East London - We ended up staying at the Oribi Gorge hotel as an afterthought.
It started with a family wedding in the Eastern Cape (my niece’s) one Saturday in April and ended with another wedding in Durban the following Saturday (my daughter’s). One of my five siblings suggested we do a road trip to Durban, which included two nights at Ongeluksnek, a nature reserve in a remote corner of the Eastern Cape.
Driving there was pleasant as it was a pretty part of the country and the roads were good.
But getting to the nature reserve, 40km off the main road, proved to be an ordeal and involved driving along one of the worst roads I’ve ever encountered, with potholes the size of craters and with many parts of the road flooded after heavy rains.
By the time we arrived we were all grumpy and our mood was not improved by the discovery that our charming stone cottage had no electricity. “It’s broken,” said our camp attendant, rather too cheerfully, I thought.
That night we attempted to cook by the light of three paraffin lamps, which was all they had. And the hot water, heated by gas, was lukewarm.
The next day we decided to cut our losses and leave, but instead of driving back to Durban, I had the bright idea of breaking our trip and staying at the Oribi Gorge hotel, which a friend often enthused about. And what a joy it was finding an oasis when you need one.
If you don’t come via Kokstad like we did, the hotel is about an hour from Durban and 21km from Port Shepstone. It is very secluded and overlooks one of South Africa’s most beautiful natural wonders, the Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve.
The reserve’s appeal is the impressive gorge, carved out by the Umzimkulwana River. There are some lovely walks along the river where you can see bushbuck, reedbuck, oribi, blue and grey duiker and the rarely seen leopard. Twitchers will find it a delight as it boasts 250 bird species.
To get to the hotel you drive up a long winding road, with lush vegetation on either side. The hotel was originally a farmhouse on a sugarcane plantation and dates back to the 1890s. The family home eventually evolved into a quaint little hotel, which has undergone major changes in the last decade, including the addition of a new wing.
The main building rambles somewhat and you will find all sorts of odd little rooms tucked away. One of these has been turned into a craft shop run by a community upliftment project.
The bedrooms are in the new wing and on two floors. Each is decorated in different decor styles, but all seem to have embraced an out of Africa colour palette.
My bedroom had the most comfortable bed and pillows I’ve ever slept on and the muted and pretty colours added to my sense of being cosseted.
My room (like all the others) had a terrace overlooking the garden and a huge bathroom with boiling hot water.
Otherwise, rooms have DStv and coffee and tea facilities.
We had one hilarious moment when my sister – who has spent the last 30 years living in London – came face to face (so to say) with a group of frogs in her bathroom and completely freaked.You would think it was an invasion of the flesh-eating frogs.
Happily, her family was moved to another room, but I was told the next day that frogs sometimes sneak in during cleaning and hide. Perhaps they like the warmth of the bathroom.
Dinner was unpretentious but surprisingly good, as was their buffet breakfast, which offered cereals and a selection of fruit, with hot items made to order.
You can’t see the gorge from the hotel because shrubbery is in the way, but it’s a five to seven minute walk away. Of course the views are spectacular. Not only are there lookout posts, but there’s a chance to enjoy some extreme adventure sports, or walk across the gorge on a rope ladder.
With the hotel being so close to Durban, it’s the ideal weekend spot and a chance to completely relax. They have 18 en-suite rooms, which includes four family rooms. Rates are reasonable and include breakfast.
The staff are friendly and GM Carol Kent is dedicated to making her hotel a must-visit destination. - Sunday Tribune
If You Go...
l Call 039 687 0253
Oribi is home to Wild 5 Adventures, based at the Oribi Gorge Hotel. They offer:
The Wild Swing: Situated at the top of Lehr’s Falls, it’s the highest swing in the world at 165m (that’s 55 storeys).
The Wild Slide (zipline): Slide along the cable that spans across the gorge, 165m above the treetops.
Abseiling: Abseil down a 110m cliff face, alongside Lehr’s waterfall, one of the world’s highest commercial abseils.
White Water Rafting: Brave the elements in a full trip down the Mzimkhulu River.
Mountain biking: Bikers can follow the scenic single track (horse trail), meandering along the top of the gorge.
Call 082 566 7424 for enquiries and reservations.