Concealed deep in a valley in KZN, Kululapa is surrounded by a forest of indigenous trees and plants. And like the 1992 movie, a river does run through the property, but there was no sign of Robert Redford.
The journey to their gate from Howick is via the gravel segment of Karkloof Road. It is in good condition when we visited, but there are logging trucks that utilize the road and that drivers need to be aware of.
A 4×4 is not a requirement to get to the secure parking area, but if you want to drive to either Lapa or Birdsong, then you will need a ‘real’ 4×4 and proper driving skills. We had the former, but not the latter, hence us leaving the car and carrying luggage and food(Birdsong is self-catering) to our accommodation.
This was just part of the 200m walk to and from the secure car park that is just around the corner at the top of this image.
Being used to the urban rat race in Johannesburg, I had to remind myself that getting the luggage and food to the accommodation was NOT a race, but a leisurely walk during which I could stop to admire the flora at any time…and for as long as I wanted to.
Top tip: When you pack, try to get everything into what you can carry in one trip or two at most. You do NOT want your first experience to be playing a pack mule…although Anton will help you if required. But I believe in the adage, if you packed it you should carry it.
This is a Streptocarpus species. In winter, they form an abscission line part way down the leaf. The leaf then dies back to this point, whilst the greener part of the leaf stays alive. In single-leaf species like this one, the remaining healthy portion of the leaf will start to grow again from the base. (With thanks to John Roff for the info)
When suitable conditions return, this single leaf species will regenerate from the base and grow. And we humans think we are clever?
A welcome sight in more ways than one. From this sign, Birdsong is only a short walk away.
This is the least rickety hand built bridge that I have crossed. This is the last part of the pathway from the car park, and I must have crossed it almost a dozen times, each time I marveled at the workmanship and how sturdy it was.
There is a wide plank at the halfway point so visitors can stop and admire the verdant vegetation that the bridge traverses.
Birdsong cottage in all its glory. I did have an opportunity to walk around the property with Anton to get a sense of what he and Hazel can offer visitors. Even though Kululapa is about 40 minutes from Howick, we left to go and explore the Midlands Meander at around mid-morning and returned as the sun was dipping below the rim of the surrounding hills.
Who needs the modern hotel key cards, when you have this type of handle and latch on the front door of Birdsong. Although there is a supplied padlock and key, we never locked up when we left to head out for the day.
The curtain on the right leads to a bedroom and en-suite toilet and basin and the second bedroom (we named it the Hobbit Room ) is at the top of the stairs. Great for the youngsters or adventurous adults as the doorway is rather small.
BTW, all the groceries and drinks on the table belong to us! We had packed WAY to much food and drink and that meant that it all had to be carried BACK up the track to the car park.
The Hobbit Room as seen from inside…
The main bedroom. Light, airy and it has a door that leads straight out into the garden.
The fire and candles kept the darkness at bay as load shedding kicked in. For international readers, here in South Africa there are scheduled times (usually 2 hour blocks at different times during the day and night) to turn off the national power grid in order to conserve electricity. Many properties have chosen alternative routes like solar and generators to counteract the hours of enforced darkness. Here at Kululapa, in my opinion, it is unnecessary to have those alternatives in place when the dancing flames become a ‘forest TV’ and watching it makes the time slip past. (I had remembered to bring a powerful head torch with me and that meant that I could read while waiting for the electricity to return)
Seeing that the water for the shower is heated by a wood burning donkey-boiler and the kitchen is equipped with a gas oven and hob, the guests are really not inconvenienced in any way.
The cottage has everything that self-catering guests might require, but you should bring your own fire-lighters with you, unless you can start a fire with the supplied kindling and chunky logs of wood.
Need some firewood? No need to go down to your local garage…just grab an axe and access your inner lumberjack. There is no end of timber that can be responsibly harvested on the property.
A word of caution…chopping wood is NOT as simple as it looks and asking for help from the staff or Anton is an option. I did try one evening and I managed to split ONE piece of wood.
Needless to stay, I asked for help the following morning.
Time to reflect?
My laptop and the view from my ‘office’ window.
There is NO internet connectivity in Birdsong and the actual mobile signal is intermittent at best. But that being said, I really did not miss being constantly connected and I was able to prepare much of this post off line and then cut and paste once I returned home.
Top Tip Two: If you need to work, download what you can before you arrive and then working off line will at least lower stress levels. If all else fails and you HAVE to have a connection, speak to Hazel who can help resolve IT issues. But ask yourself first “Do I have to be connected or can I turn myself off for the duration of my stay”? We make ourselves available for all the wrong reasons and then feel guilty when we cannot be reached.
Sometimes modern technology is more trouble that it is worth? Answers by snail mail please.
No TV, but there is a plethora of books and magazines on hand to make certain that you come away having discovered something new.
The table and the chair that can be seen through the window are easily accessed via the door in the main bedroom…or the front door of the cottage.
I had stopped to ask Hazel a question and I discovered Veronica was hard at work making certain that the household chores in the main house were being done. Look carefully and you will see that she is standing on a large tree stump, allowing her to reach the sink. I was also informed that she is a dab hand at getting a fire going with only three sticks!
And, if like us, you time you visit correctly, you might get to taste Hazel’s famous 28 day muffins. Made from her Mom’s recipe, which is so special that I had to take an oath of silence not to divulge the ingredients on pain of retribution not elaborated on.
Owners Hazel and Anton Hartwig must both be yoga masters as they bent over backwards to accommodate a variety of requests that we had for them once we arrived at Kululapa,
Each of these was met by a plethora of options from Hazel and Anton was on hand to make certain that the donkey boiler was kept fueled.
They live on the property, close enough that you can knock on their door if you have a problem, yet just far enough away to offer guests the privacy that they require.
This is a relatively unknown destination by those who might want more of the modern conveniences that travelers have come to expect from certain establishments. That being said, everything that self-catering guests need to make their stay comfortable and memorable for all the right reasons is available in Birdsong.
Kululapa is one of those properties that I want to sing their praises from the tree tops, but at the same time I selfishly want to keep this as a bolt-hole for myself. A not quite off the grid property where I can come and recharge MY batteries while eating 28 day muffins with Hazel and walking the forest trails with Anton.
If you are a jaded traveller looking for a destination that will allow you to just ‘be’, then Kululapa is definitely be on a ‘must visit’ list.
With thanks to Hazel and Anton Hartwick for hosting not only me, but my wife and child as well.
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