Durban - Ghost Mountain Inn is not called Zululand’s finest for nothing. Here you will find the finest of everything, from the service to the food and, most importantly, the finest experiences.
The three-hour drive from Durban into northern KwaZulu-Natal in the rain was worth it when we arrived at the beautiful hotel. The first thing you notice is not the immaculate attention to detail or even the delicious cheese board waiting for you in your room, but the friendliness of the staff. You quickly feel right at home.
Our guide for the weekend, Jeanie, has worked at Ghost Mountain Inn for eight years and you can tell she loves her job. Her enthusiastic attitude is infectious. “I live in heaven on Earth,” she often said when showing us the many spectacular view points during the weekend.
We sat down with her and planned what we would do on Saturday. She made sure to mention that this was not your usual lodge and that plans often change, depending on how people are feeling. “If we are having a good time, why should we cut it short?” she said. Ghost Mountain Inn offers a huge variety of activities to guests and also has an in-house spa and gym. With so much to choose from, we decided to do things that were particularly unique to Ghost Mountain Inn.
We had two options for the morning, either your regular safari ride in Mkuze game reserve or a boat safari on Lake Jozini. Obviously we chose the boat option and crossed our fingers for a clear sky.
After breakfast it was still slightly miserable, but we decided to do the “typical tourist thing” and believe the weather would clear up.
Lake Jozini is one of South Africa’s largest dams. The cruise on the double-decker boat was incredible and big blankets were provided to wrap ourselves in.
What cruise would be complete without high tea? Jeanie had packed a picnic basket complete with decadent chocolate brownies, muffins and strawberries. We were truly spoilt with Amarula and hot chocolate to top it off!
We saw an abundance of bird life, including fish eagles and the white-faced whistling duck, as well as other animals such as hippo and crocodiles. Our skipper, Adam, said they have even on accasion seen flamingoes. You can also expect to see elephants, rhinos and other wild game.
And if you ask Adam nicely he might even let you steer the boat – when you are cutting across the lake of course. Just don’t let pesky dam walls don’t get in the way.
We arrived back at the hotel in time for a delicious lunch. Each meal served at Ghost Mountain is so well presented that it seems almost wrong to eat it and destroy a work of art.
For the afternoon I was intrigued by a “cultural tour” they had on offer. Jeanie assured me it was like nothing I had ever done before. It takes you up into the homestead above the hotel and gives you a peak into “what Africa is like today”. Nothing is staged and the tours have full permission from the residents and in no way intrude on them.
Nothing is set up – you drive through and hear about the traditional way houses are built and the traditional way of life. With prior arrangement you can visit a sangoma, learn the art of stick fighting and sample traditional food.
Jeanie is very knowledgeable and explains in detail how a homestead works and the ways in which they are adapting to more modern ways.
The information learnt on this tour is fascinating and the landscapes are magnificent. You will be able to see clearly the lady of Ghost Mountain and hear the airy story of why it came to be called that.
In the early hours of the evening we went for a hot-stone massage at the spa. This is a fantastic treat and the skilled staff will quickly have you drifting into a state of bliss with their aromatic oils and magic hands.
After that great experience came supper time – the food was a feature of its own throughout the weekend. Every meal is filled with fresh ingredients and interesting taste combinations. A personal favourite of mine was the cumin sweet potato soup and the home-made breakfast muesli granola.
I would recommend the Ghost Mountain Inn experience. What was once just a night’s stopover for tourists travelling from Kruger Park to Durban has now become a four-star destination for tourists and KZN residents alike. - The Mercury