ORION MONT AUX SOURCES HOTEL by BERNARD K. HELLBERG
Capetonians may disagree, but the view of the Drakensberg Amphitheatre must rate as one of the most scenic sites in our country. It certainly is the second-most photographed venue in South Africa – despite its rather isolated location – and guests at the Orion Mont aux Sources Hotel, which borders on the Royal Natal National Park, are usually those outdoor types who enjoy activities such as hiking trails, mountain biking and horse riding.
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he magnetic pull of the mountains, as the hospitality industry has established, tends to draw those guests who, despite their love of the great outdoors, also appreciate fairly high standards when selecting suitable accommodation during a visit to the ’Berg. In addition, these ’Berg hotels mostly lack fly-in capabilities,
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resulting in a rather arduous long-distance trip by car. In the case of the Orion Mont aux Sources Hotel, this means a four-hour road trip of 350 kilometres from Johannesburg via the N3 with a branch off at Harrismith on the R74 which takes one past the Sterkfontein Dam over the Oliviershoek Pass to the destination. Fortunately, there is only one stop-go delay (ten minutes) which will probably be a thing of the past by the time you read this. Arriving at the hotel, one had to take one’s luggage to reception without assistance from the staff. This minor glitsch, however, was offset by the friendly and efficient staff at the reception desk who quickly settled the admin side of things and arranged for a porter to assist with the luggage. With a selection of standard rooms featuring either single or double beds, as well as en-suite bathrooms and TVs, the choice is augmented by deluxe rooms which feature a 42“ TV, air conditioning, a small lounge area and a desk for those who need to work when they should be relaxing. The large and beautifully maintained grounds also contain
