SOUTH AFRICA ever a setting that could make even a scrambled egg feel like an occasion, this was it. This meal was perfect. I have a soft spot for a good piece of pork, and the pork belly did not disappoint. It was tender and flavourful, the kind of dish that makes you seriously consider ordering another plate before you’ ve even finished the first. Sadly, I had to exercise some restraint after noticing my colleague Juhi’ s raised eyebrows.
It was time to enjoy some much-needed alone time in the hot tub overlooking the waterfall cascading down the mountain. After days of incessant but truly joyful activity, I finally had a chance to stop and just breeeathe... By the time I made it back to my room – one of seven individually decorated rooms, and clearly no two guests get quite the same view – I had one simple plan: switch off. No television, no scrolling, no distractions. Just peace and quiet. The room looked like something straight out of a magazine, the kind of room I probably would have cut out of a magazine as a kid and stuck somewhere, convinced that one day I’ d live somewhere like this. And then there were the white robes. I ' m a sucker for a good white robe, and the one hanging in the cupboard made me feel instantly wealthier. Underfloor heating, heated towel rails, crisp percale linen, a stocked bar fridge, a digital safe tucked away for the essentials... Every small comfort had been thought through. But the real star was the view. The bathroom felt like it had been positioned on the edge of a cliff looking straight out over a thirty-metre waterfall crashing into the Sanddrift River gorge, with the river mouth, the Indian Ocean and the Tsitsikamma mountains stacked up behind it. It was literally jawdropping, and for a second, didn ' t feel real.
Other amenities here include EV and plug-in hybrid EV charging stations, open fires in the common lounge and dining room, a sauna, helicopter pad, and a heated pool waiting for anyone still standing after a day like mine. But what really had me dreaming about my own upcoming wedding was The Fernery Lodge & Spa itself. If getting married is anywhere on your horizon, put this one on your venue list. Surrounded by dramatic scenery and the kind of natural beauty that requires very little dressing up, it’ s hard to imagine a more romantic setting for saying“ I do”. That night, I fell asleep to the sound of rushing water outside. No playlist, no television and certainly no traffic. Just nature providing its own version of ASMR.
Eventually, every trip has to come to an end, and saying goodbye to the Garden Route was not easy. This wasn’ t simply a trip where you ticked off attractions from a list. But as we say at Rove SA, it’ s not farewell. It is simply a see-you-soon, on our next adventure together.
The Fernery Lodge & Spa
Other Things We Did:
• Brunch at PiliPili Beach Restaurant
• A guided tour to a fossil footprint in Goukamma Marine Protected Area
• A telephone wire jewellery workshop in Sedgefield
• A short walk at Pledge Nature Reserve
• Thesen Island Heritage Food Bar
SPRING 2026 • rovesa. co. za | 65