Article in the Weekend Post, Saturday, August 2, 2014
Known as the playground of the rich and famous, Plettenberg Bay is more than a place to party and soak up the sun, it’s also a foodie paradise, an animal lover’s delight and, as Angela Daniels discovered, a holiday destination to be enjoyed by young and old.
ENVELOPED in the warm winter sun, the strains of classical music wafting onto the balcony just loud enough to hear, not too loud to drown out the hum of nature, the stresses of city life slip away.
A crackling fire inside, home-made cookies awaiting and hot water bottles that are surreptitiously slipped into the bed at night, are what make a visit to Hog Hollow Country Lodge more than a little special.
This happy little haven, overlooking lush forests and with views of the Tsitsikamma Mountains, is nestled in The Crags just 18 km outside Plettenberg Bay giving visitors the peace of being at one with nature with the benefit of a bustling town right at their finger tips.
Decorated in rich textures, ochre and cream fabrics and original African artifacts, it’s the personal touches in the rooms, from the welcome letter to the bed-time stories, that make you want to stay in when really you should be out exploring.
With an abundance of activities available and Plettenberg Bay just down the road, the temptation to stay in should not be given into.
Whether adventure, food, wine or shopping is your poison there’s simply too much to do in one short visit but the clever traveller can fit quite a bit into one weekend.
That’s if food doesn’t take up the majority of your time as Plett is simply bursting at the seams with restaurants that range from the casual to the highly sophisticated. It would be easy to lose yourself in this foodie heaven foregoing other activities in the hopes of tasting more of the sumptuous fare on offer.
For visitors on a decadence binge, the wine farms in the area are superb. There’s Bramon where the award-winning sparkling wine can give Moët a run for its money and Newstead where the chardonnay is exquisitely smooth and Plettenvale that’s produced a brut rose MCC fashioned in the French tradition from pinot noir and chardonnay grapes.
It’s difficult to get to them all, but those my husband and I visited during a whirlwind three-day visit, made us sit up and take note. This area might just be set to become the country’s food and wine capital. With all the eating and drinking we didn’t have much time for the adventure tourism the area offers.
With bungee jumping, skydiving and kloofing available, the area is also renowned for its animal sanctuaries and ocean safaris – something we’ll explore during another visit.
We were able to fit in a horse ride courtesy of Hog Hollow and despite the nip in the air when we set out relatively early in the morning, I am glad we did.
Hog Hollow Horse Trails offer trails through grassy fields, indigenous fynbos, local vineyards and along old woodcutters’ forest trails to attractions in the area.
Not being very experienced riders, we opted for the one-hour meadow trail where you ride among zebra. Spotting a baboon or two is not unusual, if a little unsettling, and the zebras are relatively tame giving visitors an up close and personal experience you are unlikely to encounter very often.
Beautiful scenery, unspoilt beaches and a general feeling of well-being permeate the area and it’s a place you have to return to as you leave feeling there’s simply more that needs to be seen and done.
PARADISE FOUND: Hog Hollow Country Lodge is a happy little haven in The Crags just outside Plettenberg Bay. Beautifully decorated, it is the perfect place to escape from the stresses of city life.
Also read the article “Five flavoursome foodie hotspots not to be missed”
