Eastern Cape
North West Province
Mpumalanga
Search South Africa Online using Google. Simply enter your search keywords in the box below and click the search button!
| A piece of paradise in Pondoland |
(2005-11-02)
Situated in the wilderness area at the mouth of the Mbotyi River, overlooking the warm Indian Ocean lies Mbotyi River Lodge. If you are looking for a get-away-from-it-all break then family-friendly Mbotyi is your answer. If you are a surf or fly fisherman, an avid hiker, a birder, horse rider, swimmer... Mbotyi is an ideal place to experience all the beauty of the Wild Coast.
What it’s like
 Driving down the last few hundred yards after a straight drive from Johannesburg, we saw this huge sandy dune ahead of us. It didn’t look real but it was! We were greeted at reception by a refreshing glass of iced tea and a big smile from the helpful staff. Willing hands helped us unload our luggage and take it to our room. There’s a choice of comfortable thatch bungalows or wooden cabins – all have great sea and lagoon views. We had a deluxe room with air conditioning, a fridge and TV. The room had its own balcony with a great view of the ocean and the lagoon. After we freshened up we went back to reception for a tour of the lodge. There’s a beautiful pool, children’s activity room, a long bar and a games room, situated adjacent to the dining room, that has awesome views of the Mbotyi beach and river mouth.
 All meals are provided (not easy to slip out for takeaway!) and the cuisine is nourishing English- style fare. Breakfasts include fresh fruit, yoghurts, cereals, toasts as well as a range of cooked dishes. Lunches are a tasty interlude of salads, pastas and lighter fare or if you decide to go out hiking or fishing for the day you can take a picnic. Dinners feature generously portioned four-course meals with a choice of main course. And there’s a wide variety of dishes to suit every palate, from seafood to steaks, from casseroles to wonderful chicken selections, soups and starters as well as desserts. Each day’s menu is printed out so you can see what is on offer. I was extremely impressed that the chef catered for my special dietary requirements (vegan) and I even got my own menu each day!
What can you do
 More a case of what can’t you do! Relax on the fine sandy beaches or hike along stunning trails to view seven magnificent waterfalls... fly fish or swim in the warm ocean… if you are feeling relaxed you can have an experienced river guide paddle you up the Mbotyi river and check out bird life and indigenous vegetation. There are 4x4 trails (my first experience going up a very steep cliff... and the view from the top was soooo worth seeing!), bike trails, horse trails, tour the local tea plantation, walking trails and whale and dolphin viewing (another first for me to see huge tails rising up out of the water and smack down onto the sea surface time and time again!)
 We only had a weekend so it was difficult to decide what we wanted to do. We did quite a bit in our short first visit (of course we’ll be back for a longer stay... how could we not?) and we went for a walk along the beach in the late afternoon after our arrival, dipping our toes in the warm water. I was very happy that the humidity levels were low and that the whole area is malaria free. No screens on the windows of the chalets and I don’t think I saw a mosquito the whole time we were there. We decided to relax on our first full day so we only got up at six instead of our usual Johannesburg rising hour of five. After a wonderful breakfast we relaxed with our books, looking out at the peaceful ocean from the balcony outside the dining room.
After a filling lunch we met our river guide and off we went for our guided canoe ride along the river. I felt very lazy having someone else do the rowing... but we were on holiday so I quickly relaxed and stopped feeling like I ought to be doing something instead of just taking in the peace and tranquillity of the lagoon and river.
 Our guide was extremely knowledgeable (she told us she trained for eighteen months before she was qualified) and pointed out various birds and trees as we slowly coasted along. Local children swimming and playing along the river banks smiled and waved as we passed.
Dinner was a seafood buffet which my husband said was delicious – he went back for seconds! – and did I tell you about the wine cellar? A great choice of extremely well-priced wines.
 We were up early the next day as we had planned to go on a 28 km hike to see a waterfall. Our local guide carried our picnic brunch in his backpack and off we went. It turned out to be the hottest day for some time and there wasn’t even a breath of wind to help cool us down. We got about two thirds of the way there and I realised it was too hot for me to continue as the sun was getting hotter and there was no shade. We sat and ate our brunch in the shade of a tree and a rock pool... the last ‘oasis’ on the way to the waterfall... and then began our way back to the lodge. We managed about 14 kms so I didn’t feel too bad.
We spent the rest of the day relaxing sitting on the deck and whale watching while enjoying a cold refreshing beer. Another great dinner followed (good think I had done all that hiking to wear off some of the calories!) and then off to bed with the soothing sound of the ocean in the background. All too soon it was Monday and time for our journey back. We decided to follow the coast on our return journey as we had come down via an inland route. We said our goodbyes and know we will be back soon. On our next visit we are going to fly to Margate and get collected there by the Mbotyi bus.
Although we were only there for a weekend we felt so relaxed when we got back. Must be the Mbotyi magic!
Christmas holidays are one of their busier times... but I heard a whisper that there are still bookings available if you hurry!
How to get there
Mbotyi is situated 26 kms from Lusikisiki and the road is easily accessible by motor car. You can also fly in from East London on the neighbouring tea plantation plane. The lodge is about three hours from Port Edward. Prices range from R385 per person and include all meals. Overall, Mbotyi is a great value-for-money getaway.
|
