of others. However, I fall into the latter category, and after a week of intensive training, I am seeking solitude and stillness to recharge my social batteries. 

I am delighted to find my room both private and open to the lovely rustling palms. I partake in a strange, furtive dance, sneaking between my room and the communal lounge to swap mammoth, delectable decor books, one after another. I spend a happy, calm evening enjoying the books, my favourite pieces of music and the cool Durban breeze from my open double doors and bay windows. As dark falls, the glow of my bedside lamps create a halo effect of my four-poster mosquito net, contributing to the tranquil haven. As my stress levels decrease, I can indeed feel my creative and outgoing energy rising and soon I will be ready to go out into the world again with enthusiasm and zest – but perhaps not quite yet ...