Cullinan: A gem of a town

Cullinan: A gem of a town

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Johannesburg - A slow drive up north will lead you through blistering heat as you pass Pretoria, no matter the season.

As the locals would say, keep going until you are tired, but stop if you hit Bronkhorstspruit (and check out the Buddhist temple - it’s beautiful.)

About halfway between Pretoria and Bronkhorstspruit lies Cullinan, a tiny town with huge possibilities. Sure, the main drag can be walked in about 15 minutes, but it is crammed with wonderful little boutiques and interesting restaurants. Nobody goes hungry or without jewellery in this dorp!

We were staying at Little Eden, which is a collection of chalets spaced far enough apart that the illusion of solitude in the wilderness was almost believable. The little wooden houses are spaced along the lip of a ravine, which allows for fabulous sunrise and sunset views. Gentle and more vigorous hikes are available, but the best advice would be to order in a massage. In the comfort of your own chalet, have all those knots rubbed out of existence. This is relaxation at its finest and most pure.

Whisky in the bushveld:

Whisky in the bush veld #happythankyoumoreplease

A photo posted by Natasha Faria (@fariastam) on Jul 16, 2015 at 7:35am PDT

The metropolis of Cullinan is a short 15 minute drive away. Park your car along the main road (you won’t miss it) and wander all the way from Harrie’s Pancakes at the top of the road, down to a restaurant cum art gallery at the bottom. There are a few of those, but each is more charming than the next.

As Greek As It Gets is one of the more famous restaurants in town, and despite a pretentious and condescending list of instructions at the start of the menu, the food is great. We went with a vegetarian meze platter for two, and were unable to finish it, with the leftovers proving that it is actually a meze platter for three.

Everything was absolutely delicious - perfect melitzanosalata and tzatziki, fresh pita, delicately spiced dolmades, and fabulous spanakopita. The cocktails are pretty decent, and the service is good. Ask for a table on the sidewalk so that you can people watch, and perhaps giggle at the tourists still wearing hardhats after their diamond mine tour. South Africa is dangerous!

Dips at As Greek As It Gets:

#Lunch at As Greek As It Gets #Cullinan #happythankyoumoreplease

A photo posted by Natasha Faria (@fariastam) on Jul 17, 2015 at 3:50am PDT

The Lemon Tree Cafe over the road looks a little run down, but is actually really cute and they make a mean lemon meringue pie - from scratch. It’s a small family business that deserves more patronage, as they have made every effort to make their place appealing. The mosaic tables are pretty and the garden is inviting.

In fact, almost every restaurant or cafe in Cullinan is worth a drop in - interesting combinations of flavours, homemade ingredients (hello, Rose Pantry), and a comfortable homespun vibe mean that every spot has something to offer. Don’t be shy!

The retro Cullinan Sweet Shop is a definite win for gifts for kids - here you will find candy that you haven’t seen since you got adult teeth. Next door, there are two shops which have been joined together by a corridor at the back and then stuffed with all manner of delight - bath goodies, hand-embroidered comforters, vintage purses. If you’re looking for a gift for someone, this is the place to find it.

From spas to bars, Cullinan has it all, although it seems to have lost some foot traffic to its more glam cousin, Clarens. The craft breweries that Clarens is famous for should be careful - the Cockpit Brewhouse was booked out each night that I was in Cullinan, and I was there for a week.

Sunset over the veld:

Sunset over the #bushveld #happythankyoumoreplease #sunset #cloudporn

A photo posted by Natasha Faria (@fariastam) on Jul 16, 2015 at 8:13am PDT

Fair warning - Cullinan goes to bed early, and most restaurants are only open between Thursday and Sunday. Consider this forced relaxation, which can never be a bad thing!

* Natasha Faria paid her own way through Cullinan.

Follow her on Twitter ( @ItsNatFar ) and Instagram ( @fariastam )

Article from https://www.iol.co.za/travel/south-africa/gauteng/cullinan-a-gem-of-a-town-1955071
written by Natasha Faria