THE MAGIC OF MASINGA
A unique getaway you didn’t know you needed.
WORDS: CARLA LOUISE GAILEY
I stumbled across this magical place one day whilst browsing through Airbnb and looking for unique getaways in KwaZulu- Natal – I was so excited to find Masinga, I could never imagine that a place like this existed in KZN, let alone at all.
My dear friend Shannon and I took a trip up to Gillitts to experience a hidden gem that I think everyone deserves to know about. We were both in dire need of a little getaway, a social media detox and some quiet, peaceful quality time together. Upon arrival co-owner Lynn greeted us with a massive hug and gave us the grand tour of Masinga. Lynn explained to us “Masinga initially started as the dodgiest caravan ever – and slowly, bit by bit – it evolved. It was never built with an Airbnb in mind – it has just been a fortuitous development over time. Tana and I have a beautiful piece of land and she mentioned that she loved caravans, so we decided that we’d love a caravan at the bottom of our property. A place we could retreat to – under the stars. Camping, but without the hassle and on our property. When the idea of Masinga was born – we had hocked up our tent for three weeks – using our cottage as the ablution block. We hung homemade pasta between two acacias to dry, enjoyed bonfires every night, a fair bit of red wine and we dreamt of “Masinga” which also happens to be the name of our favourite Hide in Mkhuzi Game Reserve”, Lynn describes. She continued to tell me: “I think it is such a beautiful and special space because we loved every part of what we did. We’re constantly inspired by our love of the outdoors and all things nature. Hence the glass roof to the stars – call it an ode to our love for the night sky”.
We were guided down a path towards the refurbished caravan that had been converted into a unique Airbnb that is hidden between a canopy of Yellowwood trees. The caravan is beautifully finished with impeccable attention to detail. Everything from the fluffy blankets, to the snazzy chandelier, and unique retro curious on the shelves. The caravan sleeps two people, perfect for friends, a couple or even a solo trip to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I plopped myself on the bed and gazed out of the glass ceiling – trees tower over the glass ceiling, it really is special. Lynn took us through to the bush lapa and slid open the rustic barn door to a simple treehouse-styled bush lapa fitted with a kitchenette, living room and fireplace that overlooks a large deck nestled amongst the trees.
Before we knew it – we had settled in and got cosy. I noticed a handful of adult colouring-in books and pens and decided that that was exactly what my soul needed to start unwinding. Shannon had been eyeing out the complimentary Old Brown Sherry and did the honours of pouring us a little welcome OBS – we had a good chuckle about the sherry, as we had almost bought a bottle at the liquor store an hour before – it was almost as if Lynn and Tana knew exactly what we needed! The shot of sherry warmed us up and we spent an hour in total silence relaxing and getting our creative juices flowing. When the sun started setting and the temperature dropped we went inside to get comfortable on the couches. If any of you have been to the upper highway area – you know that it can be beautiful and sunny during the day, but boy it can get chilly when the sun goes down. Fortunately, in the living room, there is a cosy fireplace perfectly placed to warm up the whole space. I have to be honest – I have never made a wood fire before, okay fine hear me out, I’ve started many braais on the Weber, but regardless, I was totally up for the challenge. Shannon and I were in fits of laughter as we were two ladies who had never started a fire before fumbling around trying to figure out what goes where and how and how much. Needless to say, we’re strong, independent women and we got the job done – and before we knew it – our space was warm and toasty.
Lynn and Tana later visited us with their troop of fury friends to serve us our dinner and get us ready for our movie night. We were treated to a mouth-watering spread of butter chicken, fragrant rice, roti, and crunchy chips with all the sambals made with love by Tana and Lynn set up the projector for us to watch a movie after dinner. Talk about VIP service! We cracked open a bottle of red, reminisced about our varsity days and dug into Tana’s delicious home-cooking. After our delicious dinner and catch-ups, it was only natural for CLG “the crazy” to brave the cold and run a bubble bath in their outdoor tub. And let me tell you something – it was so worth the cold. Soaking in the bubbles under the stars with a glass of red? I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday night.
I bet you’re wondering what movie we decided to pick. Well, since Shannon and I are both musical theatre die-hards – it was only natural for us to choose something for us to sing along to, Moulin Rouge it was. We finished our wine, we laughed and we cried and before we knew it, we realized the time and it was time for us to get some shut-eye. Just a few steps from the bush lapa and we were in our gorgeous caravan, snuggled up with plenty of blankets – under the glass ceiling admiring the stars. I’m not going to lie but it was one of the best nights of sleep I’ve had in a long time. 11/10 for comfort and warmth!
Waking up on a Monday morning never felt better. When my alarm went off – I purposefully did not press the snooze button, but instead, gazed out of the frosted glass ceiling, listening to the birds and noticed the sun was about to break through the horizon. We quickly jumped out of bed, made ourselves a fresh pot of coffee and enjoyed the sunrise in between dunking
a rusk or two in our coffee. Before we checked out, Shannon decided it was her turn to have a soak in the outdoor tub, so while she enjoyed that, I quickly showered and set my intentions for the week. We nibbled on some of the fresh fruit, yoghurt, toast and preserves which were prepared for us and started packing up. Neither Shannon nor I were ready to bid adieu to Masinga. It was a beautiful, crisp and sunny morning in Gillitts, and truthfully the perfect way to start the week. We spent a few more quiet moments soaking up all that Masinga is and promised we would be back with more of our friends and partners – so they could experience this little slice of paradise.
For anyone looking to enjoy a quiet, detoxing weekend away in an incredibly unique venue – Masinga is just the place.