The personal touch. That’s the secret. You can have all the star-rated, direct dial, 300-thread count, Moulton Brown, organic menu bells and whistles you like, but without the deft touch of an owner that cares – I mean, really, cares – about looking after their guests… well, then all is lost in my opinion.

Happily the personal touch is what you’ll find in spades at Three Tree Hill, a cosy family-owned lodge overlooking the Spioenkop Nature Reserve, about halfway between the N3 and the ever-popular Northern Drakensberg. And there’s no doubting the personal touch of Simon and Cheryl Blackburn, for within minutes of arriving at their quaint settler-style lodge you’ll feel like part of the family. Dogs bound about happily, kids wander through reception and the in-laws ask you if you had a good drive down from Joburg.

But don’t get me wrong; this is no unsophisticated mom-and-pop B&B. With years of experience in the Kruger National Park’s upmarket safari lodges, Simon and Cheryl (yes, it’s first names all the way here. Airs and graces are forbidden) know how to add a touch of unpretentious luxury, from the pool with jaw-dropping views to the six cosy guest cottages.

It’s here you’ll get the chance to relive the old frontier days, when the roofs were made of tin and the stoeps were deep and shady. Tasteful aloe motifs echo the wild variety outside the window and rooms are elegant, but not over-the-top, with thoughtful touches in almost every corner. If you’re counting your carbon footprint, relax… the lodge is the first in KZN to bag a Green Leaf Award for its environmental good practice.

And the food? As you’d expect, it’s homely country-style cuisine whipped together from farm-fresh local produce.  You won’t find a jus or reduction in sight, but do put in a special request for the delicious Lentil Curry. With just 12 guests, dinners are served at a convivial communal tale where you’ll get to pepper Omri Nene with your battlefields questions. A century ago these hills rang with gunfire from the Second Anglo Boer War, and daily tours to battle sites in and around the area are not to be missed. With that ticked off your list you can choose between country crafters, game drives in the neighbouring reserves or hikes in the Royal Natal National Park.

At the end of the day, just kick back on your shaded stoep, gaze up at Spioenkop’s grassy flanks and imagine the bravery and bloodshed that took place on these mountains green. This hide-away with history offers views to the horizon that will replenish any jaded city-dweller’s soul.

www.threetreehill.co.za
036 448 1171
082 379 1864

First published in Indwe magazine; July 2010

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