LukAfrica - Riverside Chalets and Safaris

This last weekend was a great treat.

We packed the car and headed off to the Limpopo Province for a short road trip.

Needing a place to stay we looked up where to stay near Letsitele and came across this quaint place called LukAfrica.

The view from our balcony

Luke was kind and informative on the phone and was quick to respond to any queries we may have had.

On arrival you drive down a rough bush-veld drive, giving you the impression that you're actually entering a game farm. The reception area is neat, but at the time of writing very dry due to the lack of rain this time of year.

Luke was very friendly and on arrival offered us a welcome drink (Freshly squeezed orange juice) before showing us around the place and giving us a history of the place from the last great 100yr flood-line to how it is now.  I was personally impressed with what he's accomplished so far.

They mainly serve breakfast as they market themselves as a B&B, but do offer dinner on request (Which I'm led to believe is delicious). That night we were spoiled to an evening around the Lapa where we braaied our own meat and hung around the fire keeping warm in the cool evening air of Autumn in Limpopo.

The Cabins were well stocked and the amenities neat and functional. We slept well that evening and awoke the next day to a FULL English breakfast along with Fruit, Yogurt, Cereal and French Pressed Coffee or Tea and once again the amazing freshly squeezed orange juice.

All in all a very pleasant experience and we highly recommend LukAfrica to anyone traveling in that vicinity.

For a look see at the place visit their website at http://www.lukafricasafaris.co.za

The Common Room - (a quick personal note) at Menlyn Maine

Tried a little "on the spot" reviewing....

I think it's quite cool as it portrays the emotion we're experiencing at the moment where as a written review later comes across a lot more sterile and as George from Master Chef Australia says... good food is supposed to make you feel happy ;-)

The decor of the place was amazing, I just feel that what you get doesn't match expectations.

Mike's Restaurant - fine dining in Underburg

Passing through Underburg in Natal?
Do yourself a favour and pop in at Mike's.

We happened to see a little sign advertising Underburg's best breakfast.
At first glance it looked deserted,  but upon closer inspection found it to be a very cosy joint with old English charm.

Our host Mike made us the most delicious breakfast ( far exceeding our expectations - with wonderful homemade marmalade ) prompting this short and spontaneous review.

Having been around for 21 years we say well done.  Loved the short stop over. Thank you. 

Bistrot Boer'geoisie

Having been around since 2006 Bistrot Boer'giousie has certainly made a name for itself in the hearts of most Pretorianites (if that is even a word?) that we have come into contact with and so wanting a different experience for this mother's day, we opted for this restaurant we had heard so much about via the Pta bush telegraph of friends and family.

It being mother's day and all we were greeted to a bustling atmosphere of families as they all celebrated that one person in their lives they called mom.

At the reception we were given a complimentary sherry while we waited for our table to be cleaned and prepped. Granted, taking into consideration the volume of people at the place on the day and the amount of waiting staff it wasn't too long before were were comfortably seated in a nice little corner table were we waited for our menu's... and waited... and waited.. and, well, you get the message. ;-)

OK we were tucked away behind a corner, so I'll grant them the benefit of the doubt and say that they were just making sure our hunger pangs were at the right level to really really appreciate the food for which we were so eager to sink our teeth into and boy did they not disappoint!!

Our Waitress Dené was an absolute star and between the 3 of us we ordered an Oxtail Poitjie, A Venison Pie, an Oxtail Soup and a Chicken Schnitzel off their light-lunch menu. It was fantastic.

Penny, The head chef, who very animatedly told us that although she was not a mother, this place was her baby, said she practically lived there. We could clearly see the passion she put into her work not only in the way she presented her food but also in the way she got involved with the patrons. Taking pictures for them with their cameras, laughing and joking with the tables as she mixed with her clients. It truly was something to behold.
Everything from the atmosphere of the restaurant to the presentation and taste of the dishes (even the coupled Shiraz with the Oxtail and venison) worked wonderfully.

The decoration of the place is something to behold as owners Frikkie and Rikkie Marais have collected a wonderful ensemble of quirky and interesting South African memorabilia.

Do I recommend it: Definitely!!

For more info head on over to their website here: http://www.bistrotboergeoisie.co.za

Dulini Private Game Reserve - Sabi Sands

They say “The devil’s in the details” but I’d like to change that old saying because at Dulini Game Lodge “The DELIGHT is in the details”

I have reviewed a couple of game lodges in my time and have never been as blown away by the incredible attention these people pay to every detail of your stay than here.
From the warmest greetings of the staff and fellow lodgers (who’ve clearly been influenced by the ethos of the place) to the bubble bath that was poured for us by our butler, Maurice, we were truly astounded at the professionalism and sincerity of the staff.

Most 5 star establishments, although extremely slick and well run lack what I like to term “that personal touch”. Not so at Dulini.
Iain and Sue Garrett, our hosts, were there to make sure our stay was top notch, and their treatment of every staff member of utmost respect rubs off onto all the patrons who visit there.

Not only were we spoiled to two Game Drives a day with the most incredible sightings of Leopard, Lion, Rhino, Elephant, Wild Dog… the list goes on and on, each sighting holding its own unique story (ask me about the Hippo ;-)), but we were also pampered with the most delicious meals the bush has to offer (Thanks to our superbly talented chef Jess)

And it would be remiss of me not to mention the one person overlooking the entire experience, always there with a smile and a warm face-cloth at the end of the drives. Poppy.

Thanks again to everyone for an experience of a lifetime.

Where is it? Deep in the heart of the Sabi Sands Game reserve boarding the Kruger National Park.

Find out all you need to know here: http://www.dulini.com

See you on the road…

The Laughing Chefs

Tucked away at 217 Soutpansberg Rd in Rietondale, Pretoria, is a little paradise created by a mother and daughter, Maggie and Esrida, who have a passion for people, food and life.

We heard about this amazing place from several friends and acquaintances and with our curiosity peeked we headed off to find "this lovely restaurant" somewhere in Rietondale.

After having failed to find it the first time (Thinking that the name "Laughing Chefs" was a training academy) we were pleasantly rewarded when our persistence paid off. ;-)

The eclectic and romantic environment, created with the help of lush foliage and an integrated art gallery, compliments the food perfectly.
Having a choice of tapas or a full meal, we decided to go the tapas rout.

The snails (done in a blue cheese sauce) were incredible and have dethroned Huckelberry's as my new favorite.

The rest of the tapas were of top quality, lovingly crafted by our chef, Patrice, who even came out to say hi and do a little "modest" bragging about how he personally created these dishes.

Laughing Chefs also hosts numerous live celebrity music performances and has a diary packed with great entertainment. To find more about these we were told to either give them our email address or head on over to their Facebook page and press that persistent little "like" button.
(www.facebook.com/Laughingchefs)

A VERY romantic getaway as well as a splendid place to sit back relax and enjoy good food, good music and (I have a feeling if you visit there often enough) new good friends.

Detractors? The background music they played didn't quite fit the ambiance and the smoking section is right at the front door, so patrons have to walk past that to get inside (although smokers are generally very pleasant people so maybe that's not such a bad thing)

Other than that a DEFINITE thumbs up.

Find them here: http://www.laughingchefs.co.za/
For bookings call: (012) 329 6950

Mayfly - Dullstroom

Dullstroom.... The land of Fly Fishing.
Everything about the area screams.... FLY FISHING AREA.... and if you love fly fishing, then this is the town to come to.

That said, I don't fly fish. Tried once in Atlanta USA with a good friend of the family and .... well.... I didn't catch anything. (If you know what I mean) but the boat... now that was something else.... I digress.
Never having fly fished seriously, I had no idea what a Mayfly was but was quite sure it had something to do with fly fishing seeing that we were in Dullstroom and all.

While perusing the menu in pursuit of the perfect spot to satiate our ravenous hunger, built up from an exhausting day of sign making, the owner walked up to us and guaranteed - in a very humble manner I might add - that this restaurant was the best in town. Well, after going and having a look at the other menus nearby we found ourselves once again at the Mayfly's door.

Owned by Garath, the Mayfly, we were told, was run from out of town for about 4yrs, surviving on basically weekend trade, before moving into town and has now been in existence for more than 9 years.
Well, I could quite see that over those years Gareth and his staff have not lost the passion for the hospitality trade they have forged a life for themselves from. The service was exceptional (and I don't say that lightly). - I accidentally let my knife fall to the floor and before I could say "Trout Fishing" I had a new set placed before me with a flourish.

The Menu had everything from Burgers, Pastas to Oxtail (The specialty of the night)
The Oxtail, recommended to me by Gareth, was done to mouth watering perfection and complimented with sauteed potatoes and typical mashed veggies. (Spinach and Pumpkin)

Dirk, who had the Pesto Pasta (A fetochini, bacon, chili and rosa tomato mix) said that it was EXACTLY as he imagined it should have been. (Which is a very high compliment to any chef)

Well done to the staff and Gareth for a very pleasant night out.

Not really a child friendly place. But please if you have a gap and you're n the area, if you miss out on anything do not let it be the Mayfly.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mayfly-Restaurant/200686999989216