Wandering South Africa: Our Stay in Wilderness
The most rejuvenating part of our South African roadtrip were two days spent in Wilderness, a town where coastal living meets lush forest life.
Summer travel is in full swing for many, although I am still reflecting upon the trip of a lifetime I took this spring to South Africa. An invitation to my close friend’s wedding prompted the trip, and because we would be traveling such a distance, my boyfriend and I planned a two-week road trip leading up to the wedding festivities. It was also the ideal month for a trip there as April marks the beginning of fall in South Africa; the weather was perfect for our first time wandering the country.
We started planning our adventure well in advance and booked most of our accommodations a full year prior. We did not want to be limited by last-minute decisions in the area of lodging; we knew unique stays would elevate our trip even more. And so, we had the incredible opportunity to stay at a range of exciting destinations from a game reserve where the Big Five roam, a farm stay, a cabin in the woods home to monkeys and panthers, and a coastal mountain getaway.
Out of them all, Nima Lodge in Wilderness was the most restorative and rejuvenating stay. Nima is a unique property tucked up in the hills, yet only a 15-minute drive from the coast. To me, it was a match made in heaven. I discovered the lodge on Instagram thanks to @Campsbaygirl.
Wilderness, South Africa
If you are not familiar with Wilderness, South Africa, it is a quaint town located on the Garden Route of the Southern Cape. It is where coastal living meets lush forest life. Picture rivers, lakes, forests, waterfalls, and beaches; landscapes for both hiking and surfing. I felt a magnetic energy in Wilderness and fell in love with its breathtaking nature and the kind gentle souls I met.
Nima Lodge offers three different cabins on their property: the Sun Cabin, the Luna Cabin, and the Sand Cabin. Each type has a distinct purpose with its unique build, amenities, and intention.
I gravitated toward the neutral tones and tranquil yet playful design of the Sun Cabin. The moment we stepped into the cabin, we were serenaded by meditative background music, an aroma of lavender, and stunning mountain views. I fell into a state of zen and remained in it throughout our entire stay. So much so that we forwent the activities and excursions we had originally planned and stayed put. We indulged in our time at Nima to connect deeper with each other and our beautiful surroundings.
We began our first morning in the Sand Cabin with a glorious in-house massage by a local masseuse, Lize. Nima Lodge offers her services for an additional cost to your stay, and we jumped on this opportunity.
Lize described Wilderness as “a place where people come to connect with their inner child, heal, and reconnect with nature. It is an escape from the hustle and bustle of life and a place to nurture and elevate your inner and outer world from a state of love. People here are friendly, caring, creative, and healing.”
After our massage, we enjoyed the breakfast basket thoughtfully prepared for us by the property caretakers. It was filled with quiche, flaky croissants, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt, and an assortment of fruit along with freshly squeezed orange juice. It was simple but luxurious.
After fueling up, we hiked to the nearby waterfall. When walking in nature, I like to practice presence by observing how I am engaging my five senses along the way. As we ventured, we saw heart-shaped leaves. We smelled floral scents and mossy wood. We heard trickling water, birds chirping, and trees swaying. We touched the refreshing water of the waterfall. We were enveloped in beauty.
We stopped at Nima’s “honesty shop” as we returned to the cabin to restock on firewood and ignition cubes. In this cozy little 24-hour shop, the lodge offers water, milk, snacks, coffee, wine, beer, firewood, and ignition cubes. Each item is labeled with a price and guests simply log the inventory they take. The amount spent is tacked onto their final bill. I felt refreshed by the concept of this shop as Nima entrusts their guests to be good humans and do the right thing, as the shop is free of surveillance.
Upon our return to the cabin, we immediately freshened up in the dreamiest shower. The Sand Cabins offer a waterfall shower with a stunning view. The image below speaks for itself.
While rinsing off, our new friend, the property cat (who we named Ritz) moseyed into our cabin through our open window. I invited him onto the bed and cozied up for a snooze.
As the day winded down, we prepared a dinner of chicken and steak skewers with grilled corn. We paired our meal with a delightful local white wine. Aside from our breakfast deliveries, we made our meals during our stay with the locally-sourced ingredients purchased at the town market.
After dinner, we took time for ourselves to engage in personal activities. We both value and prioritize time in solitude. We find it important to give each other space to partake in the activities that fill our personal cups. The Sand Cabin encourages this disconnection from electronics and connection to yourself and simple pleasures. Similarly, all the guests on the property at the time seemed to keep to themselves and focus on connecting to themselves and their travel partners.
So in this time alone, I stepped outside to admire the sun setting over the mountains and began flipping through magazines in search of inspirational phrases and unique images. Collage art has recently been feeding me joy. I lose track of time and experience a flow state. As I collaged outside, my boyfriend worked away in the cabin, stitching patches onto his jean jacket (sewing is a new hobby he has recently picked up).
Our two days in the Sand Cabin were nurturing, slow-paced, and filled with rejuvenating activities. We weren’t in a rush to get anywhere or “do” anything. Nima Lodge filled us with inspiration to integrate into our lifestyle back home. We have aspirations of curating a home like the Sand Cabin that encourages creativity, relaxation, and engagement with the outdoors (a bonus would be having a wood-fired hot tub and outdoor shower).
Since departing Wilderness, we have continued to prioritize more time to soak in nature and to spend in solitude for reflection and personal pleasure. And perhaps most importantly, our disconnect at Nima inspired us to spend at least an hour a day without our phones, especially during walks. It felt strange at first, but I promise, it is so freeing to disconnect from the device that very much consumes our lives.
We grazed the surface of Wilderness and the enchanting country of South Africa, and we will surely be back to soak up some more of its beauty.
Destination Takeaways:
Transport Tips: If you are flying from the US east coast, Delta launched a direct flight from Atlanta, GA to Cape Town, SA. Yes, it is a long flight, but I’d say it’s worth it!
If you plan to travel to South Africa and travel outside of Cape Town, I highly recommend renting a car and preferably an all-wheel drive. We rented through Europcar, which is conveniently located at the Cape Town Airport. We experienced easy car pick-up and return.
Stays: Nima Lodge (Wilderness); Mount Bain Cabin (Breetivier)
Destinations + Experiences: Monks Distillery (Breetivier); Ikigai Coffee Bar (Swellendam); The Creative Hub (Wolseley);
Indalu Game Reserve to Feed Elephants (Mossel Bay); Hanging with penguins at Boulders Beach (Cape Town)
Connect with Madison
Check out Madison’s new small business Happy Chances. She creates mixed-media art frames with handpicked shells, sea glass, and sea pottery that she has collected from around the world.
