Needing a break from the stress of city life to recharge your battery and enjoy the great outdoors? Just under three hours from Durban, Mtentu Bush Camp is a piece of paradise off the beaten track that’s waiting for you.
story and photographs sally veenman
Hubby and I had been to this little piece of paradise before but separately – on a boys only and girls only cycling trip. Both of us had enjoyed our stay at this remote, hidden jewel so much that we had decided to organise a family trip with friends. The big attraction for us was that it was environmentally friendly with no electronics – no TV, radio, Xbox and computers – not even a cellphone signal unless you’re prepared to take a strenuous hike up signal hill.
The best way to get to Mtentu Bush Camp is by 4×4 as the rugged, pot-holed and often water-logged dirt road far from tarred civilisation is quite a challenging drive – which 4×4 enthusiasts would love but other vehicles would battle with.
The other option is to cycle in as we did on our first trips there – parking at the Wild Coast Sun and then cycling in a group through the wilderness of Pondoland, traversing the green rolling hills and gazing at the spectacular sea views, stopping at Poshengwane Falls for lunch and various spaza shops for drinks, and braving river crossings with bikes on our backs.
Well, that’s not really an option with families so we packed our 4×4 and drove in convoy to our temporary coastal home on the edge of what can only be described as a pearl in the midst of nowhere – a diamond in the rough.
The Mtentu camp is clean, comfortable and well-run, and made up of a number of rustic chalets that look like tree-houses all joined by wooden walkways. Each chalet sleeps four people – one room for the adults and another for the kids (bunk beds). Talk about feeling at one with nature – everything is made of wood giving it a really earthy feel, and the cherry on the top was that our wooden cabin had a quaint little balcony overlooking the sea – glorious. This is the life!
Even having a shower using one of the two solar-powered showers was a memorable experience – literally showering outdoors (no one can see you) with a full view of the ocean on the one side – a slice of heaven on earth!
We chose to be catered for (it was optional) and every meal was laid on by our hosts and their amazing kitchen staff who, dare I say, fed us more than abundantly with many local dishes and age-old favourites.
All that food meant we needed to do something physical every day to get rid of excess reserves. If we weren’t cycling, we were following a guide organised by the camp on a scenic hike to various falls and spectacular outlook points. There was also trail running, paddling and kloofing (basically rock climbing and boulder hopping). Of course, being an active bunch, we did it all, dragging our little people » along with us and making them enjoy and appreciate the great outdoors.
Hiking offered the reward of breathtaking views and swims in refreshing river pools. The paddling however, was something else! We paddled down the Mtentu River and found secret inlets that felt like some kind of untouched fairyland. Paddling further, we secured our boats and went kloofing.
After climbing, slipping and sliding, creeping and wading, we arrived at our first stop, a cascading waterfall and huge deep pool to swim in – refreshing spring water! Our final destination though was a sight to behold – once in a lifetime one gets to see something so fantastic and awe-inspiring that there are no words to adequately describe it – Leopard Gorge. These massive rock walls surrounded us as far as the eye could see and a huge waterfall splashed from dizzy heights above. It was as though we had been transported into another world and experienced something really special.
We stayed at Mtentu Bush Camp for five nights – and it was truly food for the soul. I felt so alive and gripped by a desire to stay longer or return again soon. The stress of the real world was temporarily lifted and blown to the wind in this wild and untamed place of wonder and beauty.