Hidden away in the stunning Drakensburg mountains in the Kamberg Valley near Giant’s Castle, you will find Cleopatras Mountain Farmhouse. This exclusive Gourmet mountain lodge is 200km from Durban airport and 450km from Johannesburg airport. I was driving down from Johannesburg and the journey took me just over 5 hours down the N3 toll road before turning off at Mooi River. From there, it was just under 30 miles and although the directions were good, it is better to do this part of the journey by daylight to make it easier to pick up the landmarks that are referred to in the directions.

Eventually, I arrived but as it was dark, I wasn’t able to fully appreciate the beauty of its location until the following morning. I’d also arrived too late for the 6 course evening meal which was a pity. There are 11 rooms at Cleopatras and each one is different. I was checked into room 2, the Scandinavian room and it was beautiful and reasonably spacious. It had been a long day so I soon got into my bed which was warmed by an electric blanket and went to sleep.

I woke up early as I had a long trip to Fugitives Drift ahead of me but first I wanted to have a look round. The morning mist hung over the surrounding mountains and I could see what a picturesque location this was. I made my way to the breakfast room where a splendid 3 course meal was served to set me up nicely for the day. The chef at Cleopatras prepares his food with flavour as his primary objective and I had to say that I was not disappointed. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I was served such a good breakfast.

Cleopatras Mountain Farmhouse

Next it was time for a quick trip up to the top of the mountain although the view would be limited. However, it was clear enough to see that for anyone looking to spend a bit of time outdoors and enjoy wonderful food, Cleopatras is highly recommended. Activities available include walking in the Highmoor Nature Reserve, horse riding, horse stud tours & local adventures, fishing, helicopter rides, Bushman rock art, Crane rehabilitation centre and if you want to go out driving for the day, there are more than 180 stops on the Midlands Meander from wood turners, to potters, to cheesemakers, to weevers and more. Sadly, it was time to move on again and had a final chat with the staff before checking out and heading on my way to the Zulu Battlefields.