“The road is long, with many a winding turn. That leads to who knows where. Who knows where”. Contrary to the lyrics of that song penned by The Hollies in 1969, the road from Johannesburg to Pongolaconsists of the N17 and N2…and when Google Maps says “Turn right in 207 km”, you better believe that the road is going to be almost arrow-straight. The majority of the traffic comprised of predominantly LARGE articulated trucks, that tend to move either VERY slowly or at a speed that makes overtaking difficult. But it was the beginning of what turned out to be an epic 1500km, 20 CD journey that included interesting highlights like this desolate church near to Piet Retief.
Looking like an island destination. Our first stop along the road, Elegant Lodge in Pongola. As the title of the posting suggests, Elegant by name and elegant by nature. And with a view of the golf course over the road, this establishment was an oasis of hospitality and friendliness.
The main reception area, cool and welcoming on a late afternoon after the 4-hour drive from Johannesburg. Before taking us on a tour of the property, the manager made us fill out the COVID-19 forms, thus making certain that we were compliant. The staff that we met while walking around were friendly and although their smiles were hidden behind masks, it was the passion in their eyes that shone through.
A view from the top of the staircase in the main building… a seating area with the dining room just visible in the background. There are rooms at the top of this staircase, but there was not much time for investigation as coffee and a nap before dinner beckoned.
The well-manicured garden and lawns bear testament to the meticulous care that makes this lodge so special.
The room that we were going to be staying in was on top of the bar and lounge. As we did not feel like carrying suitcases upstairs we asked for and were moved to a ground floor room that had access to the garden.
The room was spacious with a comfortable bed and a working TV set that had more than the usually limited channels. There was a tea/coffee station, a fridge to keep drinks cool and plenty of cupboard space. Not that we needed the latter as we would only be here for the night.
A luxurious bath after the long drive was just what I needed to get the knots out of my back.
The rear of the property at night, most magical. The garden is beautifully lit at night and my wife and I enjoyed some time here both before and after dinner.
What was lacking in the table decoration, was made up for by the superb quality of the food. But having said that, do you REALLY need confusing and unnecessary cutlery? The answer is a resounding NO. Enough silverware to complete the dishes and that was all that was required.
Usually, I read the messages on the back of sugar packets. Here the staff have gone to a lot of trouble to cut out a plethora of motivational images to keep you thinking while awaiting your meal. Not that we had to wait long. The meal was served by attentive staff, who made certain that our dining experience was a memorable one.
The dinner and breakfast that we enjoyed. The chicken and veg that we had for dinner were “old-school” home cooking that left us feeling as if we had eaten in a family home. Both the soup and the dessert were memorable for all the right reasons.
Way up at the back of the property, the lit pool beckoned. We did consider, just for a moment, stripping off and plunging in, however, we were uncertain if there were security cameras, so we just sat with our feet in the water, chatting about the meal and reminiscing about the drive.
As we said our good-byes, the staff were busy setting up the conference venue for a themed baby shower.
Click on this logo to visit their website.
For those heading to Kosi Bay, this is a highly recommended stop-over for you. It makes the trip to your destination much shorter and you don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn. We slept in, had a leisurely breakfast and then headed off… in what turned out to be the wrong direction. Adding about an hour or so to our trip to Kosi Bay. It included a couple of wrong turns, hitting a huge speed bump that I had not seen which shook our car to the core and an unexpected gravel road before being put back on the R22 and headed north again. So all’s well that ended well.
All images are the copyright property of
and may not be used without permission.
