Summer Place Backpackers Lodge

Summer Place Backpackers Lodge

Facilities available:

           *  3 Bedroom House, with all facility’s, Veranda & Braai

           *  3 Rooms with En-Suite shower and TV,

           *  Family Flat with full self-catering facilities

           *  Braai facilities.                

           *  Pool Table and Darts Room.

Set in a Beautiful tranquil area with bird watching and enjoying walks in the nature.

30Km away from the Midlands Meander and only,

45Km away from the Central Drakensberg.

Close to Fort Durnford and Wagendrift Dam.

Enjoy your daily trips to all surrounding areas and return to a peaceful resting place.

Antbear Eco Lodge

Antbear Eco Lodge

The Antbear Lodge is situated in the Drakensberg Mountains and is a perfect base to explore the very best of what this region offers. The Drakensberg Mountains are renowned for their dramatic natural beauty spectacular mountain scapes, waterfalls and sunsets. And don’t forget about the bushman rock art paintings made by the San people over a period of 4000 years. Come and be inspired by their history and spirituality.

Essentially we are an accommodation provider offering 15 individually styled units as either en-suite doubles, family units or luxury suites. Our most unique accommodation is our luxury cave which blends into its environment to create an atmosphere of privacy and seclusion. Glass doors open onto a wooden deck with hammock chairs with an uninterrupted panoramic view of the Drakensberg Mountains. You could even consider a romantic private dining experience on the deck of your cave under the stars.

The natural setting is stunning and we have managed to make the accommodation fit in with ease. Each of the units are different and are separate from each other creating a feeling of generosity. The rooms are smartly appointed and individually designed for comfort. And have the features like fireplaces and jacuzzi spa baths. We have put a huge amount of effort into making our own wooden furniture which includes tables, chairs, headboards, windows, doors and light fittings. In fact you will discover unique and eccentric wooden furniture everywhere in the lodge. Artistic design is captured through wooden hinges, engraved glass and mosaics. If you feel like seeing how we make our furniture feel free to put your nose into our workshop.

We are one of those places where everyone dines together. It makes for great conversation is and is a perfect opportunity to plan your next day. We use our own organic vegetable garden. We have our own chickens for eggs, cows for milk, make own cheese, butter and yogurt and bake our own bread. Sustainability is a huge part of the ethos of our lodge.

 

We have used alternative materials like straw bales to build the place and use solar for heating water and a reed bed filter cleaning waste water.

There is plenty to do here besides relaxing. I have a pilots license and a microlight at the lodge. If the weather is good I love to take guests with me. To glide together with the vultures or fly along the Drakensberg escarpment is often considered as the highlight of a tour. We practice the softer horse whispering techniques to train our horses and offer out rides that are particularly suited to beginners and first timers.  There are hiking trails to fit every level of fitness, even guided. The vulture hides at Giants Castle are perhaps the best options available anywhere to see and photograph these birds. Or add a bit of adrenalin with a canopy tour. Visit the Nelson Mandela Capture site while you explore our local arts and craft route with cheese tastings, chocolate dipping and meeting some of the artists themselves.

So if your looking for a place where art, beauty and time away are important then Antbear Lodge is worth a second look. We invite you to came and share some of our dream, some of our alternative, sustainable and relaxed way of life. We look forward to welcoming you.

Berg View

Berg View

a short hike from the Giant’s Castle Camp to a popular viewpoint, offering one of the best views of the escarpment, ranging from Giant’s Castle to Cathkin Peak. I know the hike is signposted to be walked counter clock but my top tip is to walk the route the wrong way round. This is because when you are up you will be walking towards the mountains and have an improved view

Worlds View

Worlds View
A moderate 3 hrs hike (7 kms) From the picnic area take the concrete path down to and across Bannerman Bridge. Follow the path to below Sugarloaf Kop and on up to World’s View.

Antbear Wedding Venue

Antbear Wedding Venue

Drakensberg wedding venue

Antbear Wedding Venue - 1 - Experience the Drakensberg slider drakensberg wedding9 Giants Castle
Drakensberg wedding venue

Enjoy your wedding in gracious elegance against a backdrop of the magnificent Drakensberg Mountains. The scenic beauty of this renowned Drakensberg wedding venue, its personal service and the warm hospitality extended to guests will make your wedding day a memory to cherish for a lifetime.

Romantic Weddings

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Romantic wedding
venue in the Drakensberg

The charming stone-and-thatch chapel with its expansive view of the Drakensberg Mountains and rolling foothills of the Natal Midlands in a setting of gardens and view.  This is a Drakensberg wedding venue perfectly suited to an elegant country-style wedding. The lodge offers endless opportunities for wedding photos and horses are available if you would like to include them in your wedding pictures. Wedding packages are available. Choose from our set menus and or discuss your ideas with our professional staff. We can offer you contact details of local wedding service providers if there is anything we cant assist with ourselves. Antbear Lodge knows that this is your special day and we will make your wedding tailored to reflect your dream wedding.

The wedding venue

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Deck of the wedding reception hall

Our reception hall can accommodate up to 100 guests. This wedding venue is a particularly lovely space for smaller weddings. If you would like to drape and have fairy lights that can easily be arranged although the lodge already has a lovely earthy character that most people don’t even worry about the extra costs of draping. Our wooden chandeliers with real candles offer that touch of romance to the atmosphere.

The Wedding Chapel

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the Drakensberg wedding chapel

Our beautiful thatched chapel is in close proximity to the main venue. The Chapel has panoramic views of the Drakensberg and really requires very little decor but small touches can be added to the bridal parties discretion. The Chapel can accommodate 100 guests, and includes pots for flowers, central lighting, registry table and  an altar table. With fairy lights our Chapel is a picture perfect setting for our Bride and Groom to make their vows and their special day a flawless occasion with the backdrop of farm lands, blue skies, lush green gardens for that picture perfect moment. Fantastic, unlimited bridal couple photographic opportunities – African farmlands, dam, horses and farm animals in a perfect Drakensberg wedding setting. And its the views that really make this Drakensberg wedding venue so special.

Catering

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Wedding reception with a pig on the spit

The lodge includes a fully equipped professional kitchen and we will gladly cater for your event. We are experts at doing a sheep or pig on the spit too. And we do offer an option to bring in an outside caterer as we understand that personal preference, culture and budget are factors to take into consideration.

The Bar

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Wedding guests

Of course were are licensed. We have a number of options as far as the bar goes. You can supply your own drinks and we will only charge a corkage per bottle. or could also run a cash bar or have a set limit after which we then run a cash bar. We can supply waiters and barmen for your function.

Wedding coordinator

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Children are welcome

We can help you with your wedding planning or you can bring your own wedding planner with you. We know what we are doing but will accommodate whatever wishes you have and that includes bringing your own wedding planner if that what you would like.

Photograph sites

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Interesting photo opportunities

Our Wedding Venue with the backdrop of farm lands, blue skies, lush green gardens for that picture perfect moment. Fantastic, unlimited bridal couple photographic opportunities – African farmlands, dam, horses and farm animals in a perfect Drakensberg setting. And its the views that really make things special. And there are a number of great wedding photographers in the area and we will gladly supply you with details.

Drakensberg Star Gazing Hammock Camp

Drakensberg Star Gazing Hammock Camp

Mlendeni Sitole will tell you his stories of the night skies. He has built a star gazing hammock camp for you to relax and observe the heavens and listen to the night sounds. He makes you feel like you have never seen the night sky before when you go stargazing at Antbear Lodge. The Milky Way arcs over you like a giant swathe of smoke – reminiscent of the African tale of its origins where a strong-willed girl who became so angry when her mother would not give her any of a delicious roasted root that she grabbed the roasting roots from the fire and threw the roots and ashes into the sky, where the red and white roots now glow as red and white stars, and the ashes are the Milky Way.

Mlendeni has been assisted by Antbear Lodge as part of its community development entrepreneurial program to get his business started. Your support is very much appreciated.

Antbear Lodge

Antbear Lodge

What makes this Drakensberg accommodation option so special is that we are offering cozy & comfortable accommodation in a luxury cave. Glass doors open onto a wooden deck with hammock chairs and an uninterrupted view of the Drakensberg Mountains. We also offer accommodation in mountain view suites and garden view suites. This is an upmarket Eco experience.

We are very honored to be able to serve you. We love our work at Antbear Lodge and are proud of what we have achieved together. Some of us have been here from the very first day. We support each other and because we know that together we are stronger. Whats more we would love to meet you and host you at Antbear Lodge soon.

We cook all our meals from scratch and use our own organic vegetable garden. We have our own chickens for eggs, own cows for milk, we bake our own bread and even make our own cheese.

The best way to say this is in the middle of nowhere. We are perfectly located to explore the very best of the Drakensberg offers and are situated towards Giants Castle. Easy access to Kamberg, Champagne Valley and the Kwazulu Natal Midlands

The lodge is artistic in style and offers 2 lounges, a wine cellar, a small bar and a dining room. We offer the option of hosted dinning at a communal table or if you would prefer you can also sit at an own table. We also offer the option of private dining where we setup a table on the deck of your cave and you dine by candlelight under the stars.

This Drakensberg accommodation lodge practices small scale farming permaculture. We have a small flock of sheep, 3 milk cows, horses, donkeys, a pig, and a few chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese. For us it is important that the animals are well kept and live a good life.

There is a lot to do or you could just chill out. The main attraction is the Drakensberg Mountains so a visit to Giants Castle and some hiking is a great idea. Or you could visit one of the best rock art sites in South Africa at Kamberg. We offer horse trails ideally suited to beginners. There is the option to fly in a hot air balloon, glide with vultures in a microlight or a game drive in the Zulu Waters Private Game Reserve.

Giants Castle Slackpacking Trail

Giants Castle Slackpacking Trail

About the Giants Castle Slack Packing Trail

Explore the Drakensberg foothills without the burden of a backpack walking from lodge to lodge, having your luggage transported for you and looking forward to excellent 3 course meals. The Drakensberg Slack packing trail is a luxury hike offering comfortable and varied accommodation experiences each night, luggage transfers and delectable catering.

Drakensberg slack packing trail
Giants Castle Slack Packing Trail

The Drakensberg slack packing hiking trail includes some of the most scenic and bio diverse parts of KwaZulu Natal. This hiking trail provides access to private land, a game reserve and locally forged conservancies. Special places where people normally would not have access. All you need to do is organise a group of friends or join one of our prearranged trips, and look forward to a gentle stroll carrying nothing more than a packed picnic, some binoculars and a good birding book.

Hiking in Zulu Waters Game Reserve

This is a three day round hike encompassing curated paths through the Zulu Waters Private Game Reserve and the Lowlands Conservancy. Well known for its rich biodiversity, the daily hikes are gentle in distance and gradient making this hike a perfect beginner’s hike for families and for those less experienced and fit. The lodges offer locally grown, home cooked meals as an added bonus.

In the summer, there are rivers and dams to swim in and plenty of picturesque picnic spots on route.

Link to trail map

Giants Castle Slack Packing accommodation

Day 1. Antbear Lodge

Antbear Lodge - Sustainable Drakensberg accommodation
Antbear Lodge – Sustainable Drakensberg accommodation

What makes Antbear Lodge special is that this is quite possibly one of them most sustainable lodges in South Africa. Here you will find home made cheese from their own milk, own eggs from their own home grown chickens and a wonderful organic garden. They also offer a luxury cave for accommodation

Hiking starts heading up to the top of the mountain with spectacular views looking out over the Drakensberg Mountains. Then down into the valley where you feel far away from everywhere

Day 2. Leopards Lair Lodge

Leopards Lair Lodge - Giant Castle Central Drakensberg
Leopards Lair Lodge – Giant Castle Central Drakensberg

Leopards Lair is one of those lovely places full of family atmosphere offering a real agri tourism experience. Meet Lalie their hand reared eland, their rescue emus and ostriches and the rest of their farmyard menagerie.

Your walk from here starts off easy and then drops back down into the Mbogta Valley. And then the high light where you enter the Zulu Waters Game Reserve

day 3. Zulu Waters Shaka Lodge

Zulu Waters Shaka Lodge
Zulu Waters Shaka Lodge – African safari luxury

Shaka Lodge offers the the lapse of luxury withing the Zulu Waters Game Reserve. Your own private chef will prepare delicacies that will make you want to stay forever.

Almost your whole day will be hiking inside the Game Reserve. You might see rhino, zebras, buffalo, ostriches, eland, water buck, wildebeest and so much more.

Fast facts

Duration: 3 days, 3 nights
Recommended fitness level: Easy to Moderate
Average daily walking distances: 12-15km
Accommodation types: Lodges including dinner and breakfast. Lunch packs are supplied daily. All dietary requirements available.
Price: from R7900 per person inclusive of accommodation, all meals, luggage transfer, registered guide & conservancy fees
Group size: 6 persons in a group
Guide: Deon Small registered mountain guide.

Bespoke tours can also be arranged for organised groups with special interests like butterflies, birding, ecology, wild flowers, mediation and star gazing.

Slack packing activity add ons

Berg Adventures

Berg Adventures
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