Set in a postcard-perfect valley in the foothills of the Drakensberg lies the Drakensberg Sun. The hotel is on an 8ha property near Cathkin Peak in the Central 'Berg and within a Unesco World Heritage site.
It celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, continuing its impressive legacy of catering for its varied clientele of families, couples and business travellers.
The four-hour drive from Joburg on the N2 is not as exhausting as one would expect and getting there makes the trip well worth it.
My family arrived around 8pm, to be greeted with warm towels to freshen up and fireplaces in the reception/lounge area.
The cold, wet weather that greeted us foretold the blanket of snow that was to envelope the peaks overnight.
A sumptuous supper was served in the family-friendly Lakeview Restaurant, under executive chef Michael Pather.
Pather started his career as chef for the royal family of Brunei. He was also involved in the inauguration of our beloved Madiba in 1994 and travelled and worked extensively before he set up shop at this exquisite location.
After dinner, we retired to our room, which boasted two separate double beds, and a comfortable wingback chair for some leisurely reading.
ZIPPING THROUGH THE TREES
The Saturday was cold and wet and I considered pulling out of the zipline adventure with Canopy Tours. But my adventurous spirit kicked in and I am glad I went. The experience was jaw-dropping.
The tour involves long cable slides at the canopy level in the forest. What amazed me the most was the engineering aspect of it all.
As I zipped between trees several metres off the forest floor, like Tarzan, I kept on wondering how in the world this was possible.
Turns out, it's thanks to a man named Mark Brown, a civil engineer who worked extensively in Costa Rica, where canopy swinging was first developed by biologists who wanted to be able to study plant life in the rainforests without damaging the plants.
This has become a booming eco-tourism activity.
The heights we scaled were awe-inspiring and made me fall in love with the beauty of my country even more.
After we'd slid to the bottom of the forest, we had to undertake an arduous and vertigo-inducing 15-minute, 560m walk back to the top.
SNAKES AND VULTURES
On Sunday morning the skies were clear, the air was crisp and Cathkin Peak was covered in snow.
I decided to venture on my own down the Blue Grotto Trail, but got a bit nervous as the thicket grew thicker. I turned back, imagining snakes that had come out to bask in the warm sun.
As I did, I spotted a kettle of vultures flying gracefully up above and was reminded of what Theo Joubert, the hotel's deputy general manager, had told us the previous night about the nearby vulture hide/restaurant created by conservationist Roy Strydom in 2000.
This six-seater "restaurant" allows observers to sit close to the vultures and witness them in their natural habitat, as they eat horse carcasses donated by the hotel.
COOL BY THE POOL
The last adventure of this action-packed weekend was a horse ride. I must admit I was quite uncomfortable about this adventure, as I found myself a metre off the ground on the back of a ride that turned out to be bumpier than I expected.
My son, however, sat calmly and enjoyed the experience.
A my kids enjoyed the foosball, table tennis and other activities on offer in the hotel's entertainment area, I finished off the day lying next to the pool.
While listening to Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and realised why Drakensberg Sun was voted by TripAdvisor this year as one of the best family hotels in South Africa.
This place rejuvenates the soul and uplifts it to soaring heights.
THE RIDE: NISSAN QASHQAI
Nissan's Qashqai crossover SUV is one of the biggest money spinners for the company, having sold 30,000 units in South Africa since its 2007 launch, and around 3.3 million globally.
It is not difficult to see why - it's practical (sizable boot space), with a highly-efficient engine in the 1.5 dCi. The value for money for me is the standout as the model is fairly affordable at the entry-level R309,900 - the model I drove is the highly specced Tekna derivative, which starts at R449,900.
This came with a panoramic view, which my boys loved, as well as heated front seats, electric windows, folding mirrors, surround-view cameras and an impressive Bose sound system.
It also has a slew of safety features, including blind-spot warning, intelligent emergency braking and cross-traffic alert.
The Qashqai comfortably seats four adults and a child in the middle seat at the back. There is a lot of plastic but it doesn't necessarily cheapen the SUV, as the leather trim does well to counter that.
The interior is modern and fresh; the exterior is sporty with an updated "V-motion grille" that syncs with the new visual language of the Nissan brand.
The cabin is comfortable, but not five-star as the wind noise from outside can be more perceptible at higher speeds.
The one aspect that truly impressed is the fuel-efficiency of this 1.5dCi engine. I drove 600km on half a tank. I have driven some thirsty and supposedly frugal cars, but the Qashqai for now is the best. The official numbers are 4.2l/100km but to me it felt far less than that.
Motoring wizard Lerato Matebese said recently, "If South Africans were not too brand-conscious they would be saving buckets of money driving the Qashqai." I fully agree. Nissan has a winner here.
PLAN YOUR TRIP
The Drakensberg Sun is currently hosting an "Explore the Drakensberg" special.
The package is R1,895 per room per night, including breakfast and dinner for a maximum of two adults. Two kids under 18 stay and eat breakfast free when sharing with adults. Dinner is an additional cost for children.
Discounts of up to 20% for canopy tours and horse riding.
This offer is valid until December 7, Sunday to Thursday.
Visit the hotel's website for more information.
• Thembekile Vokwana was a guest of the Drakensberg Sun...