This past weekend a group of 8 of us, from the Rhino Africa office, jetting off to Johannesburg for a quick 3 night / 4 day sight inspection which mainly focused on the Panoramic Route as well as the Manyaleti and Timbavati Reserves.
After a disastrous experience with Nationwide we finally arrived at OR. Tambo Airport and began our journey onto Nelspruit. It was about 13:45pm when we reached the gates of Oliver’s Restaurant & Lodge. We were all a bit cramped from the drive and starting to feel slightly peckish, which was a great thing because Oliver’s is known for its delicious dishes and mouth-watering main courses.
As we got out of the vehicle we were welcomed by a kaleidoscope of colours radiating from the beautifully maintained and manicured gardens, which Oliver himself proudly cares for. It was our first stop and I know everyone was excited to see this particular property, especially me, but none of us were prepared for what awaited us through the main doors. The scene, the setting, the décor and the atmosphere was that of pure, good old country chic – large rooms accompanied by large pieces of furniture and of course not forgetting the roaring fire place.
We were met by Amanda and Tanja ( Oliver’s wife ) and then shown round the rest of the property, which is located on a pristine golf course may I add. There are 3 room categories : Exclusive Rooms ( which is basically a standard room, but far from it ), Luxury Rooms and Executive Suite ( or your own private villa as I would call it !!! ) The rooms are spectacular, all individually designed and decorated in a way that makes you never want to leave – it’s truly “Home from Home” I cannot possibly describe it any better than that, you will just have to go and see for your self !!!
After our sight-inspection of the rooms we were ushered to the Restaurant for Oliver’s famous dining experience and what an experience that was. From carpaccio to mussels to rack of lamb to prawn curry to pork fillet to salmon and of course good old lasagne, we sampled as much as our stomachs would allow and just when we all thought we would burst, they brought out a “small” portion of Bavarian Vanilla Cream, enhanced with a Peach Liqueur on a fresh Fruit Salad – I thought I was going to pass out, but we ate it anyway ?
It was definitely the best way to start our trip but sadly it was time to say our thanks and farewells as we had other appointments to keep. Luckily our next stop was literally a stone through away and after about only 10 minutes on the road we arrived at Greenway Woods. We were very warmly welcomed by all the staff and then shown around the large grounds of this extremely family friendly property.
They have 2 room types : namely Standard Rooms which consist of a bedroom & bathroom and are within walking distance to all the resort facilities. The Chalets on the other hand are ideal for families or groups of friends and offer 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a well appointed lounge; kitchen and dining area as well as an outdoor patio with BBQ facilities. The property itself boasts large grassed areas, perfect for the kids to round wild, a good sized swimming pool, game area and many more attractions to keep the whole family entertained. We were also shown the very cool and rusty “BOMA” style restaurant which is ideal for African inspired weddings or functions – definitely one of the highlights of the resort.
After our sight-inspection we were very kindly offered some drinks and snacks, but with only 30 minutes having passed since our gorge at Oliver’s, we politely declined as it was time to hit the tar and make our way to the next, of many more, stops during our trip.
It’s was a fabulous opportunity to see both these properties as well as the others and people definitely have to remember that the Mpumalanga region isn’t just about the Kruger National Park, there are tons of another treasure hidden within in this paradise to explore – Oliver’s Restaurant & Lodge and Greenway Woods to name just two…