Leopard Rock Lookout Chalets

COFFEE SHOP / RESTAURANT OPEN PERMANENTLY

Hours of Operation : 09h00 - 16h00 - Wednesday to Sunday
Always closed every Monday & Tuesday as well as Christmas & New Years day
Credit / Debit card facilities available.

GPS Coordinates: S 30. 65320 degrees / E 30. 28029 degrees

We would love to share our special little piece of heaven with you so please come and have some awesome homemade food from steaks, burgers, curry & rice and our special cakes.

FIND TRANQUILITY FOR YOUR SOUL

Leopard Rock Lookout Chalets sounds so unassuming that when you hear they have four honeymoon chalets you never for one moment imagine what you will find when you arrive.

A mere 25 minutes drive from the South Coast finds you in another world - you could be in the Drakensberg or anywhere for that matter.

When we arrived - I had whisked my partner away for a midweek birthday surprise to the honeymoon chalet - the first thing we did was settle down on the wooden deck and order an ice-cold beer and just feast our eyes on the absolutely breath-taking Umzimkulu valley with the river snaking its path way down the bottom.

As if to greet us the resort's three horn-bills (called the three stooges because they are a regular part of the staff compliment) came to nestle in a tree near us.

Leopard Rock honeymoon chalet took my breath away. Sue is a natural host and one can see she genuinely cares about her guests. She opened the door and proceeded to show us how every bell and whistle worked from how the jacuzzi worked, to where the light dimmer switches were, to where the candle lighter was, to the fairy lights on the deck, to the bath salts, to where the condiments were, down to the very last detail like what time the mist might come swirling up from the valley in the morning and what an awesome spectacle this would be if the weather was right.

The decor is stunning - what more can I say: The four poster bed exotic and so comfy, the lounge consists of two giant leather recliners facing the view with a coffee table between with the very civilised decanter of sherry and a magnificent vase of flowers, other ornaments are all tasteful and blend creating a very modern, but also ethnic look, the kitchen is fully equipped down to condiments like olive oil, tea, good coffee (nothing cheap about Leopard Rock!), home-made cookies, anything you could want should you decide to cook your meal.

Everything is just lovely to look at from the paintings to every ornament. Suffice it to say the whole chalet is an aesthetic delight!

On the deck there are comfy chairs to sink down in and just soak up the view.

No TV, no interruptions. God's own paradise. No where more elegant a chalet could you find to stay - I could not think of one single improvement that could be made. And all this at a price that quite frankly is for a song. In a way I worry about writing this story because I would like to keep Leopard Rock my secret in case it gets booked up for a year and I can't run away there and get my soul re-charged every couple of months which is what I plan on doing!

Seven amazing things to do when you are there:

• Take your sherry to the deck and sip it watching the most incredible bird life and then see the sun slowly set and the silhouettes of the mountain as darkness creeps over the valley
• Dim all the lights, light all the candles in the bathroom, throw handfuls of special Leopard Rock bath salts in the jacuzzi for two and just wallow your stress away
• Prepare your dinner as per instruction and light the lanterns, take your favourite CDs, as a sound-system is supplied, eat by candlelight and then dance
• In the morning shower stark naked on a special outside deck overlooking the valley.
  Wow, what an experience!
• Don't miss the English breakfast included in the price - it comes with sausages, bacons, eggs, toast tomatoes, the works!!!
• Before you leave, go and have a photo taken on Leopard Rock - and check out the amazing history of the place in the photo gallery.

Come and visit us at LEOPARD ROCK LOOKOUT CHALETS 1 1/2 hours drive from Durban overlooking the spectacular Umzimkulu River Valley in Oribi Gorge.

The luxury accommodation in this unique private setting is in 3 romantic well-appointed chalets or 1 honeymoon chalet nestled against the clifftops overlooking the river. Enjoy this spectacular view from the comfort of your bed or sip your sherry while lying in your leather recliner listening to the soothing sound of the majestic Umzimkulu River rushing down the gorge. Or relax and sip champagne in your double spa bath while the birdlife and peaceful surroundings sooth your stresses away. The outside shower is for the really brave at heart be at one with nature ! From your bed you can watch the sunrise or enjoy a sundowner on the deck, or if you are lucky enough to be here at full moon, you can enjoy a truly unforgettable romantic experience.

Your stay includes a full english breakfast on the Main Deck every morning from 08h45 to 09h30, there is a bottel of JC LeRoux Champagne, a decanter with Sherry, Filter Coffee, Nescafe Coffee, Sugar, Milk, Milo, Tea, Rooibos Tea, Homemade Biscuits, olive oil, salt, pepper, braaispices, Mrs. Ball's chutney, saladdressing, butters, ice, jam, tomatosuace. We also supply bathsalt, soap, handcream, toiletpaper.

We service the chalet every morning at 09h00.

Chalets operational 7 days per week.

There is an undercover Lapa to braai with charcoal and firelighters supplied.

General

We are licensed and you can purchase beers, champagne, tinned cold drinks and bottled water.

There is a variety of homemade food available for Lunch & Dinner if you do not want to prepare your own, please check with reception.

There is an undercover Lapa if you want to Braai with charcoal, wood and firelighters supplied.

The following venues are close by if you want to dine out :

The Gorge Private Game Lodge and Spa (10km from us) - Need to reserve a dinner booking 24 hours in advance.
Gorgez View Restaurant - Paddock (N2 16km from us) - Steakhouse with full menu & Sunday carvery.

The closest Pick & Pay or any other shop is 26km away in Port Shepstone.
The closest Garage for petrol or diesel is 26km away in Port Shepstone.

The following items will be in your chalet on arrival:

• Filter coffee
• Nescafe coffee
• Sugar
• Milk
• Milo
• Tea
• Rooibos Tea
• Homemade biscuits
• Salt
• Pepper
• Braai spices
• Mrs. Ball's chutney
• Butter
• Strawberry Jame
• Olive oil
• Champagne
• Decanter Sherry
• Bath salt
• Bath soap
• Hand soap
• hand cream
• Toiletpaper
• Candles & Matches
• handy Andy
• Sunlight liquid
• Dish drying towels
• Towels
• Sheeting
• Blankets

The following appliances are supplied:

• Bar fridge
• Kettle
• Microwave
• Toaster
• Plunger
• Electric frying pan
• CD player/ radio
• Delongi oil heater
• Hairdryer
• Ceiling fan

We hope that your stay with us will be joyous and tranquil. If there is anything else you need please ask!

We also offer this unique setting for small (maximum 70 guests) for private functions - weddings, birthday's etc.

House Rules

• Breakfast will be served on the Main Deck from 08h00 to 10h00 (or earlier by arrangement)
• No smoking in chalet according to the new legislation - you may smoke outside ashtray in cupboard
• No kids or pets allowed
• Only 2 adults per unit
• Please note main gate is locked all the time, your gate key is on the keyring
• Please do not use bubbelbath in the spa bath - bathsalt is provided
• Please make sure all electrical appliances are switched of after use (except the fridge !)
• Please make sure candle's are put out before going to bed
• Please do not flush any foreign objects down the toilet as we use a french drain system
• Please lock your vehicle and leave your valuables in the boot out of sight
• Please lock the doors and close the windows when going out as the wind is very unpredictable
• Please do not move any of our furniture outside
• Please do not remove any plants from our premises
• Please be aware that you are in a natural bush environment so be aware of spiders, snakes, scorpions, ticks etc.
• Please do not waste water it is a very valuable commodity, our water is 100% pure borehole and is purified through an ozone filter system.
• We are licensed and you can purchase beers, champagne, tinned cold drinks and bottled water.
• We can supply the following items for dinner - greek salad, potato salad, garlic & cheese rolls, Rolls or buns, 200gr vacuum packed rump steak, a 150gr boerewors.
  Just order with SUE by 15h00.
• The chalet is serviced every morning from 09h00
• Bath towels will be changed every 2nd day and linen every 4th day
• Laundry can be done at a charge please see laundry list
• Please note that we let our 2 big dogs (ARKA & DOZER) out for security from 17h00 to 06h00

Please note Check Out Time is at 10h00 - We will unlock the gate for you.

Weddings & Functions

Overlooking the spectacular Umzimkulu River Gorge this private, unique setting is ideal for a smaller (70 guests) intimate wedding or function. The view and tranquality surpaces your wildest imagination. We offer catering (please note home cooked food with love) and co-ordinating services. The 21m deck (undercover) with this awesome view can be used for your ceremony.

Please contact Sue to set-up a personal consultation and viewing.

History on Leopard Rock

This 4 ha property belonged to Happy Day Tours form the early 1930's to 1964. They used to bring tour groups onto the overhanging rock, which hangs over approximately 2.5 m. They used Mr. Clyde Sussens and his tame pet leopard Suzie to pose on the overhanging rock for advertising in the local papers.

In 1964 Happy Day Tours sold the property to a private owner so from then on there was no excess back onto the rock.
We (Andries & Sue Bruwer) bought the property in September 2000 with the idea of building a house, we started clearing all the invading plants out and discovered the overhanging rock. The neighbours told us that it was on this property, but it was so overgrown that you could not get to it. We decided to open a view site for people to be able to come and see it again, and got such a overwhelming response with so many of the people asking why they could not have coffee and cake with this view, that we decided to open a Coffee Shop. There is not many places in this country where you can sit down and have a meal with such a spectacular view. We started building in August 2002 and opened to the public in December 2002 - and have never looked back. We grew due to public demand from a shop that was serving mainly sandwiches, cake and tea to a restaurant that offers anything from breakfast to steaks, salads etc. and there is our scrumptious homemade cakes etc. All our food is made fresh on the premises - we might not be very fancy but we do it with a lot of love.
The coffee shop was closed from 1 March to 15 November 2011 and reopened on 16 November 2011 (Sorry about this but we needed a little rest).
Please remember that we offer this unique site for Functions, Weddings etc.

We opened our first chalet in August 2006 and now have 4 in total - Specially designed for that pampered tranquil feeling!

We would love to share our unique piece of heaven with you so please contact Sue with enquiries.

Attractions:

Other Attractions in the Oribi Gorge area:

• Oribi Extreme (4km from us) River Rafting, Abseilling, Gorge Swing, Horse Riding
• Lake Eland Game Reserve (12km from us) Game Reserve, Horse Riding, Suspension Bridge, Chalets, Walks, Picnics, Fishing, 3.3km Zip line tour
• The Gorge Private Game Lodge and Spa (10km from us) Game Reserve, Chalets, Spa Treatments, Restaurant
• Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve (10km from us) KZN Parksboard Walks, Hiking, Bird Watching, Picnics
• Tours, Restaurant
• Gorgez View Restaurant - Paddock (N2 16km from us Steakhouse with full menu & Sunday carvery
• Oribi Gorge Guest House (4km from us) Accommodation, 4x4 track