If you are after astounding views – expansive valleys, open skies and rugged peaks, as well privacy that’s often only interrupted by grazing antelope, zebra, giraffes and birdsong, then the Langeberg’s Amathunzi Private Nature Reserve is your destination.
Amathunzi apparently means the shadows, which in a way captures how time slows down while staying at this amazing 3100ha reserve located less than two hours from Cape Town.
We were fortunate to stay over in one of their five freestanding private thatched chalets, collectively called The Lodge. I found the chalets comfortable with king-size beds, crisp linen, large bathroom, fireplaces and shaded stoeps with great landscape views.
The Lodge has a spacious communal living area that overlooks a pristine seasonal dam.
There is a main lounge area around a log-burning fireplace in addition to a dining area that leads out to a large timber deck, while a TV lounge area ensures you won’t miss your favourite sports.
Thanks to a well-equipped kitchen, we enjoyed our meals under the stars around a roaring log fire in their enclosed boma surrounded by an acacia thicket.
The placement of the freestanding chalets allows each guest total freedom
Adjacent to this boma, behind a beautifully constructed dry-stone wall, is a swimming pool that also makes the perfect backdrop to outdoor candle-lit dinners.
A short distance from The Lodge is a Manor House, which I found ideal for a group of friends or two families travelling together.
The house offers a generous living space with a lounge, fireplace and a dining room-cum-kitchen, which can accommodate up to 12 people. This dining room opens onto a shaded stoep, which has a large built-in braai and another 12-seater table.
There is also a TV-library-games room off the large entrance hall.
The Manor House has six bedrooms in two wings.
The main bedroom is a huge light-filled room with French doors that open onto a stoep with mountain views. It comes with a king-size bed and an en-suite bathroom.
In the secondary bedroom, you will find a queen-size bed and bathroom while bedrooms three and four are both furnished with two single beds and share a large bathroom with tub and shower. Bedrooms five and six, in the second wing, are both furnished with queen-size beds and share a bathroom.
There is also a secluded self-catering cottage that comprises an open-plan lounge-kitchen-dining area, a separate en-suite bedroom and patio with outside braai. A double bed in the lounge and two single beds in the bedroom, make the cottage suitable for small families.
From nature walks, hiking and cycling trails to game drives, there is plenty to keep the family entertained at Amathunzi. Find out more at www.amathunzi.co.za or call 023 348 5686.
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