The rolling hills of Brahman

21 Apr 2016

The bathroom at the Oribi self-catering cottage at Brahman Hills in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands is an exhibitionist's dream come true - a shrinking violet's worst nightmare. No doors and practically ceiling-to-floor glass windows on all sides semi-encase the shower, bath and toilet(!) Thankfully, the windows all point away from the rest of the estate and the most likely pair of eyes you will be spotted by will belong to one of the many Brahman cows that wander the estate.

The views also make up for any self-consciousness: rolling hills, wandering wildlife and dramatic skies make a bath or shower a total dream. In fact, I wasted no time after checking in to run myself a bath with the delicious complimentary rose geranium bath salts (that permeate the whole cottage with their heavenly scent) and settle down to some amazing nature viewing with a refreshing G&T in hand, so lux! And if you want to take your viewing outside, the cottage offers a deck with braai and jacuzzi with plentiful picturesque game-watching opportunities of the cattle, eland, zebra and impala.

Homely slick

The cottages have been recently refurbished (the venue was formerly known as The Windmills ) and all are slick and modern, with fully equipped kitchen, DStv and Wi-Fi; however also remain homely with a pillowy beds, deep Victorian baths and stove fireplaces.

On the first night, we were treated to a three-course meal at the lodge’s 89 on Copper, situated in a cellar beneath the main hotel. A veritable Aladdin’s Cave of delights, the restaurant also acts as a wine cellar with unique ‘portholes’ filled with wine along the walls. Quite inspiring for you to get your drink on as you’re tempted to try them all. On the recommendation of our waiter we had the Rupert and Rothschild Classique, which paired excellently with a starter of silky carpaccio and tender Asian calamari, and a rich main course of herb-crusted lamb rack and melt-in-your-mouth lamb shank.

The staff is welcoming and friendly, and the willingness to attend to any request is superb. On the second night, we made use of the fully equipped kitchen and braai and ate in; however the welcoming staff obliged by popping by with salt, pepper and butter when requested. And housekeeping extends even to the self-catering units. We were pleasantly surprised to return to a spotless cottage with restocked tea, coffee, milk and rusks after our breakfast.

Our stay was wonderfully relaxing and reviving, peppered with fine dining, long soaks in the jacuzzi beneath star-heavy skies, and leisurely strolls to the two dams on the property. If you don’t mind letting your inner exhibitionist out you can do no wrong with a stay at Brahman Hills.

For more info or to make a reservation go to www.brahmanhills.co.za