The moment that you step into the reception area of DeArk guest house, you are immediately transported back to a time where analog telephones worked and the concept of constant mobile connectivity was not even a thought in the minds of those checking in.
The contents of one (or more) of these bottles in the Fickle Fox pub might well have been a more pressing need, given that it took about 3 weeks to get from Johannesburg to Lydenburg back in 1863.
Raise a glass. The Fickle Fox has been revamped since my previous visit, and is still a cosy, intimate space where visitors can gather.
This space is constantly changing. I have visited on 7 previous occasions and it has not been the same on any of those…
This is Lexi, who decided to be my assistant for the morning as I caught up on work before heading off to tackle the pothole-filled road to Orighstad and then on to Hoedspruit.
Seen from a different perspective. On the left, the Fickle Fox and on the right accommodation and the walkway to the dining room and reception area.
There have been renovations outside in the garden with a wall being removed to open up the space and give visitors access to this gazebo from both sides.
The table in the foreground, which used to be in the passage near the pub, has now found a new home here.
My accommodation was hidden behind this hedge that was the border between it and the secure onsite parking.
The Tudor room is where I stayed on this trip. A first time in this accommodation, and I had a choice as it is an interleading room that can be used by either a family or couples who are travelling together.
The arrangement that I have with Francis is that I never say in the same room twice. Except for perhaps one visit, this has worked out AND there are still a couple of rooms that I have not visited yet…
Equipped with tea, coffee, and a kettle, visitors can fix a hot beverage whenever they feel like one.
The bathroom has a shower, but no bath. Not an issue for me. However, if you want a bath, then enquire when you book, as some of the bathrooms do have them. The one room I stayed in even had an outdoor shower!
Mirror, mirror on the wall…
A period-correct bedside lamp? I do believe that, much like South Africa currently, the Tudors did not have electricity.
That being said, as the guest house has backup power, guests will not be left in the dark when the rest of the town is.
Almost chapel-esque?
This is the ‘other’ section of the room, which a lockable interleading door can access. It is the mirror image of the room that I decided to stay in.
The dining room looked resplendent in shades of blue. On many of my visits, there has been a fire burning to keep the room warm.
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This guesthouse in Lydenburg has become the traditional start of any Lowveld trip I undertake. My first visit was in 2020, and over the intervening years, I have become accepted as a family member. This was the 7th time being hosted by owner Francis and husband Barney.
The building, which the Voortrekkers built 150 years ago as the first parsonage of the Dutch Reformed Church, is one of the four oldest historic buildings in the town.
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