The mountain kings
similar to the one Karen Blixen played her gramophone on, while the Germans attacked her husband and Anglo troops in Kenya, during World War I.
Spionkop Lodge, too, is right “Out Of Africa” and flies the flag for all our forefathers , whatever side they may have fought on. One should cross mountains and the Tugela, like General Buller if necessary, to visit it and at least you’re in the comfort of an Xtrail and not rollicking around, with snipers taking pot shots at you – in an ox wagon. Cathedral Peak Hotel This hotel is one of the legends on the south side of the Berg, boasting some of the most spectacular courts in the country I have never played tennis on – and what a revelation the sports facilities turned out to be. You can tell this is a privately owned resort, with an owner (Albert van der Riet, a former Springbok angler)who clearly loved and roamed every inch of his immaculate property.
The rooms are spacious with sweeping views, and our well-appointed superior room with a balcony knocked spots off your average so-called five-star accommodation. The fantastic management have made major refurbishments of late and I would strive to go back and stay in one of their executive suites, or separate cottages – some of the most impressive in the country.
Harry’s Bar sports trophies bigger than a prize rainbow trout on the huge oak mantelpiece over a roaring fire, and has a great atmosphere. You won’t have to queue in the dining room – it’s so cavernous, a hot air balloon could land on the carpet.
I am a big buffet man and, with the food not only tasty but undisguised, I piled my plate as high as Cathedral Peak. This was after a round of golf with Jason, the entertainment manager, who kept me entertained by thrashing me on the toughest nine holes in the province. If you are keen on a bit of action, then this hotel would suit even James Bond because from helicopter rides to rock climbing to tennis, to golf, to horse riding, to fishing – you could exhaust yourself and still have more to do. There are also two outdoor pools, one of them heated.
It is a travesty that a yearly tennis tournament isn’t held at Cathedral Peak; the courts are immaculate and the backdrop so dramatic – you feel as if you are standing at the foot of Machu Picchu – only with more air in your lungs!
They are about to celebrate 75 years of hospitality. I salute old Van der Riet, who loved his fly fishing enough to keep coming back to this beautiful spot and to make sure everyone else keeps coming back.