Resort Newsletter December 2019

The magical stream of the Houtbosloop River hops over the rocks, rushing towards its future destination, through the Lowveld foliage as it fills every nook and cranny of the borders of the river.

The magnificent Mankelekele Mountain proudly stands guard over the Resort and surrounding landscape, which is covered with lush shrubs and beautiful tall trees. The morning dew glimmers on moss green leaves as the sun awakens over the horizon and its light filters through the valley.

The beauty of Sudwala and its surrounds always leaves one in awe and provides the perfect moment to

reflect; as there are stories we want to share with you about Sudwala’s awesome year. Sudwala Lodge kept the good times rolling with many events happening on- and off-site.

The team, as always, was top notch and pulled out all the stops with many special occasions, celebrations, wedding ceremonies and fun-filled conferences hosted throughout the year. All these enjoyable affairs made sure our valued guests would depart with their expectations exceeded.

We look forward to sharing all the news, in this edition of Grotto’s Stories, with you.

Everything your favourite ‘Grotto’ Resort has been up to...

Awards and Applause

Sudwala Lodge holds RCI Silver Crown Resort status.
At the 2018 RCI OSCAS Awards Ceremony, held in March this year, Sudwala was awarded 3rd place in the Top Silver Crown Resort Large category.
This prestigious accolade represents the commitment of our on-site and off-site staff and management. Congratulations!

Top 3 Memories for Sudwala Lodge Visitors this Season:

Blue Hiking Trail

Our guided Blue Hiking Trail is famous for its rewarding and spectacular views. Hikes take place weekly on a Thursday between 08h00 and 11h00. It’s a 3-hour slow walk up the Mankelekele Mountain and hikers are rewarded, when they summit, with a photo taken against this stunning backdrop. Each guest who takes part receives a special framed certificate of participation as a gift, to take home; to show that they have completed this slow but strenuous trail.

Night Under The Stars

As part of our weekly Entertainment Programme, we offer a magical experience for our guests to explore the beauty of nature at night, with our Night Under the Stars event. Guests can admire the white-sparkling-stars glimmering brightly in the distance, to the soundtrack of the night's mysterious, but serene, sounds. All this while gathered around a blazing bonfire, enjoying delicious golden-toasted-marshmallows, to end the night on a high.

Natural Beauty

The incredible natural surrounds of Sudwala Lodge provide for so many wonderful sights and sounds. A remarkable photo was taken of a tree wrapping its roots around a massive rock. It’s opportunities like this, to be up close and personal with nature, that make Sudwala Lodge such a special destination.

Share your favourite Sudwala nature photos with our team at: yourresortstory@vrs.co.za

Resort News

Mighty Men @ Mankelekele Mountain Biking Park

Sudwala is a proud supporter of the Mighty Men Conference, which took place in the Lowveld for the first time on the weekend of the 27th to 29th of September, at Mankelekele Mountain Biking Park and Resort (Sudwala’s neighbour). We invited attendees and their families to book their accommodation at Sudwala Lodge. A great number of delegates turned up to take part in the conference, and numerous families were welcomed to Sudwala Lodge to enjoy the facilities while Mighty Men took place. We look forward to more collaborations with Mankelekele Mountain Biking Park and Resort in future years. Mighty Men is a Christian Conference held yearly and presented by the famous Christian Author and Evangelist, Angus Buchan.

Screaming Monster Race

The Screaming Monster Race took place at Sudwala on the 1st of May 2019. This popular half marathon started at Sudwala Lodge and followed a route through the Sudwala Caves site, including a very steep uphill to the Sabie Road, which finished at the Lodge. Over 300 daring participants took part in this arduous event and we can proudly say that Lucas - one of our staff members – was one of the brave participants who finished this race. So why the name Screaming Monster? The Sudwala Caves have numerous speleothem structures in the caves, known by names such as the "Lowveld Rocket", "Samson's Pillar", and the "Screaming Monster"; some have been dated to 200 million years old. In this race, participants head through a natural tunnel with the screaming monster above them, before descending 2km down the mountain toward the finish.

Throwback to the 1980s and early 1990s

We recently stumbled upon old photos of the havoc caused by a fire in the 1980s at Sudwala’s Supermarket, due to a lightning storm. The lightning struck a thatch roof, causing the building next to the Supermarket to burn down. Fortunately, the thunderstorm was followed by heavy rains that prevented the fire from spreading further.

Another photo in our discovery folder was one of an aerial view of old Sudwala Lodge. It’s with great delight that we share these photos with you – looking back at our rich history and seeing how far we’ve come over the years.

Echo’s In The Cave

Everyone was very excited to head to The Sudwala Caves’ Echos In The Cave event, on the 28th of June. The event was a fantastic musical performance by Demi Lee Moore, André Schwartz, Chris Chameleon and CH2. This special performance was held in the mystical, natural amphitheatre of the Sudwala Caves and was truly a once in a lifetime event. The jaw-dropping acoustics provided by the amphitheatre, soothed and delighted the ears of the listeners during this genre-filled set. Guests raved about the event on online platforms, stating that this magical affair was one-of-the-best they had ever experienced. As always, Sudwala Lodge is proud to partner with its neighbours to accommodate guests attending such wonder-filled happenings.

In the Know with Sudwala Lodge Upgrades!

Take a look at how we’ve been making your home-away-from-home even more special:

Sound Proofing

New soundproof ceilings were installed in some of our 4-sleeper units, and what a difference it makes! We installed these ceilings to reduce sounds from neighbouring units.

We will eventually install these ceilings in all the 4-sleepers to ensure that guests have a better experience at the Resort.

New Privacy at C Block

We’ve planted rows of Viburnums at C block, as all these units face onto the entertainment area, which means the occupants sometimes miss a little privacy.

Although the Viburnums are still in their beginning growth stage, in time, they will make an awesome natural “fence”, providing more privacy to guests staying in C Block.

New Le Fera Menu

We are very excited to announce that we have launched a brand new Le Fera menu, with options that take into account valuable feedback received from our Shareholders and guests. With finger-snack meals - like our famous baskets – being so popular, guests can now enjoy these nibbles in the comfort of their units, with a waiter delivering it directly to your door. Awesome, right?!

Keep the Good Times Rolling...

Each year brings with it a host of fun days and special holidays to be enjoyed and celebrated;
Sudwala Lodge loves creating a unique experience for our guests to enjoy.

The Sudwala team, joined by members of the local community, established a fundraiser, with contributors donating R20 each. These funds were used to buy scarves, gloves and beanies for underprivileged children in the community.

On Youth Day, the winter attire, together with a healthy lucky-packet filled with nutritious goodies for the kiddos to take to school, was handed out. We are happy that we could be part of this project and give something back to the community, and that we could make a difference in these kids’ lives.

Sudwala pulled out all the stops to host the best Father’s Day ever! It started with a welcoming party, including nautical themed decor. Sailboats, made out of scraped wood and sporting blue and red sails, could be found ‘sailing’ all around the Resort.

Mouth-watering scones, savoury snacks and cupcakes, decorated according to the theme, were served to the Dads. The kiddos joined in on the fun and surprised their dads with a homemade Father’s Day card, as well. Well done to the team, you definitely ‘know the ropes’ when it comes to hosting a great Father’s day!

The Sudwala team ’rolled out’ the red carpet for all the special ladies arriving at the Resort for our Women’s Day weekend celebration. The ladies received mini-cake rollers that had been hand decorated, with a special note from Mrs Grotto, as a souvenir.

The team happily wore pink in support of Women’s Month and delicious cupcakes with soft-sugar-pink-icing were baked and distributed for the ladies to enjoy. Sudwala’s #celebrateHER event took place on Saturday, the 10th of August, celebrating these empowering women.

Spring was celebrated at Sudwala Lodge, with a Hawaiian theme, over the weekend of the 7th of September. Upon arrival, guests received refreshing, chilled sangria at Reception. The Resort was appropriately decorated with palm trees and mini blow-up pools to create an island vibe for our visitors.

Le Fera Restaurant sold a limited-edition spring break shooter, much to our spring-ready-guest’s delight. The Spring Vibe Disco took place later that evening at the Pavilion. Guests boogied the night away to celebrate the coming of spring.

A fun-filled long-weekend celebration was held to commemorate Heritage Day a.k.a. Braai Day. At check-in, guests received a traditional boerewors roll and pineapple beer made by our wonderful Le Fera Restaurant team.

On the 23rd of September Sudwala hosted their annual traditional braai day at the Pavilion. Guests could indulge in delicious side dishes and traditional ‘melk kos’ together with their braai mains.

We ended the evening with a four-layered South African flag cake for everyone to enjoy.

Giving Back Projects

Sudwala Lodge took part in some exciting projects as part of our ‘giving back’ initiatives

Mandela Day

Sadly, many motorists driving on the main road that follows the Houtbosloop River throw litter, including bottles, cans and papers, out of their vehicle’s windows. This litter ends up in the River, which not only spoils the environment, but endangers the various species of fauna and flora that live here. The Sudwala team came together on Mandela Day to help clean the main road leading up to the Resort, as well as the Sabie Bridge at the R539. The staff divided into six teams and together we did our 67 minutes of community work as part of our giving back initiative. We gathered a total of 869 empty bottles.

Conservation Cave for Bats

Did you know: Sudwala has a conservation cave which is inhabited by Percival’s short-eared trident bar bats? These caves, similar to the Sudwala Caves, used to have tours in the 70s and 80s for people to visit; not long after, however, bats took over and visitors stopped going due to the “old-wives-tales” about bats flying into one's hair. Sudwala Management decided to convert the cave into a conservation cave for bats, and because we respect wildlife – we do not permit tours of this particular cave set.

A Little More Information...

AFRICAN BLESSINGS
Did you know that we support African Blessings? This Non-Profit and Public Benefit Company cares for its community, children, animals and the environment. Their latest project is to raise the much needed funds for a new tractor for their farm.

More info...

UNI-VATE PROPERTIES
Expand your holiday portfolio and make even more wonderful memories with your loved ones! Sudwala Lodge has a limited number of weeks available for purchase. Please contact info@univateproperties.co.za for more information.

More info...

VRS OPTIONS
VRS Options allows you to exchange your fixed holiday for availability at various resorts, for alternative dates or unit sizes.
We’ve secured you a multitude of destinations through some of our partners to give you more holiday options.
(Please note that the exchange fee will increase in 2020)