As you arrive at River Bend Farm, the river below, surrounding trees and sound of nature relax you immediately. The farm is situated on the Midlands Meander, nestled at the end of the road on a bluff overlooking the Lions River as it meanders in a horseshoe around the farm. The views overlooking the river and forests are spectacular and the country air is refreshing.
We drove the car right up to our room and were shown our accommodation. What was once a sawmill with 10 buildings as a compound to house staff, Errol has turned into the most comfortable and high-end accommodation. The rooms are perfectly fitted to cover all your needs. With nine double rooms currently, River Bend Farm can accommodate 18 guests comfortably with a communal lounge, patio, kitchen and braai area by the pool, ensuring the perfect get-together area for family or group activities. They are halfway through adding two houses that will accommodate families who don’t want separate suites, plus a gym for those who want to keep fit or work off the braai from the night before.
River Bend Farm is a fabulous spot to rest and enjoy time with family, friends or colleagues. The focus is on big groups of people coming to enjoy a weekend away, fishing, lazing around, and going on hikes or bike rides into the Sappi forests. The best part is that this is affordable accommodation for the whole family. There is abundant birdlife and wildlife, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, swimming and games at the clubhouse.
We dropped our bags, changed into our costumes, and carried the food and snacks down to the clubhouse which is a central entertainment area featuring a communal kitchen. dining area, lounge with a fireplace and toilet facilities. The clubhouse has a spacious veranda offering three different seating areas that can be combined if necessary.
Summer had us loving the pool area. Around mid-afternoon, the kids went down to go fishing in the river. The hiking trails offered breathtaking views – this is a real tranquil escape for outdoor enthusiasts. We then enjoyed sundowners with a spectacular view and started up the braai. After dinner, we thoroughly enjoyed playing pool and darts and ended off the evening with card games. With that, the tone was set for the perfect weekend getaway.
Errol and Jenny are extremely friendly and accommodating. They are hands-on yet very much out of sight. They pride themselves on offering great service to their customers and love to share this lovely piece of heaven with people who need to get away from city life or want to spend quality time with family and friends. It is also ideal for hosting corporate getaways for strategy planning, team building, R&R, etc. We loved our time at River Bend Farm and are already finding reasons to bring all our family and friends together here again this year.
Words by Lorinda Scott