Accommodation

Take in the fresh country breeze at Cuckoo Ridge Country Retreat

Someone once said; “If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine – it’s lethal.” You can imagine my excitement as I drove through the picturesque Sabie River Valley in Mpumalanga towards Cuckoo Ridge Country Retreat.

Situated in the heart of an indigenous forest, this oasis offers a tranquil setting overlooking a valley of lush greenery and adjacent fruit farms.

The all-weather concrete access road winds its way through an indigenous landscape with the occasional sightings of Red Duiker, Bush Buck, vervet monkeys and bands of mongoose.

I found the owner, Lizé Louw, waiting for me and she immediately made me feel like I was part of her family.

Cuckoo Ridge Country Retreat is a 4-Star establishment offering a choice of five luxury bed and breakfast chalets and self-catering units.

Relax in the sun by the rock pool

These private chalets are furnished with king or queen-size beds, en-suite bathrooms, lounge and a secluded covered deck overlooking the Sabie River Valley.

I found their newer self-catering units beautifully-appointed with quality finishes and all the amenities one will need for memorable stays.

All rooms come with DSTV, free Wi-Fi, beverage tray, air-conditioning, bathrobes, hairdryer and fine linen.

There is also a Lapa area around the pool where you can make use of a braai facility as well as braai facilities in front of the 2 self catering chalets. All braai wood, charcoal, tongs and firelighters are supplied. Covered parking is also available for your vehicle.

After a restful night, I woke up to a wonderful breakfast on a veranda at the Main Lodge overlooking the Sabie Valley.

The breakfasts are served so generously that guests often tend to skip lunch and focus on adventure.

Dinner at the guesthouse is available upon request and can be best described as ‘boerekos’. The retreat is also part of the Lowveld Gourmet Restaurant Route, so guests are encouraged to sample the area’s gastronomical delights at nearby restaurants and cafes.

When looking for fun activities, you will be spoilt for choice at Cuckoo Ridge.

Besides the Kruger National Park being just a few kilometres away, you can take part in activities like abseiling, aerial cable trail, elephant walks, game drive or try their horse trails and scenic quadbike adventures.

Geckoing or White River tubing on the Sabie River is a popular adventure in the region. The Sabie River provides 20 rapids amid scenic vegetation and outstanding birdlife. Besides swimming and bum sliding at ‘Lion’s Rock’, you can also enjoy Blyde Dam cruises and Graskop Gorge viewing.

I recommend the Cuckoo Ridge Country Retreat for a couple, family or individuals searching for adventure in Mpumalanga. Please note that they are unable to accommodate children under the age of 10. To book your stay, call 072 430 1934 or email lize@cuckooridge.co.za or visit www.cuckooridge.co.za.

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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,

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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

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

See you on the road!