My partner and I like to make it a full trip when we are travelling to view new places. This time, we started off with a delicious brunch at the beautiful Blueberry Café in the Midlands, and then headed to our destination, which we were super thrilled to get to.
We arrived at The Cavern about 14:00, perfect timing for us to check in. The lovely staff welcomed us with big smiles and gave us an informative introduction – we immediately felt relaxed and ready for our weekend. They directed us to a parking bay near our rooms and even gave us a hand with our bags. Our room overlooked a stream running through a beautiful gorge surrounded by large trees, plants, and flowers. Before I could think of unpacking our goodies, my partner looked at me and said, “Let’s go exploring”. We thought we were just going to go for a short adventure, to see what was directly around us, but before we knew it, we were on the hiking trail that led us to the natural pools – there I was, in my faithful flip-flops and a dress at six months pregnant, but that didn’t stop me! The scenery was beautiful and peaceful; the birdlife and flowers that we saw on the way were stunning. We were in our happy place!
After our little sightseeing session, we headed back to our room, where we unpacked our clothes and decided to take a moment to relax before heading back up to the lodge for something to drink. Now well-rested, we decided to do another little exploration around the lodge. After all the walking, we were ready to get refreshments and make our way to the Cavern Bar. The bar is a man-made cavern, and it felt surreal! We met a lovely couple there and chatted with them; they also fell in love with the place from the moment they arrived.
Dinner time dawned upon us, and, boy, oh, boy, was it delicious! There was a buffet-style of salad toppings, cheeses and cold meats as a pre-starter, and we also had a menu on our table for us to choose between three options for starters and mains. After our long, adventurous day and delicious dinner, we decided to retire to bed.
We woke early Saturday morning to watch the sunrise while enjoying a cup of coffee on the porch, taking in the beauty and listening to the birds chirp away. It was time for breakfast, which I was super ready and excited to have. It was similar to last night’s dinner – there was a range of cereals, yoghurt and fresh fruit available to choose from as a “starter”, freshly baked breads with jams and relishes to add onto it, followed by warm breakfast choices off the menu (egg, bacon, sausage, mushrooms, grilled onions, eggs benedict, and more). After filling our bellies, we went for another exploration around the lodge, before heading to our much-anticipated spa treatment. I had one of the Essence Facials (which was ridiculously amazing, my beauty therapist had hands of an angel – she was so gentle but so thorough, and my facial came with a neck and foot massage while I had a mask on my face). My partner had a full-body massage, and at one stage, he actually fell asleep! He said that it was magical and one of the best ones he has received in a very long time. Feeling relaxed, chilled and with no motivation to move, we made our way down to the pool for a dip before going up for lunch.
Lunch time! They definitely don’t let you go hungry at The Cavern, ensuring you always have a full tummy of the most amazing prepared meals. Lunch was buffet-style, offering a delicious spread of light food items.
For dinner, we opted for salads as our starter. For mains, I chose the chicken option, and my partner had the Pork Belly option; both dishes came with fluffy mashed potatoes, green beans and julienned carrots. This was followed by a delicious brownie and homemade ice cream for dessert, which we shared, as we were both stuffed. If I weren’t, I definitely would have had some more!
The next morning, I woke my partner up and roped him into coming with me to a complimentary yoga class held at the resort. It was a beautiful way to start the day – stretching, breathing, a slight workout from poses I haven’t done in a while, and having my partner there with me was amazing, although some of the poses were difficult for him to achieve, but nonetheless, he did it with a smile on his face and loved it (secretly).
We headed back to our room to pack our bags, showered and got ready for the day. This time, we decided to have breakfast out on the deck area, in the fresh air, with the sun glowing down on us. Like the previous day, there was a buffet of cereals, yoghurt, fresh fruit and croissants to choose from, which was then followed by a hot breakfast menu, my favourite meal of the day, which was amazing and I was in my element!
It was time for us to leave and make our way back down to the coast. We were sad to leave and wished we had one more day to do more exploring, but the stay left us feeling relaxed, rejuvenated, refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the busy month that was waiting for us.
The Cavern – you are breathtaking and an absolute dream! I look forward to returning with my family.
Words by: Amy Jenkins
Contact Details: www.thecavern.co.za