The most beautiful place I have ever stayed

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This is a five star game lodge called Oceana in the beautiful Eastern Cape of South Africa, my home. I spent my fiftieth birthday here and I can recommend it to anyone wanting a wonderful experience for the same price as a tiny room in a four star hotel in London.

You get a butler of your own who is at your beck and call 24/7 – the weirdest experience I have ever had. He or she will even run a bath with rose petals in it if you so wish. There is a shop with lots of beautiful things in it ranging from luxury beauty products to clothing to stunning African crafts, but there is no one working in it. You just take what you want and when you check out you let them know.

My room was so enormous it had two wardrobes, an office, a dressing table, two toilets, a shower wing, a bath wing and a sitting room as well as an enormous deck with sitting area.

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My room at sunset
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This whole thing is one room – MY room! Yes!
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An enormous flat screen television comes out of the top of the chest at the foot of the bed. It turns round to face the bed or the sitting area.

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The main building

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The chalets
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The shop

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The gym
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The spa

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On my deck
Running around my room in glee
Running around my room in glee
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My wonderful friend who organized it
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My butler
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On a game drive – you can see dolphins as well as rhinos!
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The pool

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The bathroom which opens onto the deck.

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The shower wing. It has a rain shower overlooking the forest

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Author: Janet Carr

Fashion, beauty and animal loving language consultant from South Africa living in Stockholm, Sweden.

11 thoughts

  1. We stayed at a place similar to this in Sabi Sands, and another on the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe. I didn’t want to leave! Just the buildings themselves are gorgeous! I hope I get a chance to go back. I will add Oceana to my wish list.

  2. This is a good way to look at it. The offence might have been that I am a bit closer to the 60 with my 58 years. 🙁
    I guess I should also be proud to have survived it up to now……?! 😉

  3. Yes it surely would (and I hope you did not take offence about my blind guess of your age!?). I wish you all the luck you need to have another time out in this beautiful place!!!

  4. I do not know how old you are, but I’ve got the feeling about my age……….! If this is the case, the chances are not too bad to get another surprise of this kind soon, when you turn 60!?! Good luck! 🙂

      1. Girls, at any age this place would be heaven. Sea and savannah and a deck to read on after adventures, now that is my idea of Heaven.

    1. I was there three days two nights and will never forget it. It was a surprise and when I was allowed to open my eyes I started to cry.

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