Countryside holiday comfort at Cottage Imvana

WORDS AND PICTURES : MONIQUE VAN DER WALT

Locals joke that the vehicle registration for Bulwer (NIP) stands for Nowhere In Particular; exactly the kind of place for a revitalising holiday. Bulwer is a quiet place away from anywhere in particular, hidden from business of city life with an ideal peaceful escape at Cottage Imvana. Bulwer is a sleepy little town in the foothills of the Southern Drakensberg (UNESCO World Heritage Site), KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and a distance of 170kms from Durban and 90kms from Pietermaritzburg. The nearest retail chain store is 35kms away in Underberg, but in the little mountain village of Bulwer you will find essentials and fresh fruit & veg to your heart’s content. Weather in the mountains is always extreme; the snow of a winter-wonderland, the heat of a Durban Summer, frost of English Countryside and storms that leave one in awe of natural power. But never fear, Cottage Imvana is equipped with all the necessary comforts. The 6-sleeper cottage is a mini-vacation-home, complete with kitchen, lounge, 3 bedrooms, and 1.5 bathrooms with 2 toilets. In all the bedrooms, you will find: Electric blankets Fans Mosquito Nets Feather Duvets, pillows, standard pillows Peace & Quiet. The comfort is continued in the living area of pet-friendly Cottage Imvana, blankets, hot water bottles, gas heater and if not for cold, then for ambiance, a fireplace (wood provided free of charge). There is Wifi (with limits), basic DSTV and board games for those indoor family nights. Much time on holiday is spent outdoors, and here Cottage Imvana also has every need covered. A braai, outside table, shadecloth parking, and the large garden affords a view of Bulwer Mountain (1840m). The firepit will set the scene for a night under the famously bright Southern Drakensberg stars. When not at Cottage Imvana, the Southern Drakensberg will keep everyone very much entertained with activities from mountain-

eering, hiking, paragliding to watersports, birding, motocross and fly-fishing. Although the Southern Drakensberg is a quiet place of country-living, there are even world-famous events & places to visit. Bushmen Caves & Rock Art in the Southern Drakensberg World Heritage Site, Splashy Fen Music Festival (annually on the Easter weekend), Sani Pass (2873m) & the country of Lesotho. Cottage Imvana really has that country feel and is only accessible via a dirt road without a name, where the most traffic is the wandering neighbourhood cows. This road affords the most beautiful and undisturbed sunrises, with a view of the vast hills of the KZN Midlands and Zulu huts adorning the hills with colourful and vibrant expression. This is the place you will find rest for your soul and wonder for eyes on an authentic journey of Drakensberg, KwaZuluNatal, and South Africa. P.S. Did you know Imvana is the isiZulu word for Lamb? Web: cottageimvana.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/cottageimvana Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cottageimvana/ Book thru Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/ rooms/26841909?s=51