Eat, drink, have fun!
MUM, I’M HUNGRY! Tanks Bush Pub
This rustic watering hole on the R536 is popular among the locals. A marquee tent is fixed to a bar and kitchen, offering a laid-back vibe with good, hearty food. The name “Tanks” does not refer to the owner’s name, as many visitors may think, but the army paraphernalia on the walls. A speciality is their 300 g rump prepared in a sous-vide bath, cooked for four hours, for R160.
Tanks Bush Pub 066 338 0184
Shiloh Coffee Shop
The view from Shiloh’s deck is as good as their bacon, pear and blue cheese quiche (R100) served with salad. On
Saturdays they do a breakfast buffet. Be on the lookout for hippos and crocs – the restaurant is built on a dam and flooded during February 2023. When the owner, Mariana Schroeder, saw all six of her fridges filled with water, she decided to close the shop permanently. “My staff were distraught when I told them we were closing for good – some started crying! I decided to leave it up to God. If the fridges still worked, I would stay open. I started with the cake fridge – the most expensive one – and it switched on. Six working fridges later, the decision was made for me. We reopened the shop!” Shiloh Coffee Estate mariana@ shilohestates.co.za 079 290 9567
Barra’buu Restaurant & Bar
You’ll struggle to find a better spot for a sundowner than the deck of Bambuu Lakeside Lodge. The lodge is a 16 km drive from Perry’s Bridge Trading Post and Tourism Centre in Hazyview and accessed via a short 650 m gravel road. Order a pizza, like the bacon jam, avo and feta option – perfectly thin and crispy. bambuulodge.com
072 336 7423
ACCOMMODATION Timamoon Lodge
It feels like you’ve arrived at a temple in Bali when approaching Timamoon’s
entrance and bridge over the Sabie River. Giant wooden doors swing open to invite you to a world of palm trees, bamboo and peacocks, with architectural inspiration from India, Morocco and Zanzibar. The beautiful villas and views come with a price aimed at tourists – from R5 500 to R8 800 per couple per night, with breakfast and dinner included. timamoonlodge.co.za info@timamoonlodge.co.za 079 811 0700
AfriCamps at Mackers
This is one of 16 locations across the country offered by the glamping company AfriCamps. Ten boutique safari tents are spaced out on the Sabie River and can accommodate five people in two quarters – you also have a bathroom, aircon, fireplace and a fully equipped kitchen. It costs from R1 940 for two guests. africamps.com hello@africamps.com
021 300 5694
Aan De Vliet Holiday Resort
This resort’s small thatched rondavels remind me of the accommodation in the Kruger National Park, which is only a 21 km drive away. The resort offers camping and lies on the Sabie River, but a fence keeps visitors away from the water, or hippos away from visitors – luckily there is a pool to swim in. River units start from R820 per person in low season. aandevliet.co.za reservations@aandevliet.co.za 013 591 2755
Summerfields Rose Retreat & Spa
Stay at a lodge with 13 tented suites, a restaurant, bar, pool and spa, all situated in a forest on the Sabie River. Macadamias, litchis, roses, vegetables and herbs are grown on the farm with a farmstall next to the R536 selling the produce (do try the organic lactose-free macadamia ice-cream sweetened with honey). summerfields.co.za
013 737 6500