Feature: Bird Spotting

Montusi Mountain Lodge, Drakensberg

Montusi is an exceptional family owned and run property in a magical location

It is rare that we repeat verbatim the words from the website of a property but in our minds having spent time here, these words are perfect: “Montusi Mountain Lodge offers genuine hospitality in the tranquility of one of the most beautiful settings in Southern Africa. Space, comfort and peace are what you will find. Treat yourself to the natural splendour and peaceful, romantic ambiance of this Drakensberg haven.”  There are 10 spacious, self contained Garden Suites, 4 Family Suites and 2 much larger Mountain Suites. These are set in an estate of 1,000 hectares with the glorious backdrop of the imposing wall of The Amphitheatre. This is one of the most spectacular areas of the Drakensberg.  Accommodation is on a Dinner, Bed & Breakfast basis with food served in the main thatched lodge

About Montusi’s Location

The property has a swimming pool and tennis courts and horse riding and guided hiking can be arranged. Guided hiking can be arranged to the top of Montusi Mountain. Excursions to a cave with Bushmen paintings as well as into the nearby Royal Natal National Park are also offered. For the adventurous a guided hike to the top of the Amphitheatre can be arranged. You can hire Mountain Bikes and ride on the 100 km Drakensberg Mountain Biking Trail which goes right through the property. Fly fishing is available on the lodge’s two dams and for those seeking extreme thrills, All Out Adventures is a 10 minute drive away. Add a stay at Monusi to a battlefields location and a KwaZulu Natal Game Reserve.


Drosty Hotel, Graaff Reinet

Drostdy Hotel, Graaff-Reinet, Eastern Cape

The Drostdy Hotel is a  great choice for those looking for somewhere off the beaten track with touches of luxury

The Drostdy is a stunning hotel set in the charming Karoo town of Graaf-Reinet. The Executive rooms are set in village style throughout the grounds in individual cottages. The rooms and bathrooms are larger than normal and are well appointed complete with air conditioning, flat screen tv and a claw foot bath as well as a large shower. The hotel has three swimming pools, a spa and gym, wine tasting venue and a great restaurant set in a relaxing garden. The hotel has an extensive wine cellar and you should indulge in wine tasting during your stay. The restaurant serves sumptuous breakfasts as well as lunches and an excellent dinner menu.

About the Drostdy Hotel’s Location

Graaff-Reinet is the fourth oldest town in South Africa and although very Afrikaans, there are a lot of English touches. The main church is a stunning scaled down version of Salisbury Cathedral in England! The historic centre is full of thatched and metal roofed whitewashed cottages and this is the only town that is situated within its own National Park. The Camdeboo National Park includes the atmospheric and spectacular Valley of Desolation where you could imagine you are back in prehistory. It feels logical that this area has yielded some of the finest dinosaur fossils in southern Africa. While you are here you can visit the unusual and artistic community of Nieu Bethesda complete with its rather creepy Owl House which is now a national monument, a charming micro brewery which provides excellent lunches and there is also the ability to hunt for fossils in the river bed. You can also visit a number of private game reserves and the Mountain Zebra National Park which is an hour’s drive away.


Ghost Mountain Inn, Mkuze, Northern Zululand

Ghost Mountain Inn is a great inexpensive alternative to staying at a private game reserve

Ghost Mountain Inn is an old established, family run inn is situated in a particularly attractive part of Zululand. The hotel is in the little town of Mkuze with views of the almost mystical Ghost Mountain (inspiring many legends among the local Zulus). The atmosphere here is very relaxed and continues to get excellent reviews. The hotel has 51 bedrooms that are well decorated in simple furnishings and each room has air conditioning, a ceiling fan and each night insect repellent systems keeps the mosquitoes at bay. This is particularly important during the wet summer months. Some family rooms are available. Each room has its own patio and from these there are views of the garden or mountain. Guests eat in the comfortable restaurant and there is a choice of buffet or a la carte eating. The guest lounge is open to the terrace in front of the generously sized pool, which is very welcome after the heat of the day. The hotel does cater for conferences so at times the atmosphere is busy. The gym and wellness centre caters for those needing exercise and massage treatments, There is also a small but interestingly stocked gift shop.  On certain nights, guests may watch Zulu dancing around the bonfire in the boma.

About Ghost Mountain Inn’s Location

The hotel can arrange game drives into the adjacent Mkuze Game Reserve.  For us, however, a trip to the Hluhluwe National Park (a half hour drive) with one of the hotel’s excellent rangers is an unforgettable experience. Fishing on the Jozini Lake can be arranged as well as horse riding. Therefore, whatever your requirement there is something for most tastes here. You are ensured a warm and friendly welcome just two and a half hours drive from Durban and close to the border with Swaziland. Although the accommodation cannot be compared with the exceptionally luxurious private game reserves, your game experience from Ghost Mountain will compare with the best.

Arniston Hotel

Arniston Hotel is a comfortable choice for clients on a budget as it is close to the ocean in one of the most remote and fascinating coastal  nature reserves in South Africa

Arniston Hotel is fairly large  with 60 suites and rooms. Most overlook the bay and some are pool facing. The rooms are fairly large and many have balconies.  From here you can enjoy a restful sundowner overlooking the bay and the fabulous sunsets. The hotel has a well equipped spa and wellness centre as well as a restaurant and lively bar. The food is good rather than exceptional but the fish is locally caught and very fresh.

About Arniston Hotel’s Location

The much photographed thatched and whitewashed fishermens cottages in an area called Kassiesbaai are adjacent to the hotel. This area, dating back 200 years,  has been declared a national monument and photographers are welcome. The huge sea cave of Waenhuiskrans (Ox Wagon Cave) is an interesting walk away and can be reached easily at low tide.  Arniston is named after the wreck of the British naval ship of the same name that foundered in 1815 with the loss of 200 lives. The whole of this coastline around to nearby Cape Agulhas (the southernmost point in Africa) is littered with wrecks of ships that missed their way – indeed as recently as 1970!  The De Hoop Nature Reserve is a day’s journey and a fascinating coastal reserve. The southernmost point on the African continent is just a 40 minute drive. Cape Agulhas is an interesting location with a lighthouse dating back to 1849. The architecture is fashioned in the style of the ancient Pharos of Alexandria and there is a restaurant and museum.


Cinnamon Boutique Hotel

Cinnamon Boutique Guest Lodge, Wilderness, Garden Route

Cinnamon is a perfect and very stylish backwater in the beautiful village of Wilderness

Cinnamon has 13 exceptionally luxurious suites set amidst the luxuriant foliage of the Wilderness National Park. No expense has been spared in providing this hotel with exquisite furnishings and stylish decor. The exceptionally large bathrooms compliment the suite style rooms and all include showers, baths and bidets. Each suite has a balcony, some with ocean views and others overlooking the mountains. The dining experience is renowned as one of the top ten restaurant along the Garden Route. The lodge gets consistently excellent reviews and, for example, on Trip Advisor it ranks number 1 in Wilderness. Cinnamon is the sister lodge to On the Beach  in Wilderness.

About Cinnamon’s Location

Although the hotel is not on the beach, the vast expanse of Wilderness beach is just a five minute walk. Wilderness is a great location to use as a base to explore the Garden Route and the Little Karoo. Wilderness is adjacent to a beautiful nature reserve and at the start of South Africa’s Lake District. While rip tides make Wilderness beach unsuitable for swimming, Victoria Bay close by is perfect for swimmers and surfers alike. Trendy, bustling Knysna is a 35 minute drive set around a spectacular lagoon and here you will find interesting shops and restaurants. The upmarket resort town of Plettenberg Bay with three stunning beaches, great hiking and some of the best restaurants in the Garden Route is a 45 minute drive. In the other direction, drive over the spectacular Outeniqua Pass close to the principal Garden Route town of George and after an hour’s drive you will arrive in Oudsthoorn which is the center South Africa’s Ostrich industry. Here you will be able to learn about these fascinating birds and buy ostrich leather goods at very competitive prices. The world famous Cango Caves are just a 15 minute drive from Oudsthoorn.


Rozendal Guest Farm, Stellenbosch, Cape Winelands

Rozendal Guest Farm is a well priced alternative set among the vines for families!

Rozendal Guest Farm is a well-kept secret in Stellenbosch, nestling beneath the Jonkershoek mountains. A key feature is the cottage style breakfasts complete with organic produce from the farm. The accommodation is set a little apart from the main house, across a farmyard, which reminds you that this is also a working (vinager) farm. The 16 bedrooms are contained in cottages, which are situated like a small village street. The decor is simple rather than luxurious but all the rooms are a good size with well-appointed bathrooms. Each bedroom has a stoep with a mountain or vineyard view. This is a quiet location but a good one for children who are encouraged to look at the farm.

Aboutd Rozendal’s Location

Stellenbosch is only 10 minutes drive away with its delightful historic centre, small shopping mall and restaurants. This is a good location for exploring the Cape Winelands with Franschhoek and Paarl just a 30 minute drive away. Cape Town, too, is just a 45 minute drive.


Franschhoek Country House Hotel, Franschhoek

An exclusive luxury boutique hotel in the centre of stylish Franschhoek

This is a small country hotel on the edge of Franschhoek. Note that you need to drive to the village centre.  The grounds are beautifully landscaped and overlook the mountains and vineyards, which are such a feature of the Franschhoek valley. The accommodation is very comfortable and decorated in a typically Cape style and some have private stoeps and balconies. The hotel has 25 bedrooms including 12  villa suites, which offer the ultimate in luxury and space and the peace, and tranquility of the surroundings is complemented by fine modern cuisine in the rated restaurant, which, in summer is served on the terrace overlooking the gardens. There is a swimming pool with wonderful views of the surrounding mountains.

About the Location

Here you are situated among some of the finest wineries anywhere in the world. From the hotel you can join the Franschhoek Wine Tram which offers a unique way to see some great wineries and sample their products without driving! Franschhoek has many fine restaurants and such is the popularity of this area, you will need to book some of the restaurants well in advance at the busiest times of the year – especially over Christmas and New Year.


Spier Village, Stellenbosch

Spier Village, Stellenbosch

Village style accommodations set in a large wine estate

Spier is a long established winery, which has developed substantially in recent years initially as a restaurant and a small cheetah conservation project to a fully-fledged resort, with a distinctly African feel, in beautiful grounds overlooking the Jonkershoek Mountains. Accommodation is located in the Spier Village, which extends to 155 rooms encompassing luxuriously appointed rooms and suites. Here you can hold a raptor, go for a segway tour, have a picnic by the lake, relax by one of the seven pools or indulge yourself in a wine tasting only a short stagger from your room.

About the Location

There are three rated restaurants and delis to cater for every taste. Horse and pony rides can be arranged and the property also boasts an 18 hole golf course. The property is conveniently situated 20 minutes drive from Cape Town International Airport and it will only take you 30 minutes to drive into the centre of Cape Town. Stellenbosch is 10 minutes away by car, The Strand with its excellent beaches is close by as is the Somerset Mall in Somerset West for shopping.


Mont Rochelle, Franschhoek

Beautiful and very stylish thatched hotel overlooking the Franschhoek Valley

A first class luxuriously appointed hotel and although is priced to reflect this, the extra expense is well worth it. The hotel has spectacular views from the terrace overlooking the fabulous Franschhoek valley. The restaurant is one of our favourites and one of the most highly regarded in South Africa. The hotel is situated high above Franschhoek so most of the 22 bedrooms have spectacular views.

About the Location

The village is only 5 minutes drive away and is bustling with numerous boutiques, restaurants and street cafes. Some of the finest wineries in South Africa are within easy reach and Cape Town is only 45 minutes drive. Therefore, whether you want a romantic place to stay at the end of your holiday or just a dinner to remember Mont Rochelle should be on your itinerary.


Lanzerac Manor Hotel

Lanzerac Manor Hotel, Stellenbosch, Cape Winelands

It is with great sadness to relay that as a result of a fire that extensively damaged the Manor House and the operational areas of the hotel, Lanzerac is closed until further notice

 

Lanzerac is a stylish wine estate with great wines and cuisine

This is a gracious, Cape Dutch manor house resplendent in antiques and the polished woods of South Africa. Lanzerac Manor & Winery is one of the enduring gems of the Cape. Set in the beautiful Jonkershoek Mountains just on the outskirts of Stellenbosch, the Manor has 48 classically appointed suites, many with antique and antique style furniture and fittings to compliment an estate that can trace its origins back over 300 years. The hotel has two pools one of which is located in the stunning gardens complete with poolside service. The restaurant is one of our favourites serving good modern South African dishes combined with an excellent cellar including the estate’s own wines with impeccable service. The rooms and bathrooms are large and traditionally decorated.

About Lanzerac’s Location

This is set in a secluded location on the edge of bustling Stellenbosch. The town centre with its thatched and whitewashed building is a 10 minute drive. The town is home to one of South Africa’s premier universities and the buzz and the ambiance reflects this. As well as Lanzerac, you will find some excellent restaurants.