Ghost Mountain Inn

When we got married in South Africa, a group of our friends and family clubbed together to buy us a honeymoon at the truly exceptional Ghost Mountain Inn in Northern Kwazulu-Natal. This was, without a doubt, one of the absolute best places at which we have ever stayed.

Ghost Mountain Inn rests at the foot of (unsurprisingly) Ghost Mountain, which is a peak of legend and mystery. Ghost Mountain was the traditional burial place of the Ndwandwe tribe. Our guide told us the story as we drove back from a truly marvellous river trip (of more later): how the Ndwandwe were driven out of the area by the Zulus, and how they wrapped the bodies of their dead and smuggled them to their traditional resting place, having to avoid the Zulus now in the area. Apparently on some nights lights can be seen flickering on the mountain. It was also the site of great battles, and those spirits allegedly hang around there still. The full legend can be found on the Inn's website here.

We had a bedroom suite with bathroom, with its very own patio area, looking out over the most exquisite scenery imaginable: mountains in the distance, beautiful greenery despite the fact that we were there in winter - usually the dry season!

We were taken on what was the best game-viewing trip of my life. And I grew up in SA. I have been on a few! We took a boat on Lake Jozini. A and I were the only people on said trip, except for our wonderful guide, who's name, shockingly, I have since forgotten. She was awesome. We chatted about the wildlife, the birds, the obnoxious tourists she frequently has to deal with. We rode slowly along, savouring the quiet. And then, as we were wandering along the bank, an entire herd of elephants came down to drink at the water. I make it sound like it was sudden. It wasn't. We watched them for over an hour as they meandered down, checking us out, playing with the water and each other. Our guide knew them and their stories, and told us all about each animal in a way that made it sound like they were old friends. It was beautiful.

Now, I have been closer to elephants. I have been on game drives where they came right up to the vehicle. Let me tell you, if that doesn't scare you a little, you're an idiot. They are big, powerful, gorgeous creatures, and if they get mad, they can squish you. I love game drives, but the anxiety often colours the enjoyment. In the boat, we were safe. (Well, there were hippos, which are a whole seperate anxiety, but they were pretty much leaving us alone.) And so, we were able to watch them, and listen to their deep throated rumbling communications without fear of squishing. I have never so badly wanted to stay in Africa as that moment. Their beauty and grace, the realness of the place and the experience was awe-inspiring.

Back at the Inn, we had enjoyed the most glorious meals. Their lunchtime menu, which you can eat sitting out in the garden, accompanied by truly excellent obscure local wines, is a real pleasure. I have a picture on my desktop of a bottle of wine with glasses, and the view of the garden. Not a building or a vehicle or a telephone pole in sight. It is an amazingly soothing and rejuvenating thing to eat like that. Their dinner menu was not quite so fab. Don't get me wrong, it was very tasty, but it did feel a bit like the chef was trying too hard, to me. I far preferred the simplicity of the lunch menu, which was really very very good.

If you ever find yourself in South Africa, and you are looking for that game/safari experience which is just a little more authentic, and somewhat less touristy than the infamous Kruger Park, I recommend Ghost Mountain. It is close enough for day trips to Mkuze game reserve, Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve (which has everything Kruger has, but with less tourists!), the St. Lucia Estuary, which is a UNESCO Heritage Site (and well worth a visit!), and a variety of other smaller places. It is quieter, more remote, and really very beautiful.

Boating on the Cam and Ouse

I have been dithering over what to write about for my first real post. So I asked my other half, and he suggested this, so this is what you get.

Part of our great Eurotrip was spending several weeks in England and seeing all of his family while there. We were sponsored five days boating on the Cam and Ouse by his dad and stepmom as a wedding gift.

As it turned out, we were there in a summer of record high temperatures. Unfortunately, they left while we boated. It was chilly. And one of the days was downright unpleasant, but in general it was a remarkably relaxing and enjoyable experience.

The boat we hired came from the Bridge Boatyard. I honestly don't remember the exact model, but it had two cabins, a bathroom, a teeny tiny kitchen, and a living area that could be enclosed or opened out, depending on weather. It really had to be pretty awful to close it though, since the driver could barely see out if it was closed.

The first day was really pleasant. We mooched along the river merrily, sharing the driving (although I ended up doing a lot of it as the boys lost interest in the novelty), and generally having a good time. We learnt how to negotiate the locks, though the first few took some practice. We stopped for the night at a little river-side pub where we met one of A's relatives for a drink, before heading back to the boat for our first proper boat-cooked meal. I honestly don't remember now what we ate, but it was fun. It felt ever so cosy, all hanging out in the teeny tiny boat's living cabin, closed in from the chilly night air.

We managed to ground the boat on what I think was the second day. A bloke had to come and help us get ourselves free. However, it seemed that there was some issue with the steering, so it wasn't entirely our fault. Starting it up was always a bit of an adventurous gamble after that. :)

There was one very miserable day, where I crashed viciously into the side of a lock while trying to fight the tide and the wind and not being able to see through rain. Fun. By the end of that day I was shattered. Exhausted and more than ready for bed.

But, really, apart from those two incidents, it was gorgeous. Being gently rocked to sleep was incredibly soothing. As was sitting at the front (I am sure there is a suitable nautical term for that, but alas, I am woefully inadequate when it comes to sea-faring lingo), reading my book and enjoying the scenery as it slipped quietly past. In fact, in general, the quiet was wonderful. It was remarkably peaceful, considering what a vastly over-populated place England is. We would occasionally pass another boat like ours, or a long boat, but generally people smiled and waved and were all very chilled.

One evening we met a couple of my online friends who I hadn't met in real life before, and had a pleasant evening feeding them fish curry and talking nonsense. Really it was an awesome way to spend a few days.

On the last full day, we found we had a long way to go to get back to the boatyard by the time we needed to the next day. So we rode fast and far, right up until the sun went down and we could hardly see to moor ourselves up any more. It was a gorgeous evening. The weather had been temperamental at best, but that evening the sun set slow and pink. The river was calm. We hardly saw anyone else, apart from several passing swans. It was an incredibly calm, beautiful, long evening, and by the time we battened down for the night, we were all feeling very chilled and happy. The next morning we woke early and got going, stopping only for our last breakfast of bacon, sausages and eggs, before getting back to the boatyard, and saying farewell to the vessel that had been our home for several days.

If you are in England in the summer months, and looking for something a little different to do, I would absolutely recommend this. It was a really different, exciting, and simultaneously soothing way to spend the better part of a week. It was fun, and really quite an unusual experience. Also, the first time I'd ever driven a boat, so, believe me, it's not that hard to do. :)