Naries... "place where the reeds grow"

Earlier this year I was lucky enough to stay at the remarkable Naries Namakwa Retreat in the Northern Cape. It is a privately owned 6000 hectare farm dedicated to conservation and sustainable living. Their website states 'Naries is a beautiful and romantic hideaway on the edge of the Spektakelberg between Springbok and Kleinzee'.

Personally I found pure, unadulterated delight in this Namakwaland hidden gem; Naries is quite simply an oasis for the soul; its isolation offers serenity, clear skies and quiet nights, and lots of fresh air.

Four walking trails of varying lengths offer a bird’s eye view of the plains towards the west and Kleinzee; it quite literally feels like you are walking on top of mountains at times. Visitors are welcome to discover Naries on their mountain bikes, although they are asked not to veer off the existing roads so as not to damage the fragile eco-systems and plant life. Star gaze, bird watch, game view - or simply relax by the pool - this is a retreat. Naries is well positioned to explore the greater Namakwa Region from the Richtersveld in the north to the shipwrecks in the west, and provides accommodation for the seasonal Namaqualand flower spectacle in the Spring.

Wide open spaces, fresh air, never-ending views - this is Naries Namakwa Retreat.

We stayed in one of two Cape County Style family self-catering cottages and found it ideal for our purposes; we could even pre-order wood for a braai that we collected on arrival from reception. Little personal touches made us feel right at home and comfortable. The sounds of nature around you is your soundtrack and entertainment. Just how we like it.

The south-east facing location of our self-catering unit meant that I got a front-row seat of meerkats silhouetted against the morning sun - right from the en-suite bathroom of the main bedroom! I'm not sure who was more surprised!

For those wanting more of a luxurious, getaway, the uniquely dome designed Mountain Suites, built into the granite boulders should not be missed. This is where I would love to stay if planning a romantic breakaway. The domed design mimics the grass huts constructed by the Nama people of the region.

Naries hosts 3 of these luxurious , thatched en-suite mountain suites with breakfast & dinner served in the Manor House Dining Room. The vistas from these mountain suites are breathtaking and the sunsets over the Atlantic Ocean some 60 km away, are typically dramatic in its jeweltone hues.

Also on offer is accommodation at The Manor House.

It hosts 5 Classical En-Suite

Rooms on a Dinner, Bed and Breakfast rate. Naries does not have a public restaurant and only serves in-house guests. The meals are carefully planned around the seasons and to what is available and in close proximity.

The Naries Namakwa Retreat story

The barren plains of the north-western interior caught the attention of the Dutch settlers from the earliest days. In 1655, a mere three years after landing at the Cape of Good Hope, the first expedition of its kind, lead by Jan Windvogel, set off from the Cape Town castle aiming to explore and make contact with the people in the interior north of the Cape.

The first recorded contact between the Nama-people and Dutch settlers took place in 1661 when an expedition led by Pieter van Meerenhof ventured into what later became known as Namaqualand. Although impressed by the peaceful nature of the Nama's, it was his account on the wealth of their metal ornaments that caught the attention of his sponsors back home, resulting in numerous explorations into the copper rich mountains of the region.

Until about 20 years ago, Naries was a commercial concern with sheep and goats farmed for generations. Naries is in the process of being transformed, returning to its roots and to nature and to it’s original status. Today one can see gemsbok and springbok which have been reintroduced, and natural wildlife such as leopard, caracal, black-eared fox, duiker, steenbok and baboons.