Accommodation

Malachite Manor is a place for all seasons

Malachite Manor is situated in one of my favourite parts of the country, the Southern Drakensberg. As a student at the University of KZN I belonged to the Mountain Club and spent many wonderful weekends in this beautiful region.

No matter what the season, the Drakensberg is stunning. In summer the mountains and valleys seem to radiate life and everything, from the grass to the trees is emerald green. In autumn the blaze of colour is simply magnificent and in winter I loved the fresh, crisp mornings and the snow covered peaks.

Malachite Manor, a labour of love

I have long believed that family owned businesses, particularly restaurants and guest houses, are better than their more business like contemporaries.

Malachite Manor proves my point. Built by Michael, Carrin and Ryan Pieterse, this guest house has an attention to detail that only passion and love can produce.

The elegant mix of dark wood, grey slate and tin roofing fits in perfectly with the surroundings. The contemporary décor, crisp white linen, magnificent views and open veranda make this a very enjoyable place to stay.

Each room has a large tub in the sparkling bathroom as well as a TV and a tea and coffee station.

Malachite Manor has an excellent restaurant

The Orchid Restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. Our Chefs pride themselves on South African cuisine. This region has abundant fresh produce and we source most of our ingredients locally. Breakfasts are a mix of continental and English.

The restaurant is not only used by guests but is popular with the locals too. The wine menu is extensive and caters for all weather and seasons. Try a chilled Chenin Blanc on the veranda in summer or a complex Syrah next to the fire in winter.

Plenty to do in the area

Malachite Manor is located just outside Underberg on the road to the Drakensberg Gardens. It is an easy drive from Durban and close enough to Jo’burg for a weekend getaway.

The ‘Berg is very popular with outdoor enthusiasts – hiking, mountain biking and birdwatching to name a few. The incredible Sani Pass is close buy too.

However, if you’re looking to simply relax, then put your feet up and open your book in the tea garden or on your veranda during the day. At night, the place to be is the spectacular Manor Bar. In this beautiful room you will meet likeminded people from all across the globe.

Cheers and see you there.

Call 082 525 4217/083 645 2026or email admin@malachitemanor.co.za or reservations@malachitemanor.co.za to make your reservation or inquire about accommodation.

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About us

Actually, Home Food and Travel offers a lot more than just reviews of accommodation, restaurants, spas and adventure activities. We also visit great destinations, receive advice from interior designers and stop to smell the roses and taste the coffee.

Our team of journalists are seasoned travels and love visiting the myriad of exciting places around South Africa. Whether it is off the beaten track or in the heart of the top attractions of the country, we’ll be there,

Home Food and Travel advice on finding the right accommodation

So what is the right accommodation? Well more often than not, it’s your travel budget that dictates the type of accommodation that you choose.

Expensive is not always better. Our team at Home Food and Travel will tell you that they have camped in areas with limited ablutions and had a wonderful holiday. They have also spent a night in a five star hotel only to be disappointed because their expectations exceeded the experience.

The reason for your travels will also affect your choice. A business trip requires different amenities to a beach holiday.

Our articles, reviews and experiences can certainly help you make your decision.

Restaurants with a good mix of service, food and ambiance

To my mind a great restaurant offers three things – excellent service, great food and a wonderful ambiance. Of these, service is the most important.

No matter that the food is delicious and the setting delightful, poor service can ruin the occasion. However, great service combined with mediocre meal and a plane jane restaurant can still be a pleasant night out.

We’ve eaten in restaurants that are really dirty but with incredible food and couldn’t help but give a rave review. We’ve also hardly noticed what we ate because the setting was just amazing.

However, the best restaurants come with the best of service, food and ambiance.

Spas are the ultimate relaxation aid

How do you know when you have had a great spa experience? The answer, of course, is when you doze off on the treatment table.

Well that’s our theory anyway. It also doesn’t take a grand location with enormous facilities for a spa to be really good

A small, personal spa that is owner run can result in the best massage you have ever experienced. However, the grand spas in five star hotels offer unsurpassed facilities in an environment that just makes the stress in your shoulders and neck melt away before you even finish checking in.

Adventure!

You don’t have to be an adrenaline junky to enjoy an exciting experience. In fact, what are commonly termed adventure activities usually have incredibly high safety standards and unblemished safety records.

Ziplining, bungy jumping and shark cage diving are all very safe. It’s just that our mind tells us we are craaazzzzyyyy to be doing this.

On the road to great places of accommodation, restaurants, spas and adventure activities

If you’re driving, be safe and make use of all the wonderful farm stalls that populate South Africa’s open roads.

If you overhear somebody asking a lot of questions or see someone taking photos of empty bedrooms chances are it’s one of our Home Food and Travel team members.

We’re out looking or those great places of accommodation, restaurants, spas and adventure activities.

See you on the road!