My Visit to Phinda – Keith Marallich

I was fortunate to visit the Phinda Private Game Reserve during early December. This was a belated birthday present, but a number of factors played a role in choosing the date. There had to be availability of course, and then reservations could only be made at very short notice – 24 hours before taking up the occupation! What was good about this short notice thing was I then had a chance to look at the weather forecasts for the next two to three days prior to making the reservation, and unfortunately this is where things fell apart a bit. As from early November the weather seemed to be against me. My primary reason for going was for photography, and to complicate matters more, my main aim was to photograph cheetah and black rhinos – quite a tall order, but I was confident that Phinda could deliver! However, I did not want a cloudy sky or rain - the light I hoped for had to be perfect, with blue skies and low sun. I was maybe a little too demanding, but at short notice, with the benefit of weather forecasts, I felt that this could be done. Little did I know that the best laid plans of mice and men…

Every week I was diligently checking availability and weather, and as the month of November grew longer, so nothing changed - 40%, 50% and more prediction of rain (and you don’t have rain without clouds) for all weekends in November. The first weekend in December looked great, but then I hit a snag – that was the one weekend that I could not go. So, what about the next weekend of the 8^th to 11^th December? The following weekend after this was a long weekend and I had a tour at this time in any event, and Phinda was pretty full from then on. January, February and March was just too hot for me, so it was now or never (Never…? too strong a word!). The weekend of the 8^th to 11^th December would have to do, so I duly made my reservation. I also would have liked to have stayed at just one single lodge for the duration of my stay, but with the COP17 conference in Durban coming to an end at this time, this was not possible, so I stayed the first two nights at the Phinda Vlei Lodge and the last night at the Phinda Forest Lodge.

Phinda is a short three hour drive from Durban and easily accessible to any type of vehicle. Upon arrival I was greeted and shown around Vlei Lodge, before being shown my room. I was also warned that I should keep at least my screen doors closed as there were vervet monkeys about, and they did tend to monkey around a bit, but who listens to these warnings? Whilst setting up my camera to take some photos of the suite (I was in the bathroom at this time), I heard a racket from the adjoining bedroom and rushed through, only to find a monkey helping himself to the wrapped nougat which was on offer. He got away with some nougat and sat in the tree above the room; artfully unwrapping the candy and enjoying it. This of course meant less nougat for me. The suites at Phinda Vlei Lodge are free standing, and fringe the reserve’s unique vlei (wetland) system along the edge of the rare sand forest and are intimately integrated into the surrounding African bush. This lodge comprises six thatched suites which each come complete with a luxurious ensuite bathroom, dressing room, private plunge pool and game viewing deck, all overlooking the grassy vlei.

The public areas consisted of a lounge, an inside dining area for when the weather was bad and an outside dining area for when the weather was good. With the weather conditions as they were, this meant that half my meals were inside whilst the other half were enjoyed outside.

Hereunder some photos of the Vlei Lodge.

The game drives at Phinda Vlei Lodge were usually pretty good, but unfortunately for me they were mostly in bad light. The Friday morning drive was done in some light drizzle and for the afternoon drive I did not even take my camera along, such was the rain. Probably the last drive at Vlei was the “worst” of the four, as we travelled all the way to the furthest reaches of Phinda to find elephant. We did in fact find a herd of about 50 to 60 animals, as well as other general game, but for the four hours that we were out, the light did not play along, so I did not take any photos of these magnificent beasts. We also spent quite a long time during my stay here trying to find leopard, as there was plenty of evidence of their presence by the number of fresh tracks that we found, but apart from one very “small” sighting, we could not find them. I will hereunder detail some of the more exciting sightings that were seen and general animals that were seen on both the Vlei and Forest lodges’ game drives included white rhino, and lots of them, nyala by the ton, reedbuck, impala (and many had lambs that were recently born), zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, baboons, the odd duiker, monkeys, wart hog, buffalo, hippos and more.

Some of the sightings from Vlei Lodge, in no particular order, that stood out for me were the following:

- A lactating lioness laying on top of a mound fully at ease, with an odd yawn every now and then. Her cubs were nowhere to be found, but they should have been fairly close by.

- Two large male lions (and even in reasonably good light) that I was told are the two dominant males of the reserve – a large area for them to cover.

- A black rhino and her sub-adult calf. A few days later we also saw a black rhino and calf and maybe this second sighting was of these same two animals. Phinda has roughly about thirty black rhinos on their property and this highly endangered animal seems to be doing well here – long may it continue. Just on that note, with all the rhino poaching currently being experienced in South Africa at the moment, Phinda have not lost a single rhino to poachers, neither the black or white variety.

- Five cheetahs, made up of two males, one female and two sub-adult cubs. The males were obviously trying to impress the female, but she was having none of them. I must also say that every time one of the males approached the female, the cubs would give voice to their displeasure with strange bird-like mewing sounds (very difficult to put into words, this strange bird-like mewing sound).

- A very young white rhino calf with its mother. This little animal reminded me somewhat of an aardvark, with its large ears and small body. One of those animals that all on the vehicle ooh’d and aah’d about.

- A wildebeest that was trying to give birth, but with little privacy. The baby’s front legs were already protruding from the mother, but every time she settled down to do what had to be done, she was surrounded by more wildebeest from her herd and sometimes even some zebra. We never did see here complete her birth.

- On that same morning we were watching a mother cheetah and her two sub-adult cubs, just lazing about on a termite mound. All of a sudden the mother perked up and looked off into the distance, this intense look soon to be followed by both cubs. What they had seen, and which we saw a few seconds later, was a male lion bearing down upon them from a distance. Needless to say, the cheetah left in a hurry, being chased by the male lion, which never caught them, because we saw these animals again.

- Two male cheetahs devouring an impala lamb. We had found the remains of an impala lamb that had been killed and eaten a short time before we came upon them, just starting on their meal of a second impala lamb in probably as many hours. They had just started and within 20 to 30 minutes it was all over – all that was left of the impala was the bottom bit of four legs, some skin and a few bones. We even watched them crunch their way through the impala’s skull and I suppose a two week old impala still has a soft skull. All this on the afternoon that I did not take my camera!

After my visit to Vlei Lodge, it was off to Phinda Forest Lodge for my last night. Set deep in the heart of a rare and beautiful dry sand forest, the spectacular Forest Lodge fuses architectural design and conservation. The creation of this safari lodge was an exemplary exercise in building eco-sensitive structures with a light footprint (not one tree was felled during construction). Inventively designed in Zulu Zen style, each handcrafted, glass encased suite is a combination of glass, wood and minimalist design incorporating high-gloss wooden floors, richly tactile fabrics and crimson Zulu artefacts. These sixteen private stilted suites each feature luxurious ensuite bathrooms with double vanity hand basins, and viewing decks. There is also a sparkling rim flow swimming pool and lodge sitting areas with expansive viewing decks affording panoramic views of the game-filled plains. What one finds quite a lot of at Forest Lodge is the red duiker, browsing within close proximity to guests.

Hereunder some photos of the suites and general areas of Forest Lodge.

That afternoon I went out with my new guide, Wayne, and we went looking for leopard. We did find a leopard, or more accurately, we found about a ¼ or less of a leopard. No, let me rephrase that, we saw only the tail of a leopard. This animal had crawled into deep undergrowth and only its tail was visible – but it was a leopard sighting. There are obviously quite a few leopards at Phinda, but these are not often seen, being the secretive animals that they are. Had we been prepared to wait there a few hours, we would in all probability have seen the leopard eventually move off, but there were other animals to find.

We also found two male cheetah, and lo and behold, the light was improving, in that the sun was shining, albeit a bit watery, but I did manage to get some half-decent photos of them in various poses. We did learn later from the other guide that was also viewing them that they made a kill (yes, you guessed it – another baby impala) and this was witnessed by the people on the other vehicle - lucky them, unlucky impala. So, as far as I was aware, the score was cheetah 3, baby impala 0! What we later did find was the two dominant male lions, but this was in the dark twilight and they were disinclined to move, so we did not stay with them for too long. The following morning produced quite a lot of general game and again two black rhinos, but again the light let me down, but hey, one does not see black rhino ever day! We also saw the two male lions, but they had followed the leopard’s example of the night before and had ensconced themselves into a deep thicket where they had settled for the day.

Phinda is a superb destination. Set within easy reach of the Indian Ocean coastline and the famous iSimangaliso Wetland Park (St. Lucia) in northern KwaZulu-Natal and is known for its abundant wildlife, diversity of habitats and wide range of activities. Thanks to its coastal rainfall pattern, Phinda enjoys a lush green environment that contains seven distinct ecosystems - a magnificent tapestry of woodland, grassland, wetland and forest, interspersed with mountain ranges, river courses, marshes and pans. With six lodges sharing an area of 23 000 hectares (56 800 acres) guests are assured an exclusive game viewing experience.

If one has the time, and if one has the money, and if one has the passion for wildlife, you can quite easily tailor-make an itinerary to suit your viewing preferences. For example, if cheetah and black rhino are high on your list of animals to see, Phinda is the place to go. If it is leopard that you have to see, Phinda has four sister lodges in the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve which will undoubtedly produce an abundance of leopard, but very, very few cheetah and surely no black rhino. If it is lion, elephant, buffalo and more, either of these areas, i.e Phinda or the Sabi Sands, can take care of this. In fact, depending on what type of animals you want to see, South Africa with its vast expanses can offer you much in terms of wildlife, from the abundant elephant herds of Addo, the marine wildlife off our southern Cape coast, the one hundred and forty seven mammal species of the greater Kruger Park, the dry Karoo and desert regions, the rhino populations in KwaZulu-Natal, the cross-over between Kalahari and bushveld in the Pilanesberg and Madikwe areas, the options are almost limitless, and as for the birding…..we’ll leave this for another time.

Umzolozolo Lodge - Nambiti Private Game Reserve

Umzolozolo Lodge, Nambiti Private Game Reserve was our next and final stop and all we had to do was drive from the one entry gate to the other - a drive that was no more than a 15 minute drive. When we entered the gate we were again directed to the Guest Parking area where our ranger Bradley was there waiting to pick us up, it was onto the game vehicle and off to Umzolozolo Lodge.

On arrival at Umzolozolo Lodge we were welcomed by Debbie and shown around the main area of the lodge and to our suite which had the same amazing view into the valley as the main lodge, the suite itself is well equipped with a King size bed, a large bath, indoor & outdoor showers, dressing room, TV with limited DSTV channels, Aircon and fan – all the mod cons you would need/want in a room.

Once we were settled in it was off to lunch which was an amazing spread of food and a sunning chocolate pecan nut pie for pudding, after our stomachs were full it was back to the room for a little rest and to pick up our things for the afternoon game drive which departed at 15h45.

The Afternoon Drive was eventful will lots of plains game which included Eland, Zebra, Giraffe, Kudu, Impala, Blue Wildebeest, Warthog, Reedbuck and Duiker, we also spotted Ostrich, Black Backed Jackal, plenty of White Rhino and Hippo in the Dam. after our exciting day we were back to Umzolozolo Lodge for a wonderful four course dinner, with the best lamb shank i have had in ages and a yummy dessert of poached pear which we only just managed to squeeze in we were so full.





The next morning we were up early, on the Game vehicle by 05h30 and off in search of the Elephants, well we pretty much found everything except the elephants as they just didn't seem to want us to find them, so our list of game spotted included plenty of plains game - Eland, Zebra, Giraffe, Kudu, Impala etc. White Rhino and Buffalo, when we got back to the lodge after our morning game drive we were advised that the Elephant were moving through the valley in front of the lodge, so we did find the elephants after all, just not on the vehicle but from the comfort of the lodge's deck.



After Breakfast the rest of my morning was spent relaxing in the room, whilst Justin was off fishing in the Dams for bass with the husbands/boyfriend's from the other couples that were staying at Umzolozolo Lodge, they managed to catch a few (fishing is on a catch and release basis) and also had to avoid a few curious hippos that were in the dam. It was then time for Lunch which was once again a wonderful spread, we were then back on the game vehicle and off on our afternoon game drive.

This time we managed to find the elephants as they were passing by a small dam, some stopped to drink whilst the others carried on by joining up with the rest of the herd on the hill, there were quite a few little ones in the herd, the babies are definitely my favourite as they are just so cute. Once we moved on from the Elephants we saw Black Baked Jackal, Gemsbok, Red Hartebeest and all the rest of the plains game, as the sun was setting we stopped for the normal Sun-downers and to watch a beautiful sunset, i don't know what it is about being in the bush but the sunsets are even more amazing that when your in the city! After sun-downers the spotlight came out and we continued on our way back to the lodge looking for nocturnal animals along the way and we managed to spot a Chameleon hiding in the bush! Bradley brought him to us for a closer look and I managed to snap a picture before Bradley returned him to his home. we then returned back to the lodge for Dinner under the stars in the Lodges Boma area, dinner was once again a four course meal although this time i opted out of one of the starters.

 

The next morning we were up even earlier and off on our morning game drive, this morning was a little chilly, although not enough for a thick jacket, and it was quite misty as the sun was not yet up fully - with the thin mist we could tell that this day was going to be another hot day once the sun burnt off the mist. We were driving past the open plains Nambiti Private Game Reserve should be known for, here i managed to snap this picture of a Zebra, as you can see the sky in the background is still a little misty.

Once the mist had lifted completely we saw all the normal plains game that i have now become accustom to seeing on a daily basis in Nambiti Private Game Reserve - this includes Eland, Zebra, Giraffe, Kudu, Impala etc. on our way back to the lodge we came across a few of the Elephants again although they were up on the hill we could just see the top of their heads and backs over the trees, one stood out amongst them all - BFE - which stands for Big Friendly Elephant, he is a very large bull elephant who towers over the other elephants and sometimes visit Umzolozolo Lodge - passing right through the lodge. I would have loved to have seen him that close while we were at the lodge, but i guess that now just gives me an excuse to go back sometime!

Lions Valley Lodge - Nambiti Private Game Reserve

The drive to Lions Valley Lodge, Nambiti Private Game Reserve from Durban took us an easy 3 ½ hours even with a short lunch stop along the way, once at the gate we were directed to the Guest parking area where we were to leave our vehicle, here we met our ranger Dean who was equipped with ice cold water which was just what we needed as it was such a scorching hot day, after a refreshing drink and luggage loaded we were off and on our way to Lions Valley Lodge.

Along the way we saw plenty of plains game which included Eland, Zebra, Giraffe, Kudu, Impala and Blue Wildebeest, we also saw a family of warthog running around with their tails up in the air. On arrival at Lions Valley Lodge we were welcomed and shown around the facilities of the Main lodge most of which have a view into the bush and over the waterhole, we were then taken to our room, we were in the Zebra Suite so the décor was all based around the Zebra – one of my favourite animals – each of the suits are identical in their footprint and they all boast a large bedroom/ lounge area, walk in closet, double baths, basins and double indoor and out door showers as well as a large deck over looking the bush, only the décor differs - from our Zebra room through to the Spaza room which is decorated with Corrugated iron walls, Coca Cola pillows and chappie light shades, to be honest just the sound of the Spaza room did not appeal to me but once actually inside the room the touches are so lightly done that its not the overpowering rainbow of colours I expected to see and I would have been happy to have stayed in the Spaza room or any of the other rooms for that matter.

Lunch was served at 15h00 and we had a buffet selection of freshly made bread, macaroni and cheese, etc.

The afternoon Game Drive then departed at 16h00 and again we saw plenty of plains game as well as a little Black Backed Jackal, and 3 big Dagga boys (Buffalo's) our best sighting would have to be the Big Male Lion we saw in the Afternoon along with the one Lioness who was calling and calling, I really do love the sound of the lion roaring but from the safety of my vehicle, I think it may be a different story if we were on foot! The sighting was a good one as they were out in the open about 100m off from the road but unfortunately as the area was recently burnt we were unable to go off road and get closer to the lions as the grass needs time to rehabilitate after it has been burnt, even tho we couldn't get close it was still a wonderful sighting just as the sun was setting.

It was then back to the lodge for Dinner and sleep.

The next morning we were up at 05h30 and back on the Game Drive vehicle by 06h00. The morning game drive brought us Impala, Kudu, Eland, Warthog, Waterbuck, Red Hartebeest, Gemsbok, Steenbok and a Mother Rhino with her baby who were both resting under the shade of a tree as today was again a scorching hot day.

It was then back to the lodge for a fulling Breakfast – both a cold buffet and a hot English breakfast of bacon, eggs etc. during breakfast we even had some excitement as one of the rangers had sighted a Cheetah Lying in the shade of a tree directly across from the lodge, with a good pair of binoculars you could see that he/she had eaten and was a rather fat cheetah for it! After breakfast it was back to the room to pack then onto the Vehicle to be taken back to our car and for us to proceed onto our next stop Umzolozolo Lodge.

Leopard Mountain Game Lodge - Zululand Rhino Reserve

The optimal arrival time at Leopard Mountain Game Lodge is 14:00, so Lana and I had packed up the Land Rover and left home in Durban at 10h30. We took the coastal scenic route via Ballito and then up the N2 and into Zululand. The further north we travelled the drier the bush appeared, with the first flush of green just beginning after some recent light rains. A three hour drive and we were at the entrance to the Zululand Rhino Reserve, some 30 kilometres north of the Hluhluwe Village. Enter, security and in, en route to the lodge we spotted some impala, nyala, zebra and giraffe - looking good!

At the lodge we were met by Melissa with refreshing iced tea and were taken to our chalet overlooking the Umsunduze River valley - what a view! Lana relaxed in the hammock on the deck whilst I watched a pair of white bellied sunbirds in the nearby bushes and the distant passing parade of antelope – then Nelson the resident Nyala Bull decided to tend to the shrubbery around our abode. Whilst here we also had the pleasure of seeing a large elephant bull that was strolling along the river-bed below.

Afternoon tea, consisting of tasty sandwiches and scrumptious cakes, was served before onto the vehicles for the afternoon game drive. Our vehicle was a new ‘open’ Land Rover Game Viewer, super comfortable and my favorite game drive vehicle. I’m too old to have my bones shaken about in a Land Cruiser! The bush was very dry and some sections had been burnt with the new growth only just starting to show, so this section really only attracted those animals that enjoy the burnt vegetation. Today it was White Rhino (two in the bush and another two at the waterhole),

Buffalo, Giraffe aplenty, Zebra and then antelope - Blue wildebeest, Impala, Nyala, Common Reedbuck and Grey Duiker. This was a super game drive with our ranger Amy and tracker, Travis, who provided interesting insight on the animals and the environment.

During our drive we stopped for Sundowners (and wine served in real wine glasses!), tasty snacks and drooe wors – a South Africa favourite. On the return to camp we passed through a section of riparian forest, their trees alive with a number of Thick-tailed Galago (Bushbabies) which made Lana’s day. Being nocturnal, these small animals are not regularly seen.

Leopard Mountain Lodge has a rather clever choice option for ones evening meal, in that one is asked to choose from the dinner menu in advance. Because of a light drizzle, dinner could not be in their normal Boma venue, seated around a fire. A delightful four cours meal with South African options. I chose Babootie and there was Malva pudding foor dessert !

Thereafter we returned to our comfortable beds and the next morning was an early rise - we were scheduled to go on an early morning walk. Our guide Ivor van Rooyen accompanied by Ryan Vivier led the way - such an interesting walk. Ivor is well versed in the ways of the wild and kept us well informed of all the signs, sounds and smells of the bush. We followed Black Rhino and Buffalo tracks, animals which are apparently regularly encountered on these walks and we saw where a hyena had crossed our path. We came close to a number of antelope and then the lesser-seen animals as well, a leopard tortoise that had evaded the fire, and some snails too! 

Then aardvark diggings, wherein warthog had now taken up residence in these dug-out burrows as well as some bird nests with eggs - Spring!. October is a good time of the year for birding, with the summer migrants having already recently arrived in Southern Africa. Raptors were really prolific and with walking through different biomes, so new opportunities presented themselves. The dense forest along the Umsundusi River was especially good. The walk was a good three hours of pleasure and certainly well worth doing.

Breakfasts at Leopard Mountain were delightful - juices, cereals and fruit and then the traditional "Full House" South African (English?) cooked option. Repleat, guests may opt to be taken to a waterhole where there is a comfortable hide. In the hour that we were there we had a number of visitors, with no less than 27 warthog in the area at one time.

Thereafter it was back to the Lodge for time to ourselves to relax and enjoy the bush environment. Ours was spent lying on the deck with the sounds of prolific bird calls from all quarters and the odd visit from a warthog or nyala. Lunch was rather unique. Leopard Mountain Lodge arranges a picnic basket to be enjoyed at one of the many places in and around the Lodge. Some guests chose the lovely rock pool, we preferred the deck at our Chalet. Breads, cheeses, salads, pate, dessert were all on offer - such a good idea. After another period of relaxation, it was time for tea, which consisted of delightful sandwiches and cakes before departing on the afternoon game drive.

On this drive we saw a lot of plains game, giraffe, baboon and then a trio of white rhino, mum and her two calves, the one a lot older than her sibling. Then a rather relaxed bull elephant sporting some fair ivory and using them to best secure his meal. Then Amy spotted a Black Rhino, a super sighting before this shy and endangered animal turned and disappeared, zig-zagging through the bush at high speed. More pachyderms were seen, and then it was onto a dam where the abrasive snorts of hippo greeted us. Here we enjoyed sundowners, thereafter our drive continued with spotlights and a genet out on the hunt.

Spring time, overcast and light rain, wonderful! No one seemed to mind that the boma dinner was not to be. Our last early morning game drive produced some more buffalo, white rhino, giraffe, zebra and a variety of antelope.

I am most impressed with the vast improvement in the quality and quantity of game sightings in comparison to our visit to this Game Reserve some five years ago. With the recent introduction of lion, this is now truly a Big Five destination with such potential. Lana and I really enjoyed the Lodge,(good attention to detail here)  the staff were so friendly, helpful and informative and I was pretty impressed with the game viewing. Zululand Rhino reserve really is a worthwhile, affordable venue getting better all the time.

Leopard Mountain Game Lodge

The Zululand Rhino Reserve is transforming rapidly into a super Big Five wildlife destination. It is almost five years since I last visited Leopard Mountain Game Lodge and since then black rhino, elephant and lion have been reintroduced with regular sightings of most of these sought after species being enjoyed by guests.

Leopard Mountain Game Lodge has a commanding position with magnificent views overlooking the reserve and the Umsunduzi River below. Lana and I arrived, to be ushered to our very comfortable, large stone under thatch Chalet. Relaxing on the deck, Lana lazing in the hammock, we gazed out into the bushveld. The immediate vegetation was alive with birdlife and even Nelson a resident Nyala came past, briefly acknowledging our presence as he foraged close to our chalet whilst a large elephant bull wandered along the dry river-bed below – this is the life!

We had some really excellent sightings on the guided game drives. Close encounter with a herd of some 80+ buffalo, then a magnificent bull elephant, a black and a number of white rhino, hippo, giraffe, zebra and a variety of antelope. The guided game drives are offered early mornings and again late afternoons into the evening and such is the density of wildlife here that a large variety of game is seen on each drive. We had such a lovely view of a gathering of some seven or eight Thick-tailed Galago (Greater Bush Babies) in the riparian forest on one of the evening drives. After breakfast one may opt to be taken to the hide for an hour or so. Highly recommended!

We had a ‘stream’ of animals coming to the waters to drink. At one time I counted 27 warthog of various sizes in the proximity.

Lana and I chose to take the optional early morning walk that Leopard Mountain Lodge offers guests. Rifle in hand, our Ranger showed us so much in the three hours - we followed tracks, calls and his intuition. Good to really be back in the bush and to enjoy some of the different aspects one can only engage when on foot..

Leopard Mountain has a really lovely luncheon offering. From a basic menu one chooses what is to be in the basket and where you would like to enjoy your pic-nic. This pic-nic basket is brought to you – we chose our deck, others opted for the pool, what a novel idea!

The lion have only recently been released into the reserve, the leopard are becoming more relaxed near vehicles, as too the elephant herds and the black rhino, although still pretty skittish have also settled into their new haven. What a transformation in my opinion since my last visit, to what is now a really good wildlife viewing experience and it can only get better. As the fences come down, and as the farmers see the viability of ecotourism vs cattle ranching / hunting, and neighboring independent game parks unite into one, so this area will transform into one of the finest game-viewing areas in our country. Already two Lodges in the vicinity, Phinda and Thanda Private Game Reserves are World renowned. Exciting! Only 3 hours from Durban to one of the best big game experiences out and well priced too.

Fairlawns Boutique Hotel

Celebrating a 40th Wedding anniversary in Johannesburg afforded Lana and I to visit and stay at the delightful Fairlawns Boutique Hotel in the Sandton suburb of Morningside Manor.

The function was to be a luncheon and with timing fairly tight – we flew SAA to Johannesburg from where we took the Gautrain to Sandton. What a slick operation that was. From the depths of the underground we emerged to be met by our chauffer and luxury sedan transfer to the Hotel. What a splendid hotel tucked away amongst beautiful gardens. Formalities by the warm welcoming staff and we were checked into the luxurious Manhattan suite. All the 40 suites here are themed. A quick freshen-up and our vehicle was ready to take us to the party.

 

On our return the duty manager gave us the opportunity of seeing the various suites and facilities offered by the Hotel. Royalty and Presidents have been hosted here and all ones needs appear to be well catered for in this beautifully decorated retreat .

From a superb Conference Centre, fully equipped gym, really excellent a la Carte Restaurant and wine cellar, to the most delightful Spa. I really liked the out-door facilities of the Balinese Spa all set in a forest with bamboo trees and tinkling water. Magnificent. What an ideal wedding venue.

We learnt that the wing we were in was actually only recently built and finished in time for the Soccer World Cup June 2010 - although one would think is was part of the 40 year old infrastructure. So well does it blend in. Powered by solar panels on the roof, all the mod-cons are there but not connected to the National Grid ! Good for them. Modern building filled with beautiful artifacts and antiques decorated in a rather opulent style – home away from home?

 

We went through to the rather comfortable homely bar for drinks before dinner and then through for our meal. A table with expansive views of the flood-lit gardens, glass doors open to the fresh Highveld air. What a lovely evening - dinner, soft music, excellent wine and cuisine we retired to our very comfortable suite.

To the gym or should I go for a swim in the pool? Up early and to the tea station on our floor. Machines all set for 24/7 refreshments. Tea and then we ambled down into the gardens. So lovely having a breakfast out on the deck, the sun warming and the gardens glowing. Too quickly we were back in the car, down the escalators to the depths below Sandton City and the rapid transfer back to the Airport. With facilities like these and a hotel of this stature one could confidently host the World’s finest.