Bryony Scrooby

Aberfoyle Lodge

For those of you who have never been to the Honde Valley, and Aberfoyle Lodge in particular, you have no idea what you are missing!

Honde Valley is known for its rolling hills, avocado and banana plantations, and the beautiful green Eastern Highlands Tea Plantation. Aberfoyle was initially built in 1960 as a Club for the Tea Estate staff and later converted to a Lodge. Although recently refurbished, it oozes old world charm from the minute you step through the front doors and still has the original wooden floors and large verandahs.

The lodge is at an altitude of 800 metres and is 350kms from Harare, but due to the gradients and sharp turns towards the end of the trip, the journey usually takes about 4hr30m-5hrs. The drive itself is lovely as you travel through the plantations, going over the mountain, through the valley, past friendly villages, and crossing several rivers, including the Pungwe River. If you would rather fly in, there is an airstrip nearby, and the lodge organises transfers.

The main entertainment and reception area is comfortably furnished, and as mentioned above, has recently undergone a refurbishment, ensuring the lodge keeps up with the times. The view of the golf course from the bar verandah is gorgeous, with the added bonus that you might very well see the endangered Palm Nut Vulture flying in to roost! There are 9 rooms, cleverly named and decorated to match the colours of the special bird that the room is named after. They are as below:

Fish Eagle – (executive suite) 1 King
Seedcracker – (honeymoon suite) 1 King
Variable Sunbird – (family room) 2 Singles
Olive Bushshrike – (family room) 1 King
Livingstone’s Turaco – 1 Double
Rock Kestrel – 2 Singles
Narina Trogon – 1 King
Buff-spotted Flufftail – 2 Doubles
Red-faced Crimsonwing – 2 Singles
African Pitta – 1 King
Kingfisher – 1 King
Marsh Tchagra – 2 Singles
Green-backed Woopdpecker – 2 Doubles
Red-throated Twinspot – 1 King
Blue Swallow – 2 Singles

Each room has its own en-suite bathroom, hair-dryer, coffee and tea station, desk, ceiling fans and verandahs overlooking either the golf course (executive suites) or the forest (all standard suites). As well as the rooms, Aberfoyle also offers a self-catering house about 5 minutes drive from the lodge. This is called Hornbill House and consists of four bedrooms:

1 x twin/double bedroom with bathroom en suite – bath only
1 x twin/double bedroom
1 x triple single bedroom

* The rooms are large and can easily accommodate mattresses, if more beds are needed. With panoramic views of the whole estate, you will certainly fall in love with this quaint little house, which has an open plan lounge and dining area. Double doors lead out onto a large verandah. The kitchen is fully equipped and there is a big braai outside the front of the house, which can be lit upon request (guests to bring their own wood or charcoal). There is also a lovely swimming pool on the property and the house is serviced, with a person coming in daily to clean. Eastern Highlands Tea Plantation have their own hydro power, so power is usually very good and there is no generator as Aberfoyle aims to be as environmentally friendly as possible. The property is secure with a fence surrounding the whole area. (Please ensure that you go to check in at the main lodge before going to Hornbill. Check in times are between 2-6pm, strictly not before or after.)

What stands out most about Aberfoyle is the very wide variety of activities on offer thanks to Far and Wide Zimbabwe who has managed Aberfoyle since 2011, and all in such a stunning setting: picturesque 9 hole golf course, Nyawamba Dam, birding, nature walks & mountain hikes, tree canopy tour, Mermaids Pool & bum slide, tea factory tour, mountain biking, white-water rafting, Mutarazi Falls SkyWalk and SkyLine, kayaking, trail biking, fishing (yellow, tiger, bass, bream), pepper gardens and 18 hole putt putt course.

There is also an all-weather tennis court, table tennis, darts, a large 13m x 7m swimming pool with a children’s slide and children’s paddling pool, a squash court and one of the best snooker tables in the country.

The Honde Valley is renowned for its diverse and stunning beauty and its rare butterfly and birdlife. With the area receiving some of the highest rainfalls in Zimbabwe, it ensures the forests stay beautifully green with unique flora and fauna, flowing rivers and many unique species of orchids. As you can see, whether you are a “twitcher,” an adrenaline junkie, or more about the slowing down in life, there is an activity for you here and all in the most charming and beautiful setting.

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