Hog Heaven In Hog Hollow South Africa
I don’t know if the kids will ever get over the pampering they got at Hog hollow Villas just outside Plettenburg Bay along South Africa’s Garden Route. The villas are tucked amidst a lush rainforest swinging with monkeys overlooking a valley shrouded in green. If that’s not good enough, we stayed at the Owner’s Villa, which is actually the former home of the owners of Hog Hollow (they live next door now). The kids revelers in their private upstairs territory with a huge game room with pool/ping pong table, games, books, TV and giant bean bags…oh, yeah, plus a two bedrooms. We enjoyed some privacy in our downstairs master suite. And we all relaxed by the pool and soaked in the amazing views. Add to that paradise, the incredible nature and cultural activities and attractions that abound in this area and exquisite culinary options, and you have an ultimate family retreat.
Nature
The lush valley that Hog Hollow tops is home to an amazing amount of wildlife and conservation parks. We visited four of them…and the kids loved every minute of it!
Monkeyland and Birds of Eden are run by the same company. Monkeyland is a rehabilitation and rescue organization for monkeys from all over the world. Whether they are pets, which owners found they can no longer care for (monkeys are not suitable pets and what was cute quickly becomes destructive) or monkeys from zoos that have too many monkeys in too small an enclosure, they all can find a home at Monkeyland. The tall native trees offer the perfect habitat for these silly, active creatures…the monkeys AND our boys…and the kids delight in watching the crazy antics of Capucian and Squirrel monkeys, who like to roam together. The monkeys swing down from the trees at various feeding platforms throughout the park and to forage for food which the rangers toss into the forest to make it more natural for them and encourage their instincts. As we cross the longest rope bridge in Southern Africa, we are eyed by an Indian ?? monkey whose white tufts of hair and squished face makes him look like a wise old man. He gives a warning shout as Seamus moves in too close to a nearby Squirrel monkey for a picture. The guide says he protects the other monkeys and is not to be messed with. The kids favorite by far though is the Gibbon
whose acrobatic moves, flying branch to branch his white fur like a yeti blurring through the trees, and laid back nature – he doesn’t even bother moving off the path as we walk by – captures their hearts. We follow him to a feeding platform where we watch him chow away on oranges and bananas. Before he leaves, he stops to look at Seamus and then reaches out an pats his head before swinging off into the trees. Next door at Birds of Eden, the kids are fascinated by different sorts of flying creatures. The wide variety of exotic, colorful birds topped with the raised wooden paths cutting through lush landscapes marked by waterfalls, was fantastic and the kids loved watching the birds, and flying fox bats – which reminded them of Teradactyls – soar through the air.
At the nearby Elephant Sanctuary, a place for rescued elephants who are trained to survive and re-released into a semi-wild environment, the kids encountered another kind of dinosaur-looking creature. Leading the giant African elephants down the path trunk in hand, the kids had the chance to look them straight in the eye – admiring their long eyelashes, examine their huge molars in their pink mouths and the soft pads of their feet. After learning all about the animals, we had a chance to hop on board for a ride around the sanctuary – bareback. The giant spine lumbered behind you as the elephant moseyed down through the fields – the ground seemingly stories away. It was absolutely magical bidding farewell to these giants of Africa, as they strolled through the golden hues of grassy plain.
Another African great, the African cats, are rescued at Tenikwa Centre. The centre plays host to cheetahs, leopards, serval cats, caracols and wild cats as well as meerkats (not really a cat), cranes, tortoises and more. 
These animals have also been rescued from homes or from villages where they are presenting a problem. Jeremy and I are allowed inside the cheetah cage for a close-up encounter. Younger kids are not allowed due to height restrictions – under a certain height and the cheetah considers you prey. As the two wild cats lumber out of the tall, yellow grass – shoulder blades pumping up and down – and bright yellow eyes boring through me, I get a bit of a chill as if I am being stalked. But it turns out it’s not us they are interested in; they have spotted the kids sitting just outside the fence. The female cheetah suddenly bursts forward – with incredible speed – rushing past us to within feet of the astonished boys. She then sits down next to them and purrs (gate dividing them, I guess she gave up). The male takes a spot atop a shed – climbing it as I would a tall step, in one graceful leap. It’s amazing to watch them gaze at the horizon, stalk through the grasses, run swiftly and quietly. The kids are a bit disappointed not to have the chance to enter (after seeing the cheetah rush them, I’m a bit relieved) but they do have a chance to get paw to hand with another resident – a serval. This serval came to the centre with a broken hip and leg and as part of her recovery, she needs to be walked. (She doesn’t want to walk on her own, so they put her on a leash). The kids take turns walking her around (outside her cage) exploring the roads, lake, grasses and brush of the surrounding areas. She stops to inspect the grasses for insects, dig for a mole, roll in the dirt. Watching these cats close up gives you a better appreciation of their behaviors – they are very house cat like – and forms. The kids do not want to leave!
Culture
The nearby township of Kurland Village offers the opportunity to see how a vast percentage of South Africans live. 
Hog Hollow’s guide Xolani, turns out van down dusty streets past tin roofed shacks as kids wave hello. We stop at a school where kids 2 – 5 sing some songs before settling down to nap. Outside a traditional Zulu ceremony is taking place. The elders of the village have brewed a mazie-based brew (similar to beer) in huge buckets and a party is ensuing. They poor some beer on the dirt road as an offering to god in thanks for the rains and then the huge bucket is passed around as each elder man – and then the women – have a drink. The women – dressed in colorful sarongs and head scarfs, their faces painted a bright orange in traditional Zulu fashion – then begin to sing and dance. One of the local, Joseph, shows us inside one of the houses, which is filled with chickens he is raising as a new project. He is not sure how much he will make from this new endeavor, but is very proud of his half grown chicks – hundreds of them clucking around the room. He then shows us a sheeben (a local pub) he runs where he and his new wife live – there is an iron gate separating their bedroom from the one-room, dirt-floored bar (complete with pool table). 
The kids have lots of fun playing with the school kids – chasing each other, kids jumping and tackling them – and it’s good for them to get a real idea of how much of Africa lives. Later that night, a choir comes to Hog Hollow to sing for us. Their delightful voices start in a low hum and are punctuated by soprano trills…watch out American Idol!! They sing from the heart – laughing and clapping – with beautiful voices in perfect harmony.
Culinary Delights
At night the Hog Hollow dining room radiates a warm ambiance – a combination of an sophisticated five-star restaurant and a cozy safari lodge. Dinner is served with more courses than I can shake a fork at – tasty canapes, incredible soups, rich pastas, succulent meats and scrumptious desserts. 
Chef 
Joe beautifully combines fresh, local ingredients and traditional flavors with uniquely African twists. Though Nathan gives everything a try, Seamus is a bit picky in the eating department, but no worries. Chef Joe chats with him about what he likes and sure enough it shows up. One evening, he even comes up to our villa and cooks a traditional African braii (barbecue) will all sorts of meat including ostrich and kudu, but he makes sure there is chicken and macaroni
Enricos Restaurant Near Hog Hollow
and cheese (a yummy version with no tinges of orange!) for the kids. We are joined by owners Andy and Debbie and their delightful children Hannah and Matt. Debbie invites us out horseback riding the next day and the kids are super excited to hear the horses will trot 
right past zebras and springbok.
Made even more special by the special family and staff that runs it, Hog Hollow’s impeccable combination of elegance and comfort, relaxation and adventure makes it a wonderful retreat for families. Our kids will not soon forget the monkeys swinging in the trees above the restaurant deck, the family cat that curls up in your lap. the friendly dogs that run the grounds (and were quickly named and adopted by our boys), the horses, frogs, rabbits, zebras, cows…plus the friendly people who treated them with so much kindness.
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