Lowveld - Jan 2020

SLEEP IN A TEEPEE,
TRAIN OR TREE
Tired of the same old, same old guest house, hotel or backpackers? Are you
looking for a quirky weekend getaway? How about sleeping in a teepee, an
old train coach in the mountains or high up in the branches of a wild fig tree?
Get It discovers three alternative stays right here in the Lowveld.
Text and photographer: MIA LOUW
The Fig Tree House
When reminiscing about tree houses, fond
childhood memories usually come to mind.
Hours spent playing house or dolls up high in
the branches of a giant in a friend’s backyard.
The Fig Tree House is a playground for grownups;
a proper escape from modern life’s daily
grind, gadgets and busy surrounds. This
doesn’t mean kids aren’t welcome, of course.
This getaway is a 40km drive outside
Mbombela towards Malalane in the Crocodile
Gorge Nature Conservancy, on the family
farm Daarbo Boerdery. Although this is a
working farm (macadamias, limes and lemons
grow here), The Fig Tree House is perfectly
situated at the top of a valley, among rocky
outcrops enveloped by indigenous plants.
The two-storey structure rests on rocks
and stretches among the branches of a
gargantuan wild fig, with comfy beds in
nestlike sleeping platforms built at various
levels.
The top level, completely open and in the
branches, is the lounge and sleeping area
(which can sleep six guests). There are comfy
couches in the centre with binoculars, bird
guides and tree books lying on the coffee
table. The sleeping platforms come with
mosquito nets, but without bedding (you
need to bring your own or pay extra to
arrange some). The lower level is the kitchen
and indoor braai area. Although slightly more
closed off, it has two open windows peering
out over the treetops and the valley. The
kitchen is stocked with a fridge, crockery,
cutlery, cooking and braaiing utensils, as well
as filtered drinking water.
Relax in The Fig Tree House’s natural boulder boma
20 Get It Lowveld January 2020