Resting our heads & filling our tummies
- Ilene
- Aug 17, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 8
As our time comes to an end in South Africa, I’ve been wanting to write a bit about the places we’ve stayed and some of our food experiences. As most of you know, I’m Celiac so I eat gluten free and both David and I try to avoid dairy and meat. We’ll eat fish sometimes, but usually when there just isn’t another options. We have found that eggs for breakfast are pretty standard here and have become part of our daily breakfast - good source of protein and all.
I mentioned in an earlier post that we had been using HomeExchange since last fall and had been accumulating “guest points” on the platform. So as we travel we’re cashing in some of those. Here in South Africa we did a home exchange in Cape Town and Wilderness. We’ve also booked some amazing Guest Houses (aka Bed & Breakfast type places) and some lodges that have blown our minds too.
Guest Houses have been a really great way to travel. Usually pretty affordable, in addition to your own room/bathroom, we’ve met some other people along the way and breakfast is home cooked. For us, it's also nice to easily communicate with the Host ahead of time on any dietary needs, travel recommendations, etc. Everyone has been so accommodating, even gluten free bread available in most places.
A night in Plettenberg Bay at Ocean Watch fit the bill for a quick night along the Garden Route. Great views of the bay, location was prime, walkable to the small downtown and a short drive to Robbens Nature Reserve for stunning hikes. During the summer I’m sure the pool and BBQ would have seen some use.
While along the Panorama Route we stayed in two very different places, one was a super cool African themed decor Guest House, Dar Amane. We had a little apartment with a sitting area, dining table, kitchenette and a separated bedroom/bathroom area. Each room had a private outdoor area and fire pit - was so nice to have breakfast served outdoors. Our Host Henry and his staff were great.
Then in Hazyview we splurged a bit for Summerfields Rose Retreat & Spa. The Resort is situated amongst a Macadamia Nut and Lychee Farm. The canvas tent rooms with open air bathrooms were so inviting. An outdoor deck with lounge chair along the stream was a perfect place to relax and read, aircon and bed warmers made any weather comfortable. The restaurant was also amazing and accommodating to our dietary requests. They grow a lot of their own vegetables and you could taste it in every fresh bite. Though no specific gluten free or Vegan menu, the staff and chef were very accommodating. And, they have a little farm stand with Macadamia Nut soft serve (yes, dairy free, gluten free and delicious). Oh, and the best part… couples massages along the river - heaven.
Durban was a stop over spot on our way to/from the Drakensberg Mountains. We had chosen another guest house with an Ocean Vista, aptly named. Sweet woman from Serbia is the owner and she was so welcoming. With her husband, they had renovated the house to make it a guest house and added a stunning third floor where she has the breakfast room, guest lounge with games, honor bar and outdoor deck. And she has recommended an amazing, upscale restaurant with a full vegan menu, most items being gluten free, Chef’s Table (I need to get a review written for them!) Keep in mind, upscale in South Africa runs maybe $70 for two people with drinks.
And perhaps the last and best… while in The Drakensbergs we stayed at Montusi Mountain Lodge. Let’s start with the arrival… I had literally no idea what I was getting us into. As we drove from Durban we turned off the main highway and just kept drivinf. The roads got smaller, fewer lines and markings, more potholes, farm land, small villages and then a turn off with a one-lane-ish road, and bridges across streams that said “don’t cross if the water covers the bridge”.
But when we arrived we realized what a special place this was. First off, family owned and run, currently being managed by the three daughters of the couple who built the lodge. I loved that these women and their husbands live on the property and are all very engaged with guests every day. The property is set up with individual thatched house cottages and a main lodge. Each cottage has its own private patio with a view of the Drakensbergs and most spectacularly the Amphitheater mountain formation. We had also signed up for half board and boy am I glad we did that because the closest town was 30km away and didn’t have much to choose from. A la Carte menu for lunch and dinner was also available. But it keeps getting better. The property has amazing hikes, 18 horses, a couple of ponds, swimming pool, spa, tennis court and a dining room that offered us bespoke menus each. For David “Lactose Free, Vegan” and for Ilene, “Lactose Free, Vegan & Gluten Free”. Dinner was multiple courses, and all delicious and beautifully displayed.
We are in Johannesburg for a couple of days and then off to Tanzania for Safari!
P.S. send us texts, emails, photos - It's hitting us 3 weeks into our travels that our "vacation" is not over and we are not heading home soon. Vacation is definitely not the right word for this lifestyle in fact. So as we’ll be sharing our life on the road, please share your life with us as well - miss you already!
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