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COUNTRYSIDE HOSPITALITY

DESTINATIONS

OAKLANDS COUNTRY MANOR, HARRISMITH

While the bright lights of the big city may be enticing for some, even the most fast paced of city dwellers occasionally need a little time out of the rat race to reconnect with nature and soak up a little relaxation, country style. Here are two of our top picks for getting away from it all.

There is nothing quite like the feeling of achieving something you never thought you would. Like cantering around an arena on a beautiful horse – not walking, mind you, or even trotting, but full on cantering! For an inexperienced rider such as myself, it was a dream come true, and all thanks to a superbly well trained horse and an excellent instructor.

The owners and staff of Oakland’s live and breathe horses – polo ponies (and a resident pet donkey), to be precise. For almost two decades, Oakland’s has been one of South Africa’s premier polo venues, and as a result it offers a very unique type of holiday for those looking to hone their polo skills. Thanks to world-class facilities – including a floodlit polo arena, a polo pit, a wooden horse, and fully equipped classroom – brave guests can opt to learn the sport from scratch, while experienced players have somewhere to go to practice their favourite sport, especially as a number of the staff are always keen to make up numbers for a chukka or two.

Those not as adept on a horse – but still equine lovers – can opt instead for a more sedate outride, which is made all the more enjoyable by the dramatic mountain scenery which adds to Oakland’s’ magical quality. This is also why mountain biking, hiking, fishing, bird watching and paddling on the dam are equally enticing outdoor pursuits here – when not cheering on the polo players from the sidelines, glass of wine in hand.

And when the mist and the rain rolls in – as it is wont to do in this hilly part of the country, at the top of the Van Reenen’s Pass that connects the Free State to KwaZulu-Natal – you can retire to one of the lounges to warm your toes by the fire and your hands on a steaming cup of hot chocolate. You’ll have company too, in the form of a pack of resident Great Danes, but be sure not to steal one of their sofas, as they have laid claim to a fair few! There’s also Dennis, an arthritic little mongrel with a distinctive jerky gait who will very quickly become one of your favourite residents, as he is for a fair number of Oaklands guests, many of whom return year after year.

For more information, visit www.oaklands.co.za

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