I have to admit that I was a bit sceptical about visiting Douglas at first. I imagined us sitting somewhere between nothing and nowhere – bored to death. My prediction seemed accurate, en route, as we drove through a virtual desert for hours; everything as dry as a bone.
One thing I had to look forward to, was our first stop at Wolmaransstad to buy the most delicious biltong in the world. We’d finished it even before we reached the next town. My husband and I will happily eat biltong from The Biltong Den every day.
He’d warned me that we’d be covering quite a distance on our trip, and that there wasn’t a great deal to see en route. He wasn’t joking, that’s for sure. We stopped for coffee in Christiana at Lilly’s pub and grill, and then (some six hours and 40 minutes after leaving Johannesburg), I was pleased to see Douglas come into view. These days one has to be careful of pictures of accommodation on the internet, as things can turn out to be quite different in reality.
Our destination, Broadwater River Estate, had an impressive website with the accommodation and facilities looking fairly decent. Well, it turned out that their pictures were misleading… but in a good way! The website didn’t do the estate justice. There are some campsites with a river view. Every site has a tap nearby, and private ablutions comprised of a shower in a bath, a toilet, and a basin. On the outside of the ablution unit is a wash-basin with hot and cold water for easy cleaning of dishes. The stands are spacious, and each stand has picnic chairs and a table in the shade from where one can enjoy the view. The campsite is especially clean.
Die Pont restaurant, on site, has a modern look, with a stylish interior and modern furniture. The restaurant overlooks the river and has a fullystocked bar. It’s a wonderful area for relaxing, as well as a reading corner where one can enjoy a coffee or latte
while catching up on one’s favourite magazine or newspaper. We enjoyed great meals there − the steaks, particularly, were cooked to perfection. Service was prompt and delivered with a sincere smile; not something you see in Gauteng very often.
