Winter’s chill is beginning to bite, but that’s no reason to sit at home and sulk. Take advantage of low-season prices and treat yourself to a weekend away. There are all kinds of accommodation available —- self-catering chalets, guest houses, hotel rooms and cottages -— at reasonable prices.
For a bit of romance, why not head for the mountains of Montagu in the Western Cape? Book a cottage with a four-poster bed and spa bath at Little Sanctuary bed and breakfast. It’s just 50m from Montagu hot springs and has its own therapeutic mineral pool. Take some sweet —- and warming -— local muskadel up to the Eagles Rest viewpoint and watch the sun go down over the orchards and vineyards.
Special occasion coming up? Take a trip deep into the Cederberg Mountains to the five-star Bushman’s Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Retreat. It has great packages for locals, including sumptuous chalets and gourmet food, nature drives and guided walks to bushman paintings.
Closer to Cape Town —- on the West Coast road near Langebaan —- is Sonqua Manor in Elandsfontein Nature Reserve. It is relatively new and is one of the best-kept secrets in the area. Graded five-star, this luxury thatched safari lodge offers incredible value for an all-inclusive stay. You could get to see buffalo. Eland and other antelope are plentiful. Go on a game drive or go quad biking in the sand dunes where you will see fossilised bones and human artefacts littering the ground, some of them up to one million years old.
The Crags area of the Garden Route near Plettenberg Bay is guaranteed to keep young and old entertained. That Place —- a three-bedroom, self-catering house -— offers a “stay three nights, pay for two” package, as does the four-star Hog Hollow Country Lodge. Both are right around the corner from The Elephant Sanctuary, Monkeyland and Birds of Eden, each of which is worth a visit. If you have the time, you should plan to spend half a day at each.
Love big game? Then try out the good value, family-run Tshukudu Game Lodge near Hoedspruit. There are usually orphan animals, such as lion cubs, roaming around the lodge and friendly elephants frisking you on morning walks. It’s one of the few lodges that allow children to get close to the animals, although there is an age and height restriction.
In KwaZulu-Natal the Hluhluwe Imfolozi game park is very accessible. But for a beach and marine experience, head up the coast to Rocktail Beach Camp on the tropical Maputaland Coast. This is specially designed for the South African market. Catch a tan on secluded beaches or keep busy scuba diving. You might even be lucky enough to see turtles laying their eggs on the beach.
If you want to get out of the city, but do not want to travel too far, try Soul Kaya. It might feel as if you’re a million miles from Johannesburg, but it is only a few kilometres from Lanseria airport on the Lethabo Estate. It is a day spa where you can relax and enjoy some serious pampering. Lounge in the comfy chairs around the pool having salt rubs, massages and pedicures, while sipping bubbly with girlfriends. You can even learn how to firedance. There are horses in the surrounding mountains and romantic overnight places if you want to make a weekend of it.
There are more than 100 000 guest rooms in accommodation establishments in South Africa, so a quick search will help find something that suits just you. Take a look at accommodation websites like: www.safarinow.co.za, www.aatravel.co.za, www.sa-venues.com , www.ghasa.co.za and www.capestay.co.za. Many of these websites include comments from past visitors to help you choose the best.