Johannesburg - Google “accommodation Bela Bela” and the search engine will return thousands of destinations, ranging from the exquisite to the basic.
Driving through the area you get the impression that everyone who owns a piece of bushveld has some sort of place where you can stay, hunt, eat and drink.
The problem is trying to sort the poor and mediocre from the better establishments. Over the years I’ve heard some horror stories about people who have checked in at “exclusive” lodges only to come home bitterly disappointed and vowing never to return.
I’ve also been the victim of a place that promises peace and quiet, only to find it is overbooked, with doef doef music of dubious origin spoiling the weekend.
There are, however, a number of places that consistently earn good reviews and positive feedback, and one of them is the Ditholo Game Lodge, part of the Orion Group of hotels. It’s about 45km from Bela Bela and 15km off the main road, which means it’s real bushveld, far from the madding crowd, and provides proper tranquillity.
Which is very much what my wife and I were after, following a month of hectic activity with kids, work and business.
We received a warm welcome from Jackie and her staff and were shown to our deluxe suite, with its large, comfortable bed, en-suite bathroom and – considering temperatures were in the low 40ºCs – a very welcome air conditioner.
It was way too hot to do a recce of the place, so we parked off on the loungers under the shade of the thorn trees next to the pool until we were asked what we wanted for lunch. I opted for a lamb burger and my wife for a chicken salad; both were tasty and clearly home-made.
After another dip in the pool and a welcome Sunday afternoon nap, we took a stroll around the property, with temperatures still in the 30ºCs late in the afternoon.
The lodge has a peacefulness about it, probably an effect produced by the well-kept lawns, large trees, thatched rondavels and abundance of birdlife.
Ditholo is fairly intimate, with only eight rondavels and space for a maximum of 40 adults (and more beds if there are children). If there is an overflow because of a conference or wedding, the estate also has a bush camp, providing more rudimentary accommodation.
Pride of place at the lodge are the three hippo, which can be observed from up close or while one is having sundowners on the viewing deck. It’s not often that you get to be personal with these enormous animals, with only an electric fence separating you. To see them frolicking in the water defies any ideas you might have about size and agility.
Because of the heat, Ditholo gives guests the option of eating outside – and few things beat watching an African sunset while sitting overlooking the dam and enjoying chilled wine, a tasty steak and vegetables.
Because Ditholo is a fair way from Bela Bela, there’s not much ambient light, so moving to a darker part of the lodge after dinner affords a majestic view of the heavens, with their constellations and their falling stars.
For breakfast, there is a variety of tasty traditional fare. Because the lodge was virtually empty, we were able to lie in and eat at our leisure before heading off to the Bakwena Express Spa, where Joyce worked her magic with a welcome full body massage.
There are a number of spa treatments to suit your mood and needs. Ours was just what the doctor ordered, before time spent chilling next to the pool and another afternoon nap before heading out on a game drive.
John, who knows his way around the 1 100-hectare reserve, took us for a drive on which we saw giraffe, sable antelope, blesbok, kudu, zebra, nyala, black impala and waterbuck.
When we returned to camp, we found Jackie had made a fire, and John braaied the meat to perfection. Because we were the only guests, we sat around the table with refreshments and swopped stories while a family of bush babies in the tree above kept us company.
We didn’t get round to tackling the walking trails because it was too hot for the two of us and we were there to rejuvenate, but the well-marked walking and cycling trails bring you even closer to nature.
There are a myriad options in the area, but you would be hard-pressed to find the tranquillity and personal service we experienced at Ditholo.
Visit: www.dithologamelodge.co.za
Willem van de Putte, Saturday Star