A second family perspective
After the success of our trip to South Africa for the Christmas holidays in 2002, we decided to come back again. This time we planned to explore the Garden Route a bit before heading back to the wonderful Anthill on the Waterberg.
From our family perspective, there are several places that I would like to mention. The first of these is the Arniston Hotel on the coast of the Overberg, a two-hour drive east of Cape Town. Several friends had already recommended the hotel to us and although the brochure did it no favors, we decided to give it a try. The town of Arniston is quite different from the other seaside towns we visit along the Garden Route. The pretty thatched-roof fishermen’s cottages of Kassiesbaai, the oldest part of Arniston, have been declared a South African National Monument and this seems to have kept the whole town relatively quiet and unspoiled. The hotel itself is right in the center, facing the beach and the fishing slipway. We stayed in their simplest room, which was clean and comfortable (and had the all-important cable TV for the kids’ morning entertainment). Behind the main facade, there is an outdoor dining room, a swimming pool and a pretty garden around which the rooms are arranged.
Although there is a beach right in front of the hotel, the best swimming beach is a ten-minute walk or two-minute drive along the coast. It was sandy, safe for swimming and never too busy despite it being the New Years period. It was fantastic for both surfing and body boarding. Another plus was that being the Indian Ocean, the sea was also reasonably warm.
Besides swimming, there were plenty of other activities to keep us busy. Cape Agulhas (where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet) is close by and we spent an entertaining couple of hours on quad bikes in the National Park. There is plenty of fishing, either inshore or offshore, which can be arranged by the hotel. The nearby walk is excellent and the hotel will be happy to provide you with a picnic lunch and directions. The local towns of the Overberg were interesting to look at, particularly Bredasdorp which is home to the southernmost golf course in Africa.
We stayed in Arniston for three nights but could happily have spent a week there. It is ideal for families, not grand by any stretch of the imagination, but very comfortable and welcoming. The service was good and the food we enjoyed here was some of the best we had on our trip. And at around £70 per adult per night it was also much cheaper than some of the other places we stayed.
We then headed further along the coast to Cape Town and to Gansbaai, where we spent four nights at Grootbos. This private nature reserve is home to the world’s largest private fynbos (Cape native vegetation) garden. A maximum of twenty-five guests stay in cabins scattered throughout the beautiful gardens. These range in size from two bedrooms and bathrooms, to one bedroom and bathroom. One-bedroom cabins have sofa beds in the living area so they can easily accommodate a family of four. With lovely terraces overlooking the sea, they were delightfully comfortable.
The emphasis here is on the flora and fauna of the area. Although this may not seem very interesting compared to the big five, expert botanical guides can make flowers and shrubs look fascinating; even for young children who are not normally the least bit interested in botanical things. Children are given ‘insect boxes’ to collect insects and are then encouraged to identify what they have found in the research center afterwards.
Grootbos operates as a safari lodge and guests are encouraged to do an activity in the morning or afternoon, or both. This can be a safari around the estate, a guided walk in the milkwood forest, a guided beach or cave walk. Alternatively, there are horse stables on the property, and they can provide a mount for riders of all levels. During whale-watching season from July to December, the cliffs near Walker Bay apparently offer some of the best land-based whale watching in the world.
After Cape Town we went back to Ant’s Nest in Waterberg. This time it was for a week, to stay on the original property and then to try out their newly built Ant’s Hill Lodge. Ant’s Nest was as good as we all remembered. We rode, we walked, and the boys told anyone who would listen that they could drive a vehicle. After three nights we drove half an hour through the bush to the new property, which is fully independently run with its own staff and horses. In fact, if they didn’t tell you, you’d never know from one that the other existed, and it didn’t diminish the remote experience one had in both places either.
During the design and build phase, owners Ant and Tessa Baber kept us informed of progress and therefore our expectations were high. Unsurprisingly, as Ant and Tessa have a keen eye for design and attention to detail, it met all of our expectations. It is completely different from the homely Hormiguero and is built on the side of a gorge with spectacular views. The property has more of a cabin-style vibe with five cabins, including a family cabin with two bedrooms and bathrooms. Each is beautifully decorated with a private terrace overlooking the gorge and the plain beyond. There’s not as much of a garden as at Ant’s Nest, and with the steep slope down into the gorge, it’s probably not as suitable for very young children, but in all other respects it’s a totally fantastic property.
Like Ant’s Nest, it takes it exclusively and can easily accommodate two families traveling together. Again, flexibility is key here and the same activities are offered as in Ant’s Nest. There are horses for all levels and the riding is particularly good, although a bit better here as there are more long sand tracks that allow you to go further and a bit faster. The game drives and walks in the gorge and along the river bed are great, and one night the dry bed became a makeshift shooting range for cans. We followed the pregnant rhino for two days until we found her dozing under a bush (still very pregnant) and loved our breakfasts and lunches.
Our six nights at Ant’s made a wonderful end to another great vacation – we will be back.