Things to do in South Africa

Relax, reset and rejuvenate at Summerfields Rose Retreat & Spa

In a perfect world, I would prefer my guests to check in and not go anywhere. You’re here to relax…

By Sean Ward

Kitchen Manager at Summerfields Rose Retreat & Spa

We’re situated on the banks of the Sabie River. You’ve got Kruger Park about a 15-minute drive away. Then you’ve got the Panorama Route which takes in Blyde River Canyon and all those beautiful waterfalls in the Sabie area.

Driving in through the farm, you’ll see macadamia nuts and lychees depending on the time of the year. The setting is very tranquil with lots of trees, ferns and orchids. I’m very fortunate in that I live on the property so I get woken up in the morning by some extraordinary birds singing outside my room.

In a perfect world, I would prefer my guests to check in and not go anywhere. You’re here to relax. We’ve got an awesome spa right next to the river. One treatment we do involves ground lychee skins mixed with macadamia oil used as an exfoliation before we wrap you up in banana leaves.

The nature here could keep you amused for hours. We’ve got one of my favourite birds, the malachite kingfisher and another called the hammerhead named due to the shape of its head and also known for its massive nests. We’ve had hippos right in front of the River Café where they splash around in the water. At sunset they come out and graze on the lawn much to the excitement of our guests.

We’re very into being as organic as we possibly can. Last night for dinner, I had pork belly with a peach and apple salad with beetroots that we grow on the farm and baby carrots that we harvested just yesterday morning. 99% of our veg comes off the property. My favourite drink is the copper gin. It’s what I call the cognac of gins. You can just sip it on the rocks with a slice of sundried orange, a little bit of lemon, maybe a little bit of thyme. It’s amazing.

Available in these itineraries…

Itinerary

Icons of Southern Africa
by Adele Jones

Length13 Days

Price range£5,650 - £5,995pp

Alfred & Sean Ward

As a trained chef, Sean spent most of his career in the food and beverage industry and has worked at Summerfields as Kitchen Manager for six years. His passion projects are assisting local primary school, George Mhaule, and giving presentations on the Rhino poaching issue in South Africa. He has five children, four grandchildren and a dream to open his own artisanal bakery supplying bread to local lodges.

Plan your holiday withAlfred&

Your journey will start with one of our UK team – someone like Laura, who's travelled extensively in South Africa. They’ll shape your ideas into the trip of a lifetime. But they won't do it alone. They'll draw on the expertise of our contacts on the ground, connecting you to the people who'll make your holiday one you'll always remember - ex banker who can show you the hottest foodie spots in Cape Town, the award-winning young sommelier who can introduce you to Stellenbosch's finest wines and the walking safari ranger who can guide you to the best game.

Laura Preston

Travel Expert for Alfred&

Having travelled extensively through Africa, Laura has a wealth of experience. She is passionate about Tanzania’s diversity from the quiet wilds of Ruaha that feel completely private to the silvery sands of Zanzibar and Stone Town’s spice-laced streets. In South Africa, she sought out the best views over Table Mountain, cocktail in hand, as well as the lesser-visited Kruger conservancies for more exclusive safaris. But her favourite place in the world has to be the Serengeti for its wide-open plains and incredible game that epitomise that feeling of Africa.
Wayne Howarth

Head Safari Guide at Kariega Game Reserve

Wayne loves being outdoors and has spent most of his life between the family farm and working on Private Game Reserves in the Eastern Cape. He has been guiding at Kariega for 12 years. His qualifications include Field Guide Association of South Africa (FGASA) Level 2, Advance Rifle Handling, Skippers Licence Category R and first aid. One of his career highlights was becoming a finalist in the 2021 Safari Guide of the Year competition.
Rupesh Kassen

Founder and guide of Eat Like A Local

Rupesh Kassen abandoned his decade-long career in banking to move to East Africa, where he trained and worked as a chef. He later became immersed in South Africa’s food scene and worked as a food critic before setting up Eat Like A Local in Cape Town. Rupesh now offers guided food tours to showcase the city and its diverse culture and history through food.
Fundi Ziqubu

Sommelier

Fundi was born in Durban and fell in love with wine when it was introduced to her by a few Capetonian friends. On discovering her passion she got the chance to study wine with the department of tourism in collaboration with the Sommeliers Academy. Being appointed sommelier at Lanzerac was a career highlight and in 2019 Fundi was named most up-and-coming wine steward by the Distell Inter-Hotel challenge.
Ntobeko Ntshingila

Duty Manager at Three Tree Hill Lodge

Ntobeko has been part of the Three Trees family for 13 years and describes it as a lovely journey with lots of room for growth and experience. She has her own family, including a daughter of 18, and a son, aged three. She lives in a nearby village with her parents, four siblings and three nephews. When not spending time with her family she manages her broiler chicken business, which brings her extra income.
Cheryl Blackburn

Owner and guide, Three Tree Hill Lodge

Being born in the Kruger National Park instilled in Cheryl a love of nature and wildlife. Having lived and worked as a guide in the Kruger reserve, and also in Botswana, she eventually got the opportunity to run her own lodge, with her growing family, in the lush KwaZulu Natal Drakensberg region. She still finds time to guide guests on foot, tracking white rhino in the neighbouring Spioenkop Game Reserve.