Qambathi Mountain Lodge

For a quick relaxing weekend away in the Natal midlands we decided to leave Anah with granny and visit Qambathi Mountain Lodge. It ticks all the right boxes and from Durban only took us 2 hours and 30 minutes to get there. Situated on the Kamberg road on a farm which used to be the old post office and jail, the setting is peaceful and quiet. Upon arrival we were greeted by Aiden who showed us around the property and finally to our room.

The common areas are truly special with a large open plan kitchen adjoining the dining room where all meals are served. A clever layout allows for numerous relaxed spaces in and around the common room, each with a fire-place being the main focal point. A God-send in this part of the country where temperatures can plummet to below 0° at any time. With only five rooms to choose from, each room is spacious, clean and well fitted. The attention to detail and intricate design in each custom fitting is immediately apparent – our favourite was the fine woodworking in each oversized wall mirror.

Beautiful gardens surround the lodge and a footpath leads to an indigenous forest walk. Its not the Inca trail and will only take 10 minutes to complete, but it’s worth going. We ran into a pair of African Paradise Flycatchers getting into the Spring of things in the late afternoon. (Note that a river runs through the forest which attracts mosquitoes, but also provides a sweet setting for some long-exposure, wide-angle goodness)

“I have been saving a prize lamb rack for dinner at home – but after Sasha’s rendition I might just have to write it off to chef-in-training tax – her’s was sublime!”

Quick Rating

Overall Experience
80%
Crisp Linen Rating
90%
Tranquillity Rating
80%
Adventure Rating
20%
Food Rating
70%
Wine Menu
10%
Coffee Rating
50%

Quick Notes

Accommodation
Adventure
Food
Wine
Coffee
Accommodation

Just like the rest of the lodge, the bedroom that we stayed in had quality finishes throughout. Thought has gone into every custom piece of furniture and despite the limited space, the layout is clever and well executed. We felt at home from the moment we entered our room and we did not need much convincing to crash into the comfort of the dangling pods on our veranda.

Adventure

Before you mount your horse and ride off into the sunset with Bear Grylls by your side, we can assure you that there is plenty to do outside the gates of Qambathi Mountain Lodge. When used as base camp from which to explore the midlands and the Drakensberg Mountains, Qambathi provides close proximity to Highmoor and The Kamberg Nature Reserves. Excellent hiking trails may be enjoyed from either of these – our favourite is the “Aasvoëlkrans Cave Hike” in the Kamberg where you have the opportunity to shower like a caveman/cavewoman – our little dare to you! There are also great art studios, restaurants, cheese farms and chocolatiers in the vicinity.

Food

Like we mentioned before, the dinner was extremely good. The setting was peaceful and we felt catered for, which made the experience very special. Breakfast was a selection of cereals, fresh fruit and juice. This was followed by a freshly prepared warm breakfast of your choice. All dietary variations are catered for.

Wine

The wine list promised much, but could unfortunately not deliver, as they only had our fourth selected bottle of wine in stock. We did ask Aiden why this was the case and he explained that they are in the process of taking over ownership of the property and that the selection of wines may change in the future.

Coffee

The french press coffee served with breakfast impressed us a lot. The instant coffee in our rooms however, did not.