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Thali Thali: West Coast getaway an hour from Cape Town

10/1/2017

4 Comments

 
Tent, Thali Thali, West Coast
By Roxanne Reid
It used to be a cattle farm. Then it reinvented itself as a game and fynbos reserve in 2011. I’m talking about Thali Thali Game Lodge, a West Coast getaway just off the R27 near Langebaan. About an hour’s drive from Cape Town, it’s a place to get out in the open air when the sun is shining.

​The three-star Thali Thali Game Lodge is on a 1,460 hectare reserve just a hop, skip and jump from the West Coast National Park. It accommodates up to 28 people, from B&B in luxury en suite tents to self-catering in farm labourers’ cottages and the recently renovated four-bedroom farmhouse, ideal for bigger families or groups of friends.
Thali Thali, West Coast
The old farmhouse has a wrap-around stoep
Tents, Thali Thali, West Coast
One of the five luxury tents under a moody sky
It was spitting and cold the spring afternoon we arrived, then it started to rain in earnest. We stayed in one of the tents, which would have been lovely had the weather been better. The space was pleasant, with a sofa where we could put our feet up and a small cupboard with cutlery and glasses, mugs and a kettle so we could have a coffee pick-me-up or snack. But the tents aren’t really geared for self-catering; if that’s what you want, the cottages with their own kitchens are a better bet.
Thali Thali, West Coast
Inside the tent
It was a great pity we had to keep all the flaps closed against the rain and wind – no watching the sun filtering through the flaps, no sitting on the deck with a cool drink, just unrelenting rain that painted the surroundings grey, the inside of the tent dark enough to need the lights to be switched on.
Thali Thali, West Coast
You might see giraffe on your game drive
The rain also put a dampener on any enthusiasm we might have had for a game drive in the lodge’s open safari vehicles. A couple from the UK, not likely to get another opportunity for a game drive once they returned home, decided to be brave and sallied forth in a light drizzle. He later admitted that the heavens opened about 30 minutes later and they got a thorough soaking, the open-sided vehicle giving them no protection from the wet or the biting cold.
Springbok, Thali Thali, West Coast
In spring the fields are carpeting with flowers on the West Coast
It cleared up around 6pm and we saw the sky for first time that day. Our view was of electricity pylons on the hill in the distance, but birds began to chirp, the sun came out and the mood changed, with prisms of rainbow colours in the water droplets. Hairy fat caterpillars were foraging in the bush next to our tent and we heard a zebra call in the distance, silenced by a dog barking.
Thali Thali, West Coast
The dining area, with French doors to the deck
Thali Thali, West Coast
We walked over wet grass to the restaurant for dinner. The space was warm and inviting, with a fire burning in the open hearth, and hearty tummy-warming food like oxtail and sweet potatoes.
Thali Thali, West Coast
The next morning dawned clear, the croak of frogs nearby, the hoot of an owl. Birds like spurfowl, sparrows and sunbirds flitted about their early morning business and a cow moaned loudly in the distance, breaking the sense of away-from-it-all wilderness, reminding us of the lodge’s farmland origins here where the West Coast Way’s Scenic and Foodie routes meet.
Zebra, Thali Thali, West Coast
If you're lucky you may hear the call of the Burchell's zebra from your tent
We had a full day of activity ahead so we had hoped to join an early morning game drive to take advantage of the sunnier weather, but the scheduled drives only leave at 10am. It might have been a chance to see animals like kudu, giraffe, zebra, red hartebeest and eland that have been reintroduced. 
Thali Thali, West Coast
The garden on a rainy afternoon
Other things to do at Thali Thali are unguided walks through the fynbos for a chance of spotting birds, grasses and flowers, lazing at the swimming pool or taking an archery lesson.
Thali Thali, West Coast
The pool and playground area, with the function marquee and one of the cottages in the background
Note: I was a guest of Thali Thali for one night, but the opinions are mine.

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​
Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za
4 Comments
Renee link
15/1/2017 05:04:18 am

Wow, this looks incredible! Africa is definitely on my bucket list!

Reply
Roxanne
15/1/2017 08:05:28 am

I almost envy you, Renee. Coming to Africa for the first time will be wonderfully exciting.

Reply
Vicky
19/1/2017 08:54:33 pm

I agree with the earlier comment. You are fortunate concerning wildlife in South Africa. We have eradicated most of ours.

Reply
Roxanne
20/1/2017 08:23:33 am

We have eliminated quite a lot of ours in Africa too, Vicky - think lions, elephant, rhino, giraffe. But luckily we still have lots left to enjoy.

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    I'm an independent travel writer and book editor with a passion for Africa - anything from African travel, people, safari and wildlife to adventure, heritage, road-tripping and slow travel.
    My travel buddy and husband Keith is the primary photographer for this blog.
    We're happiest in the middle of nowhere, meeting the locals, trying something new, or simply watching the grass grow.
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