15th October
Late evening (little natural light left) we arrived at the wild spirit lodge in The Crags and although we were not able to see the place in all it's glory we could already tell we had made a wise choice to book 4 nights. After using shared dorms everywhere up until this point we decided to upgrade to a private with ensuite, still very affordable and the decision was very easy after seeing the amazing view we got with it.
We were given a tour of the beautiful treehouse style open to the elements communal lodge, fire pits and handmade glasses, the social area - a large old log cabin alongside a stunning elevated bar with a large old tree growing through it. As the site was based on an elevated spot at the side of a beautiful forest, the view from both our room and the main lodge was extraordinary.
Not only were the volunteers and fellow travellers really helpful and friendly but the food there was amazing, we ate together on the communal outside decking area overlooking the incredible view of the forest.
We did all the local forest walks, one of which led to a lovely waterfall. The hostel was home to three pet dogs, two cats and a couple of horses which was really nice. There was a local farm shop just a 5 minute walk from wild spirit lodge, they sold the most delicious cheese and bread. Can't ask for more than that :)
Our second day was spent exploring the area and some of the beaches around Plettenburg bay. We discovered a selection of crafty gift shops and a cafe with some amazing bread and yummy cakes.
We made friends with lots of great people from all over the world. (Germany, Brazil, America, South Africa and The Netherlands) On our third day we arranged to visit Robberg Nature reserve with a group of new friends. Robberg marine protected area is a long broad peninsula jutting out from Plettenburg Bay. It plays host to massive groups of Seals, which were amazing to discover along our route, however they do have a potent smell.
Apparently Robberg got its name decades ago from the seals who live there, 'Rob' is Afrikaans for Seal. You can also sometimes see Dolphins, Whales and Sharks among the waves off Robberg.
Giant sand dunes stretched along the beach.
We did the long hike around the whole peninsula which took us a good few hours. The views from the reserve are really quite breathtaking. It was lovely to stop and take in the views as we walked. On our way back we decided to stop at the famous cheese man shop to buy a selection of very tasty cheeses, A great day.
On our last day we started another hike which would take us through an array of different terrine. Through forests, along an empty river bed and down to the beach and lagoon. We set of as a three with a friend we made at the lodge, the route was really fun, navigating the forest with all it's hidden gems, even discovering a vine swing we had to play on.
After the descent of the steep hill with very deep steps we finally reached the beach. At this point we met some more of our fellow wild-spirit friends, who we then joined for lunch at a nearby restaurant. Although we were halfway through our hike, due to a knee problem I was suffering with I made the decision to hang out at the beach with the others instead of continuing with Andrew and Annika. Once we were all ready to head back we were picked up in a truck and taken back to the lodge.
On discovering that the Baz bus was going to be a couple of hours later than scheduled we had a tasty dinner and said goodbye to a beautiful place.
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