"Horse riding in Pongola?" I hear you say. "First of all, where on earth is Pongola exactly, and secondly, isn’t that all just sugar cane country; miles and miles of green, green fields pumping out cane for the sugar mills?"

Well, yes… Pongola certainly is a little off the beaten track, and yes, it is sugar cane country, but once you’ve made the trip to this far-flung corner of KwaZulu-Natal you’ll fall in love with the rolling bushveld hills and verdant green valleys of cane.

Tucked away in the far north-east of South Africa, about four hours' drive from Durban and five from Johannesburg, the country town of Pongola is the heart of the region and the main landmark on your way to Pakamisa Private Game Reserve, home to Isabella Stepski’s stable of purebred Arabian horses.

"It has always been my dream to own my own stables," says Isabella, who after many years in Austria and Spain brought her beloved horses to Africa, taking them from Spanish plains to African bushveld in one fell swoop. But more about them later…

After the long drive (or a quick flight, if you’re lucky) from Joburg you’ll probably want nothing more than to kick back and soak up the views from the wonderfully situated hilltop lodge that’s the heart of Pakamisa.

Room with a view

There are just eight luxury suites at Pakamisa, providing a wonderful place to escape the crowds. With high ceilings and red terracotta roofs, they’re a welcome change from the usual bushveld chic of thatched wooden cottages, and offer a pleasant respite from the baking heat in summer.

Each suite (they’re far too big to call them rooms) offers a spacious bedroom and sunken lounge area, with a cool tiled balcony offering great views of the Pongola valley’s patchwork of sugar cane fields… the perfect place to pour a G&T and relax after a day out in the reserve. Getting out and exploring is really what a stay at the reserve is all about though… yes, you want some time to relax and recharge, but not before you’ve had your fill of the great outdoors.

If the lodge is the heart of the reserve, the stables are its soul; its raison d’etre and the place, it seems, Isabella would spend every waking second given half the chance.

While the lodge is perched high on a hill overlooking the reserve, the stables lie in the green valley below. Home to Isabella’s stud of pure-bred Arabian horses, as well a selection of more sedate breeds for inexperienced riders, the Spanish feel of the lodge is just as apparent at the stables, where the terracotta and whitewash feel more Acapulco than Pongola. You half expect a gaucho to swagger round the corner at any moment…

Get back in the saddle...

Unlike many riding centres, the 2500 hectare reserve is more than big enough to spend a few days in the saddle without feeling like you’re treading the same tracks each day. Not used to being on horseback, or want to brush up on rusty techniques? Carol, the bubbly horse wrangler, will be only too happy to teach you the basics in the lunge ring. It’s hard work, but learning the right technique from the start is well worth the time and effort and makes riding more comfortable for both you and the horse. And your behind will thank you for it the next day!

Out-rides into the reserve are the main attraction at Pakamisa, and game-viewing on horseback allows you to get far closer to the wildlife than you’d ever thought possible in a 4x4.

Kudu and nyala tend to be skittish, but the impala, giraffe and wildebeest will happily let you stroll alongside them, hardly looking up from their grazing to check you out.

While there is enough game out there to give you a feel for the bush, it’s not a Big Five reserve. Unless you’re looking for a real wilderness adventure, this is actually a bonus though, and with no dangerous animals in the reserve (bar the occasional wandering leopard), it’s stress-free riding.

If you’ve had enough of horse-riding, or prefer to keep you own two feet on the ground, there is still lots to do in the reserve. Bush walking, 4x4 game-viewing, sundowner drives, archery and clay pigeon shooting are all on offer at the lodge, while elephant-trekking, Big Five viewing and tiger-fishing can all be arranged nearby.

An epicurean and equestrian experience

After a busy day out in the bush it’s a relief to sink into a chair on the balcony of the El Prado restaurant for that first sundowner. Thunderstorms are common here in summer, and the balcony is the ideal place to sit and watch the lightning flashing across the hilltops while your hungry stomach rumbles with the thunder.

Luckily, Pakamisa is part of the 'Good Cooks' group of guesthouses, so a huge amount of time and effort (including bringing out foreign chefs to tweak the menu and train local chefs) goes into making your stay an epicurean, as well as equestrian, experience.

In a welcome change from what similar reserves have on offer, slabs of game and heavy meat dishes aren’t the flavour of the month here though. Delicate soups, delicious salads made with greens fresh from the garden and traditional dishes tweaked with a modern twist ensure every meal is an occasion, whether it’s fine dining in the evening or a chance to relax on the terrace over lunch. The small, well-chosen wine-list offers a good selection of cultivars at reasonable prices.

A last glass around the large outside fireplace is the perfect place to swop stories from the day and listen to the sounds of… well, not much really. Perched on its picturesque hill in one of the prettiest corners of South Africa, it’s no wonder the sign at the gate welcomes visitors to 'Pakamisa Paradise'.


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