Kosi Forest Lodge, Kosi Bay

Be there hippos

Sometimes glamping is so removed from the natural environment that you may as well stay in a hotel. Not this one. This is the “real deal” in terms of close contact with nature, of course combined with a good dose of plush comfort. Rustic and beautiful tents on raised wooden platforms in a nature reserve, Kosi ForestLodge gives a feeling of being amongst the trees. One of the Isibindi Africa characterful stays (see www.isibindiafrica.com), this is African safari style at its most authentic and lovely.

Each tent has a thatched roof, with half-wooden, half-canvas sides – the ideal way to feel both connected with the outdoors and safe and cozy from within. There are smooth wooden floors and a private deck with outdoor furniture. The beds are garnished with white linen and an African-style throw, and a wide, white mosquito net. An indoor basin, toilet and dressing area are separated from the bedroom. From the indoor dressing area one walks out to a heavenly bathroom – literally open to the night skies, with a generous bath, raised from the sand, and an open-air shower set under a pretty tree. The bathroom is completely private, with a natural reed wall all the way around. Happy sighs.

There is limited electricity, which adds to the safari feel. At night the path through the sand forest to dinner is lit with oil lamps. One may choose to have meals in the lounge, on the deck or at a boma with roaring campfire in the centre, with meals that are both generous and delicious.

The open bar is the gathering place to discuss the choice of adventure activities for the day, which include snorkeling, a Raffia Palm walk, kayaking or a boat ride through the lakes to a natural swimming beach.

With some intense discussion we choose the self-drive snorkeling option, and arrive to find a duffel bag packed with every possible convenience for our day trip. We feel like children, where a kind Mom has thought through every possible moment and has packed everything one might need for the day. After an hour's drive to the mouth of Kosi Bay, we spend a surreal time floating gently along the reef. Tired and happy we drive up to a viewpoint of the four lakes for our picnic lunch, squealing with delight when we open our packed picnic basket, which is full of interesting treats. We sit on our picnic blanket and nod with approval, saying “These people know how to keep a tourist happy.”

Accommodation Experience:

The next morning we wake at 7am after almost 10 hours of sleep. We lift every one of our tarpaulin awnings and watch the sun rise through the dappled forest. We speculate about the size of the critter we heard munching outside our tent at 3am. My partner insists it may have been a hippo, but I argue that sounds get magnified in the dark night such that it may have been a large grasshopper. We settle on the more likely scenario – that it was probably an antelope (albeit a very large one, mumbles my partner).

At 7.15am a flask of hot water and fresh milk arrives for our morning coffee, with a gracious and gentle “good morning.” I take my coffee out to a warm open-air bath and lie watching the run rise higher in the sky, while an Emerald-Spotted Wood Dove calls. 

Suddenly there is a loud honking, followed by a snort and grunt. “You see!” calls my partner. “There are hippo here.” “Yes,” I concede, “and it did sound rather close.”

Thonga Beach Lodge, Mabibi

Robinson-Crusoe Style:

Robinson-Crusoe-goes-percale in these chic beach huts – think thatched roofs, mosquito nets and King-size white beds. Situated as close as it gets to the beach in Mabibi, Northern KwaZulu-Natal, Thonga Beach Lodge is the ideal escape from everyday worries. Here barefoot luxury literally means walking casually between the beach, bed and gourmet meals. The only stress you will experience is choosing amongst the many exciting activities on offer at Thonga – including snorkeling, deep sea diving, open ocean whale excursions, sunset cruises at Sibaya Lake, bird watching and guided walks, turtle tracking and being pampered at the local spa. 

Island style architecture, using organic materials, is perfectly blended with modern conveniences. Our thatched hut has indigenous forest and sea views through wrap-around windows and double doors and a private deck. The wooden walls are covered in grass mats, giving a plush-but-rustic feel. The bed is sublime, with cool white linen and a wide, square, suspended mosquito net. A palm mat is on the floor and ocean-blue painted wooden furniture complement the maritime theme. Behind the bed is a double basin with large mirrors and next to that a deep, curved bath. A separately enclosed toilet and a spacious shower with windows completes the room.

The sounds of the sea call to one’s soul from every part of the open lodge. The huts are connected with a raised wooden walkway, which leads to the spa hut, a beautiful lounge (shown above) with free wifi, an open bar area and the open-air deck dining space. There is a swimming pool with upholstered cushioned loungers. There are two walkways down to the beach, and one has a deck with views to open the heart.

The warm North Coast means that even in winter one can feel like one is cheating the seasons to enjoy a sunny beach escape. Thonga Beach Lodge is part of the wonderful Isibindi Africa collection, which celebrates the best of what South Africa has to offer. Bookings may be made through www.isibindiafrica.com.   

Accommodation Experience:

My partner is rather … discerning when it comes to accommodation. We live in a beautiful part of the country and we both travel a lot for work, so if it is to be tempting enough to leave home, a holiday location must be spectacular. The stay should preferably be in a natural setting, organic and yet not too rustic – or the alternative is me being dragged kicking and screaming to a campsite. So I am highly motivated to find the perfect spot, which of course I do, at Thonga Beach Lodge.

We enjoy a short and not at all harrowing 4 X 4 drive, which instantly takes our minds off work. We arrive to a healthy and delicious lunch and have fun exploring the lodge and surrounds. With so much to choose from, we declare our pleasure majors (as Elizabeth Gilbert calls them) - snorkeling, reading and beach walking. 

Walking on the beach later that same day, my heart skips a beat as I see the most carefree and relaxed version of my partner walking towards me from a distance, happily bringing back only 3 sea-weathered pieces of litter after several miles of walking, giving the rare approval “You can just walk and walk and it’s still natural. I am so glad that places like this still exist in the world.” 

You know the cliches - it takes all types to make the world go round, and opposites really do often attract. And so it is very inspiring to find a place which pleases both Robinson Crusoe and Little Miss Muppet - where each of us can appreciate our own passionate interests and take delight in one another's pleasure.

That all said, despite my valiant effort, I still finally receive one complaint about the holiday – “You should have booked for longer.” We are already planning our return next winter.

Babylonstoren, between Franschhoek and Stellenbosch

Artistic Contrast

I arrived at Babylonstoren wondering if I might be the luckiest person on earth. I left certain I was.

Style meets substance at this chic, eco-conscious haven of good taste. Here they understand the art of contrast, where old style Cape Dutch thatched buildings are perfectly balanced with crisp glass and white, modern furniture.

I love the thick whitewashed walls, with their deep, shuttered windows. There are wide stable doors with exposed timber lintels. The interiors are serene – all white, with a four-poster bed and silky pale linen, offset by high ceilings with exposed trusses. Modern glass conservatory dining areas create a flow between the indoors with the outdoors.

Truly beautiful bathrooms, each have clever designs and deep, freestanding baths. There are heated towel rails, thick white towels and bathrobes.

Each suite has air-conditioning, a flatscreen TV with DSTV, a bar fridge, and complementary bottles of locally produced Babylonstoren red and white wine and olive oil. Treats arrive in the evening from the acclaimed local restaurant, Babel.

Accommodation Experience:

Aside from the famed restaurant, and cutting edge spa, the feature gardens are one of the main attractions at Babylonstoren. Not being much of a gardener myself, I force myself out of my beautifully decorated suite to take a dutiful tour of the grounds. I am instantly drawn into the natural, organic gardens which are both curvy and styled, the heady growth contrasted with artistic mosaic inlays and sculptures. I make my way towards an interesting looking tunnel in a quiet corner of the gardens. As I enter the tunnel and round a corner, I come upon a multitude of hessian bags, hung on elegant ropes at different heights. They are bursting forth with plants – strawberries and other fresh green growth. It is a ridiculously marvelous sight, which at first stops me dead in my tracks. Then it takes me down a tunnel of insight where I suddenly see a glimpse of the passionate dedication and artistic release with which the gardens were developed. I am overcome with a sense of appreciation, drawn into a mystical portal of awe and wonder. Here there was no pandering or second guessing – just a bold vision of creative expression. You can feel the imperative. This is true art – where someone has given freedom of expression to their creative instincts and unique personality, which moves us into a space from which we can be inspired to be daring and excessive and to excel beyond all imposed traditional boundaries.

Bartholomeusklip, Hermon, near Wellington

An African Farm

This one is simply a must. A real “farm in Africa” feel, this a world of fly screens on green-painted doors, wide, vine-covered verandahs, big lawns and plentiful indoor and outdoor seating areas. If you were privileged to spend time on a South African farm during your childhood, this experience will take you right back there. Bartholomeusklip (www.bartholomeusklip.co.za) backs onto the Elandsberg Nature Reserve and here they live out their respect for the natural world.

The combination of superior luxury in a farm setting which respects the local environment is an appealing one. There are (piping hot) solar geysers, underfloor heating in bathrooms, a heated towel rail and fine linen on the wide beds. I stay in the Orchid Suite, which has a cerise orchid with matching floral cushions in the lounge. The scheme is calm and sophisticated, with taupe and white stripes and florals. A generous and inviting couch and a sink-in armchair complete the full open-plan lounge. In the bedroom there is a white cast-iron bed with white linen. 

The bathroom is both traditional and luxurious, with separate shower and a ball-and-claw bath. In the suite there are 3 sets of double doors – in the bathroom, bedroom and lounge. They all open out onto a private pergola patio with views to the mountains and nature reserve.

Despite the loveliness of the décor and architecture, gourmet food is the main attraction here. Locally grown produce is artfully combined into modern and fresh flavours. Decadent use of salted caramel and butter elevate these meals from worthy to worshipful.

Accommodation Experience:

Lying in the bath at dusk, double doors flung wide open, I take mindful stock of every sense. I feel a cool breeze coming in from outside, on which I hear the sweet whistle of a Spurwing Goose. There is the sound of crickets joining their choir one by one. I taste an intense strawberry and drink clear spring water. I smell the locally produced fragrant soap and I appreciate the view of the mountains turning pink, the golden grass in front briefly lit up in a last glow. And I feel like the luckiest, happiest little being on the planet.

Umngazi River Bungalows, Port St Johns

“Your one wild and precious life”

I love winter beach stays, where the days are clear and the sun warm and inviting. One can walk for many miles and feel energized and alive. In the evenings there is the enjoyment of sherry by the fire and the nights are just cool enough to sleep under cosy covers. Umngazi River Bungalows (www.umngazi.co.za) are the perfect place for a warm winter beach escape, as there are beautiful long beach walks, and much to do including canoeing, fishing, tennis, darts, snooker and a fabulous spa.  

The setting is spectacular – as riverside and beachside as it gets, with cottages facing the river, indigenous forest or ocean. Not called “the Wild Coast” for nothing, the coastline is pristine, with dramatic gorges, river crossings and cliffs.

The luxury you will find here is not the usual imported, urban, angular modernist kind. It is soft, curved, natural and intensely local. The rounded thatched Pondo huts are finished with timber and stone, and even the door handles and towel rails are smooth, curved, natural timber. The bungalows all have wide glass doors, with little separating one from the beach other than a stretch of green lawn. Outdoor showers, generous baths with sea views and fine linen elevate this stay well above the usual beach bungalow standards. This is barefoot luxury at its best.

At Umngazi there are plentiful indoor and outdoor seating areas – lounges decorated in bright colours by someone with a great love of fabrics, recliners, dining areas and decks facing all directions.

I like Pondo hospitality – there is no simpering or gushing, only dignified generosity. With a distrust of insincere “quick smiles” as they say here, you are more likely to receive an approving grunt when you make the most of their ample catering. The caregiving arrangements are excellent and I saw several children enthusiastically greet their hosts. I have heard of many rest-deprived parents of tiny tots travel to Umngazi just for the amazing baby-sitting service.

By contrast, I am in the Eastern Cape to visit a worthy project of incredibly dedicated women who care for the sick in their community. Having not visited this area often, I had a hankering to discover more of this pristine wild coast and found Umngazi River Bungalows one of the more accessible beachside locations. However I had worried that the contrast between the stories of these women and a luxury stay might unhinge me. But the women in this project are now being paid by the government for their work, and supported by a local NGO with debriefing and training. They are assertive and professional. And at Umngazi, the evident respect for local culture, the plentiful employment created by the resort for the surrounding community, and the multiple local income generating projects made possible by this place leaves me feeling inspired and hopeful. True development is not about patronizing charity or handouts, but about inclusivity, ownership and employment which allows people the satisfaction to raise their own families well, and this is one of the best examples of that I have seen in a luxury holiday hotel. Both the women’s project and the Umngazi community support make me want to be a better person, to enjoy life to its fullest, while supporting others. As usual when I do community development work, I thought I was coming to give something, but find myself learning and gaining more than it was possible to offer.

Accommodation Experience:

And so I thoroughly enjoy my work and find I am able to have an energizing stay. My favourite time of day at Umngazi River Bungalows, it turns out, is the evening walk to and from supper. I stay in the furthest cottage from the restaurant and love the mindful stroll along the river. Schools of fish swim past me, catching the silvery light as they jump in unison. A cool breeze comes off the water. The skies are full of stars and it feels like I can touch the Milky Way. I swing my scarf to and fro as I walk and throw my head back to drink in the night sky. I feel wild and free and I am reminded of Mary Oliver’s questions:

Tell me, what else should I have done?

Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?

Porcupine Hills Farm, Near Grabouw

Country Connections

  

Porcupine Hills Guest Farm and Conservancy epitomises all things country – old painted biscuit tins stacked high on a kitchen shelf, tongue-in-groove ceilings, wooden furniture, gingham and floral fabrics and double cottage pane doors opening out from every room onto wide verandahs and pergola patios. This is big sky country, where outdoor living is a natural part of life. 

There is a choice of accommodation, and we stay in the Farmhouse, a classic two bedroom cottage with a long verandah and an attic bedroom upstairs. The lounge has a sprawling couch and fireplace, and there are additional seating areas outside. The kitchen is pretty, with butler sink, wooden table and white painted cupboards. Soft sage bedrooms have white linen and floral curtains and cushions, and white painted cottage pane doors open out from both rooms onto private patios. The bathrooms are surprisingly glamorous and each has a box skylight through which one can see stars at night.

Outside the cottage there is a braai area with benches and reclining loungers. There is a natural style, curved swimming pool with views to forever. Set in the Diepklowe private nature reserve, we are surrounded by high rock cliffs, where Black Eagles soar.

Accommodation Experience

In true country weekend style, we wake early to the sound of birdsong, but fall back asleep and lie in ‘til late. We emerge from our bedrooms at different times during the day, tousled and well rested. Finally we are brought together by the smell of warm flapjacks from the kitchen.

This is the real country magic – a space to rest and become the most natural version of oneself, from which vantage point one can connect with family and friends. In a recent survey, I asked young people “When is your family most peaceful?” The majority of the replies were about holidays, weekends and times when everyone is together. The replies show how stressed and disconnected we are much of the time, and that the recipe for harmony is so simple and achievable. Our stay at Porcupine Hills was precious respite and a lovely memory of family connectedness which we will draw on for many years to come.

Birkenhead House, Hermanus

My Happy Place

I must confess I lose any modicum of professional objectivity when I enter one of the Royal Portfolio establishments. It has to do with the perfect combination of high art décor, extreme luxury combined with personable warmth, which is balanced with respect for privacy. 

My royal welcome at Birkenhead House (www.birkenheadhouse.co.za) starts with a choice of pink champagne, complementary wine, snacks, tea, coffee, beautifully glass-bottled water and a gift notebook. My host gives a gracious tour of the hotel, then sensing the tone, leaves me enthralled to explore on my own.

  

Personal bias aside, I notice that every guest I encounter has fallen under the Birkenhead spell, and couples wander around with glazed looks and happy grins. We gather spontaneously at the pool on the cliff edge to watch a school of dolphins swim freely by. Birkenhead House has prime location for dolphin and whale watching and is situated right in the floral rich fynbos region of Hermanus in the Western Cape. With a higher diversity of species than any place on earth, the renowned floral kingdom is accessible simply by walking out the door and up the mountain behind the guesthouse. In front of the hotel is a pretty swimming beach, from which there is access to a 5km coastal boardwalk into town where a complementary shuttle can collect guests for the return.

Guests may choose to stay in the front, middle or upper house, and each faces views of sea or mountains. I choose to stay in room 6 for its wrap-around verandah with both ocean and mountain views. The vast suite has high shuttered windows and three sets of wide glass double doors. The cool, thick, marbled floors are covered with an antique teal carpet. Drama is created with an oversized carved headboard in dark wood, while zebra skin coverings add African flair. Liz Biden’s signature chandelier and oversized everything bring glamour to the scheme.

The characteristically expansive bathroom has a freestanding Victorian-style bath facing double doors and it is set up against a high sash window with mountain views.

There is underfloor heating and air-conditioning which may be set to one’s own comfort. Every traveler convenience has been thoughtfully provided, including mosquito repellant, sunblock and swimming towels. A large flat screen television offers DSTV and there is a DVD library.  

Accommodation Experience

A row of 17 candles has been lit to show the way to dinner. A creative four course menu, designed by a talented young chef, includes a snazzy take on a Nicoise salad using seared tuna. We are offered home baked bread, an intensely flavoured mushroom soup, fresh sole or top quality beef and a salted caramel crème brule.

I return to a candle-lit room and don the silk gown and climb happily into the fine cotton mongrammed linen. The hotel is quiet and only the sounds of the waves and a gentle fountain come into my suite. I open my double doors to the sea. Though I am tired I am reluctant to let go of this perfect experience. I store up each sense, from the cool breeze coming off the sea, to the soft bedding, to the sophisticated perfumed smells. I am fortifying myself against the stress which will be there for me when I leave this serene haven. I comfort myself that I will be able to draw on this memory for many years to come, picturing myself back here in this happy place until one day I do return to be mesmerised again under their pleasing magic.