Unique mountain guest house

I have found a unique mountain Guest House in the Drakensberg of KwaZulu-Natal. It is not right against the mountains, but close enough to offer a panoramic view of the
Drakensberg Peaks. It is not along a main tourist road, but off-the-beaten track. There are few activities available on site yet enough in the surrounding area to keep you there for at least 5 full days!

Antbear Guest House is located in the Giants Castle valley of the Central Drakensberg. This region forms part of the Ukahlamba World Heritage Site due to its rich San Rock Art and Wilderness Areas, and it also falls within the Midlands Meander – an art lover’s route with numerous art and craft outlets, coffee shops, farm stalls and Country Life activities.

Even though the location of this mountain Guest House is unusual, what makes it unique is its décor, hosts and food…

I was greeted by Andrew and taken through the backdoor into the kitchen, where I met the chef and kitchen staff, shown the refrigerator where fresh milk is kept for my taking “whenever you want” and then I saw their dining room. It had a long wooden table extending the length of the room with hand-crafted chairs, proving seating for about 12 people. The wooden chandelier caught my eye immediately and I made a mental note to bring my camera for dinner.

After going out from the honesty bar, we gazed out across the hills below and marveled at the mountain range in the distance, we would be having our pre-dinner drink out here on the lawn a little later, that’s for sure!

We walked to our lodging for the next few nights, the door was hand-carved, the bedroom was simple and tastefully decorated with a few wooden carvings. I unpacked the suitcases into the cupboards – again with the same woodcarvers’ touch. This room had been built with love and flair and even the tiles in the shower formed part of a mosaic work of art!

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.We met Andrew’s wife Conny, who had emigrated together with Andrew (a born and bred South African) from Germany and shared some good Cape wine whilst we watched the sun set over the Drakensberg. Khosi called us in for Dinner, the dining table included guests from all nationalities, all smiling. The most tasty butternut soup was served first and whilst our empty bowls were being collected, one by one the guests started recounting the day’s activities, offering us advice as to what we should do the next day, it all sounded very exciting, from Canopy Tours, to hiking, or white water rafting, but the stories did not prepare us for what was placed on the table before us… Moroccan food served with a South African flair – the most delicious food I have ever tasted! Desert followed and although I did not have any, Pieter did and he said it was GOOD!

Later that night, we sat in the lounge drinking tea and did not feel tired, despite the long drive we had made earlier that day, it seemed the atmosphere, good food and great company had completely relaxed us. We gazed at the stars for little while on our way back to our private lodging across the lawn, in this unique mountain guest house.

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