The Place Of Many Happy Returns

A browse through the many leather-bound guest books at The Cavern, with its rich 75-year history, gives testament to the fact that once you’ve been there, chances are you’ll be back.

There’s something very comforting about going back to a place you know and love: Be it your regular table at your favourite restaurant, or walking a route through a forest you’ve many times explored, a familiar place can become more treasured with each repeat visit. For many regulars who visit The Cavern Resort and Spa in the Drakensberg, this is a case in point.

On the eve of my fourth visit to The Cavern, I have a sense of again “returning home”, of being embraced by a place and its people, and of being guaranteed a time of joy and rejuvenation.

I was introduced to this special hamlet, which nestles at the foot of majestic peaks in the Northern Berg by an old friend. Over the years, since my first visit, I’ve heard from many other acquaintances and friends, that this too is a much-treasured family favourite… and so the bonds to this area are strengthened further.

The three and a half hour drive from Durban airport to The Cavern is gentle and picturesque. As the road approaches the AmaZizi villages, the peaks draw closer as the route winds its way to The Cavern’s gates, behind which beautiful rooms, delicious food, hours of hiking and rich conversation await.