Durban - Are you planning to sit around at home this weekend, clean the TV, watch the dog, take the car for its usual walk?
Or are you going to make a spur-of-the-moment, devil-may-care decision to take yourself and a loved-one, plus perhaps the little loved-ones (and even an unloved-one, though nobody would expect that) on a weekend break in KwaZulu-Natal?
No pressure of course, but if you wanted to, you could mark yourself down as unpredictable, mercurial, adventurous and, yes, exciting to know.
If this idea chimes, I can help. We have just brought out our latest (13th) edition of the Greenwood Guide to South Africa (Hand-picked Accommodation) and here is a selection of KwaZulu-Natal places to stay.
The owners of these places are waiting expectantly for your call. Chefs have their knives sharpened; chickens are frantically laying eggs for your breakfast; dogs are having puppies for your children to play with; hundreds of bird species are gathering in gardens for you to watch; tropical plants are going mad in their attempt to be flowering when you visit; and no doubt the weather is doing its utmost to bring you clear blue skies, hot sunshine and cool breezes. I am not sure you can disappoint them all, can you?
Sandstone Cottage
Graham and Sue Armstrong, CNr Rosetta and Nottingham Road, 033 267 7218, [email protected]
“Now, where are you headed next? I will work on a route and Sue can be your tour guide,” insisted Graham. I had met my surrogate South African parents.
While Graham retrieved his maps, Sue led me to Sandstone Cottage, set on the grounds of the Armstrongs’ home and sharing the beautiful view of trout-filled dams and the Drakensberg foothills.
We’d only made it as far as the stoep when I found a quirky item of interest – a lion’s paw-print ashtray. This sort of unusual detail is typical. See the stuffed otter from their previous home in Ireland that sits proudly above the open fire.
We shared many enthusiasms, so the tour took quite a while. “Everything is reclaimed,” Sue explained. The sash windows, for example, came from a cattle shed.
When I admired the material in the bedrooms, Sue educated me on two English fabrics, Jane Churchill and Crowson, and I later learned she is a textile designer.
We were soon joined by Graham, a farmer born and bred, who led us to his pride and joy, the wine cellar.
“Do guests have access to this?” I asked. To which he replied: “I would love the company.”
As well as accommodating guests, the Armstrongs have retired champion thoroughbreds at livery. Sandstone offers hiking and fishing, but this is just a great place to relax.
Kosi Forest Lodge
Paige and Brett Gehren, 035 474 1473, [email protected]
Kosi Bay is the sort of place that novelists map out and then construct adventures in. You are picked up by a four-wheel-drive, which can negotiate the sand tracks criss-crossing the region.
There is no tar or electricity here. Instead you enter a landscape of raffia palm groves, primary sand forests, mangroves, water meadows, interconnecting lakes (yes, hippo and crocodile like it too and are regularly seen).
There are day trips to the sea and the mouth of the river for snorkelling, swimming and fishing in “perfect, white sand coves with huge overhanging trees” (says the lodge brochure).
The reed-thatched camp itself balances the wild (your chalet is in the middle of a boisterous forest) with the romantic (candlelit meals and outdoor baths and showers).
I loved the deep stillness of the early-morning guided canoe trip. Other activities include boat cruises across the lakes, turtle-tracking (seasonal), forest walks and bird safaris.
Kosi Forest Lodge is one of the most rewarding (and so best-value) places I have stayed in.
Spion Kop Lodge
Lynette and Raymond Heron, Drakensberg and Battlefields Region, 036 488 1404, [email protected]
Soon after arriving, we were off on a late-afternoon game drive in the reserve next to the farm, winding our way through thick grass towards a vast lake, then glowing pink-blue under the setting sun.
We had the place to ourselves, if you don’t count the animals, who seemed to be everywhere, including a nonchalant rhinoceros, who munched his way uncomfortably close to our vehicle
The lodge is a 700-hectare working farm and eco-reserve with 295 bird species and a mass of flowering aloes in June and July.
You can stay either in stone cottages, which are snug with fireplaces for winter and verandas for summer; or in the colonial farmhouse with its original Oregon-pine floors and library full of history books.
The heart of the lodge is the 108-year-old stone converted barn, now a massive glass-walled dining room with sinuous blonde-branches creeping from floor to ceiling… and breathtaking views.
After an excellent dinner with much red wine and merry-making, we embarked on a night safari in search of leopards and porcupines.
Raymond Heron and his son Alastair are registered battlefield, culture and birding guides.
Raymond and Lynette are wonderful hosts, assisted by family members Alastair and Hester, who will ensure you have an eventful stay, taking in horse-riding, boat cruises, fishing, birding, San rock art and the Drakensberg Boys’ Choir.
Sneezewood Farm
Paul and Karen Theunissen, Dundee, 034 212 1260, [email protected]
Karen, Paul and Jubejube, their loyal Jack Russell, gave me a wonderful welcome. Jubejube – fondly known as PR – ushered me to my room where she quickly made herself at home.
The Theunissens managed a resort in the Seychelles for three years before deciding to create their own B&B. They have clearly poured their heart and soul into the project.
Each room has its own colour theme and fabrics have been chosen in traditional floral patterns and linens. They have included original family furniture and another nice touch was the collection of new battlefield history books in the sitting room .
Sneezewood is within easy reach of most of the major battlefields and just 10km from the 8-ha Talana Museum.
Paul and Karen are natural hosts, kind and caring people, and they will make you feel like you have known them for years.
Penwarn Country Lodge
Peter and Barbara Dommett, Southern Drakensberg, 033 701 1368, [email protected]
Negotiating my way past an inquisitive eland, I was ushered straight to the bar by Peter and Barbara, a couple who care passionately about the countryside and its conservation.
They have taken up the reins at Penwarn alongside their neighbouring dairy farm and stud.
The lodge has dark-beamed sitting rooms and bedrooms so large they make you want to run amok. Reclining on a deep leather divan in Nimrod (dedicated to a much-loved otter) I goggled at a lake caressed by willows and supervised by cranes.
Dinner was a buffet extravaganza. Venison pie went down a treat after my afternoon horse ride with Mondi (they call him Mondi Roberts, the Zulu horse-whisperer).
The horse-back game rides are a must, through breathtaking landscapes past droves of zebras, springbok, wildebeest and hartebeest and up to the Bushmen cave figures painted a millennium ago.
The sense of space is liberating, the ideal spot to escape and enjoy the gentle pursuits of fishing, paddling, a tour of the draft horse stud, flower walks in season and excellent bird-watching at the Vulture Restaurant.
Penwarn is part of the Waterford Estate with access to 3 500ha, 50 fishing dams and a World Heritage site.
Macadamia Lodge
Lucy Williamson, Monzi, 035 550 4427, [email protected]
When I heard Macadamia Lodge overlooked a golf course I envisioned multiplex houses and characterless lawns. I’m now eating humble pie.
I was welcomed by bubbly Lucy and ushered into their family home where mother Pat (also known as Yogi Pat), and dad Tim (Farmer Tim) welcomed me with the same enthusiasm. The apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Lucy has been in tourism her whole life and the family moved to South Africa with the dream of their welcoming lodge in mind.
The two country cottages offer comfortable, private living and are the perfect place to unwind.
Monzi is only 15 minutes from St Lucia, but with all the activities going on around the farm you might not want to leave.
Pat is a dedicated yoga teacher with her own studio on the farm and the foodie in the family. Expect delicious breakfasts and baked goods made from their own produce. And if you want to learn about macadamia farming, let Tim take you on a tour of the orchard.
Or take a stroll through Pat’s butterfly garden and admire the farm’s birdlife from Tim’s hide that overlooks the pond, the perfect spot for a sundowner or a picnic.
As I drove past the avo, mango and citrus trees and through the winding pines that line their driveway, I understood why Lucy refers to home as magical Monzi.
Fairlight Beach House
Bruce and Michele Deeb, Umdloti Beach, 031 568 1835, [email protected]
I got my first taste of Fairlight’s laid-back hospitality as soon as I arrived. It was another hot day and Bruce bustled me off for a joyous dip in the sea.
Newly refreshed, I was soon sipping a fresh granadilla juice by the pool and tucking into some of Fairlight’s legendary scones.
The garden behind the house is dominated by a large milkwood, a great place to shelter from the sun, although there are sun-loungers around the swimming pool.
The front of the house has a wooden deck with six rooms opening on to it and you can watch the surfers from there.
Inside, it is effectively a family home and luxury guest house rolled into one – plenty of light, family snaps on the wall and a warm, welcoming vibe.
Rays of positive energy emanate from Michele and Bruce and from their charming managers, Jaquie and Jenny. Soak it up, then go forth and fish, surf or swim.
Umdloti Beach is but 40 paces from the house, while the Mount Moreland roost site for migrating swallows (September to April) is just 10 minutes by car. King Shaka International Airport is 8km from Fairlight and Durban 25 minutes’ drive. There are world-class golf courses nearby and great restaurants in walking distance.
I was greeted at my car and whisked off to join other guests viewing the abundance of wildlife that roams this land. After sundowners, we migrated lodgeward, outflanking a herd of wildebeest en route.
This lodge manages the neat trick of providing professional hospitality and exciting game drives. Natie and Magda are your wise and welcoming parents and the Big Five are your pets.
Dinner is an intimate affair where I revelled in bush stories, asked Magda about the “lizards” and wrung Natie’s brain for tips on wildlife photography.
Esiweni is known for its outstanding location and the next morning, at sunrise, I saw why. Sitting on my private balcony at the edge of a cliff, I looked down on the Sundays River meandering through an immense valley.
Between my perch and the valley floor a myriad of birds swooped and glided, wings glinting in the early morning sun.
With 265 species of birds, Esiweni is Birdlife South Africa accredited and the only Big Five game reserve in the area. - Sunday Tribune