Review: GweGwe Beach Lodge

Why book?

Set within a private concession of a reserve on one of the wildest sections of the Wild Coast, you’ll feel miles from civilization yet have comforts such as wood-burning fires and South Africa’s top wines waiting after a day of epic adventures like paddleboarding to hidden waterfalls and rock scrambling through gorges.

Set the scene

Sea spray kisses the floor-to-ceiling glass windows of the main lounge, where a roaring fire illuminates a large-scale mural depicting a timeline of the area from the last 120,000 years. A guide schools a young family in the history as well as the endemic species found in this biodiversity hotspot. The crash of waves is the only soundtrack. Two adventurous guests surf the break just in front of the lodge and compete for attention with breaching whales and wave-riding dolphins. A young couple wanders the tide pools just beyond their room in search of anemone, nudibranch, and the resident octopus. On the sprawling wood deck, a mix of international and South African guests gather by the boma for sundowners as staff wearing colorful mPondo beads hand out G&Ts and glasses of Pinotage.

The backstory

In 1920, a leper colony was established in Mkambati around five miles inland from GweGwe. Local families were evicted from the land. More than five decades after a cure was discovered, around 19,000 acres of the area was proclaimed a formal provincial nature reserve. With the prospect of restitution post-apartheid, seven villages formed a trust and petitioned to get their land back. They regained the land in 2004 and realized they needed tourism for income. Today the Eastern Cape Parks & Tourism Agency manages the land and conservation-minded safari operator Natural Selection operates GweGwe Beach Lodge. Set on a 12,355-acre private concession in the northeast part of the reserve, the lodge helps create jobs and revenue for the local community landowners.

The rooms

Nine spacious rooms all have front-row views of the ocean (one through seven are closest to the sea). I stayed in room five, which had a large deck with a private plunge pool so close to the water I could feel the mist of waves as I sat reading in my hammock. At low tide, I could walk a few hundred feet down to the tide pools. One of the days of my stay delivered a wild storm, and I almost welcomed the opportunity to cozy up in my room, draw a bath in the deep soaking tub, and read a book as I watched the raging ocean from the floor-to-ceiling windows. The reed-like ceiling, sea foam green and turquoise bedding, and rammed earth-inspired walls channel a chic beach retreat. The shower heads in both the indoor and outdoor shower areas provide a truly luxurious shower. Rooms one and two are closest to the main lodge and access to the beach, but the others aren’t farther than a 10-minute walk.

Food and drink

Meals and drinks are included in the pricing, including most alcohol. The lodge has an impressive cellar exclusively devoted to South African wines, from producers such as Bosman and Lubanzi. Bottles on the reserve list, like Hamilton Russell Estate Chardonnay from Hemel en Aarde Valley and De Trafford Belfield Cabernet Sauvignon from Elgin Valley cost extra. I was quite impressed with the made-to-order breakfast (avo-stuffed omelets) and excellent coffee. Lunch might be a picnic of grilled chicken wraps and beef skewers or a buffet of dishes such as mini grilled chicken sliders, roasted pumpkin and avocado salad, and pizzas cooked in the wood-fired pizza oven (a hit with kids). I was always off adventuring at teatime, but coffee, tea, and snacks like rusks and biltong were always available. When weather allowed, dinner was served at outdoor tables facing the ocean. Guests are offered a choice of two appetizers (the oysters in puff pastry were a standout) and three entrees, such as stuffed chicken with sweet potato mash, and one dessert. When one guest mentioned she was vegan at the last minute, the chef accommodated with creative fare like beetroot and squash salad. A second, more casual restaurant in the Riverside area should be open by year’s end. Rooms are stocked with beers, juices, dried fruit, and nuts and staff are happy to send any bottle of wine to the room.

The spa

At the time of my visit, the petite, one-room spa at the Riverside section of the property was still under construction. But the property still offered nearly a half-dozen in-room massages experiences ranging from deep tissue to aroma relaxation. Two wood-fired hot tubs are sprinkled across the property.

The area

Mkambati is an unspoiled natural wonderland of diverse ecosystems ranging from coastal forests and grasslands to mangroves. It’s located at the heart of the Maputaland-Pondoland region, one of South Africa’s three biodiversity hotspots. Because there is no dangerous game in the reserve, it’s possible to hike, trail run, or mountain bike without a guide and spot zebra or eland grazing. The reserve fronts a marine protected area known for its sardine run each June and July and the surrounding beaches are riddled with tidal pools full of fascinating sea creatures. The waterfalls are some of the most dramatic on the planet and adventurous guests have opportunities to kayak or paddleboard to remote falls or cliff jump into tamer cascades.

The service

Warm and welcoming. Most of the staff are from the area and new to hospitality. They are incredibly attentive and accommodating but might not understand why guests are frustrated with spotty Wi-Fi or don’t eat meat. The guides are some of the best in South Africa, with encyclopedic knowledge of the area’s history, the local flora (especially fynbos) and fauna, and an innate ability to read guests’ adventure tolerance and craft an experience that surpasses expectation. Guides try to minimize driving and instead encourages guests to explore with them on foot, by mountain bike, or on kayaks and paddleboards.

For families

Two family suites each have adjoining rooms and two ensuite bathrooms, and a kids club is in the works. The property is well suited to children ages eight and up, and activities, such as tide pooling and cliff jumping, are both educational and adventurous.

Eco effort

I was truly impressed by the greening efforts, big and small. A single-use, plastic-free lodge, you won’t find shower caps or plastic mineral water bottles. Electricity is solar-powered, and the lodge has a gray water treatment plant. No hardwoods were used in the construction of the lodge, and the wood that fuels the fireplaces in the rooms and common spaces is from invasive species that are being cut down and removed from the reserve. Bed linens are changed every four nights to reduce the amount of linens that need washing.

Accessibility

The property has quite a few hills and is not particularly accessible for those with physical handicaps.

Anything left to mention?

Leaving GweGwe can be highly weather dependent, so if you are flying back home to the US, I’d consider adding a travel cushion day on departure. Most guests fly into Durban, and take an hour-long helicopter ride along the coast (stunning) to reach the property. During certain months when the sea isn’t too wild (and if you don’t get seasick), you can transfer two-hours by car from Durban to Port Edwards, then take an hour-long boat ride along the coast to the lodge. You can also opt for a nearly six-hour self-drive from Durban.

Guests are encouraged to embrace a digital detox, and devices are highly discouraged in common areas. I wouldn’t count on Wi-Fi. You can hike around 10 minutes to a spot aptly called Signal Hill to find cell reception, but connectivity was impossible from rooms and spotty at best from the main lodge. The treehouse-like gym is impressive. The property encourages guests to get their cardio fix outdoors, but the gym is equipped with all the weight equipment (kettlebells, free weights, a Smith machine) you could ever need.