Angus Begg
WEEKENDS FOR LOVERS by Bridget Hilton- Barber (Southern)
‘Stopovers are the one-night stands of travelling and an evening with Lord Fraser is one you won’t regret.” Far from an invitation to spend the night with an ageing, cross-dressing British Conservative Party politician who has fallen foul of the tabloids, this is Bridget Hilton-Barber’s introduction to a guesthouse in a most unlikely setting: Wepener, Free State. “The Lord Fraser Guesthouse,” she continues, “is a truly welcome relief from those awful overnight hotels with hundreds of boxy little rooms where the walls are made of Kleenex and spit.”
Such is the tone and flavour of this thoroughly researched and highly informative guide to guesthouses and lodges around the country. From a dirty weekend to the secluded bushveld retreat for a special lover, Hilton-Barber handles these getaways with both frivolous humour and hard, often historical facts. A section at the end of each page-long description – no tedious waffle here – gives all the relevant details necessary for those interested in the particular destination.
“The cottages at De Hoop (near Bredasdorp) are pretty basic … The nearest garage and shops are at Ouplaas some 15km away, so be prepared … you don’t want to ruin your chance of finally getting laid by not bringing anything to drink …” If read all at once, the physical aspect to the weekend does appear to be overdone, but that’s what happens when the title is coloured with a particular hue.
Whichever province you’re looking to escape to, and whether you’re looking for a solo escape or a good weekend hike, Weekends for Lovers will provide you with both an entertaining read and at least a handful of options.