My family and I have just returned home from the most amazing holiday weekend at The Cavern Resort & Spa and if you’re lucky, you may also be able to book a room during the school holidays but you need to hurry! This stunning resort is nestled in the mountains beneath the rugged sandstone cliff-line of the Drakensberg – this is the great outdoors! It is a valley of captivating beauty and a site of conservation significance which qualifies by virtue of outstanding natural features.
Situated just three hours from Durban and 3.5 hours from Johannesburg, in the Northern Drakensberg, The Cavern welcomes and nurtures families, and it can also be a quiet retreat for couples or an energetic getaway for those seeking time in the hills. There are a variety of activities and attractions. The Forest Retreat Spa, which my daughter and I visited, is in the canopy of the Fern Forest, making it a tranquil escape for a massage, facial or pedi. Each day there are guided morning hikes and horse rides – we went on a two-hour hike and stopped by the May Falls for a cup of tea and a well-earned crunchie! The scenery there is beautiful and we were blessed with gorgeous weather too! A swimming pool, tennis courts, 100km of MTB trails and dams for trout fishing extend the offerings for fun in the outdoors. We also enjoyed a fun game of lawn bowls.
The resort has standard and superior accommodation. Rooms are set in landscaped gardens where a mix of vibrant indigenous plants attract hundreds of birds and the evenings are filled with the sounds of crickets, frogs and other friendly creatures.
Superior rooms and suites overlook the Fern Forest and each unit has its own private patio where you can relax in the sun, listen to the forest streams and unwind in the peace of untouched mountain wilderness. We were very lucky to be given a superior suite and superior room for the kids, so it was pure luxury all the way and just what we needed! I fell asleep in our little private garden, where a little bushbuck decided to come and pay me a visit – unfortunately, as I was fast asleep in the sun, I was blissfully unaware but do have photographic evidence!
All meals are beautifully presented and taste delicious – all meals are included and there is so much to choose from. My 17-year-old son was particularly pleased to be able to have more than one portion and could even try different main courses if he wished. The puddings went down very well with my daughter and I loved the choice of cheese and biscuits after each meal!
Fondly known as ‘The Resort of Many Happy Returns’, The Cavern is a place where families bond, friendships are formed and memories are made. We will certainly be back!
For more info or to book, contact The Cavern using the links below.
Review by Victoria Arthur.