Head north to St Lucia (2 hours). St Lucia is South Africa’s primary wetland complex. It is a mix of lake, lagoon, pan, marshland, papyrus swamp, sand forest and grassland. The wetlands are separated from the tropical coastline by a strip of coastal dunes, which tower 120 metres above the beaches. The centre of the system is St Lucia Lake, a shallow 36,000-hectare lake that averages only one metre in depth. It is home to an estimated 1500 crocodile and 700 hippos, great flocks of pelicans and flamingos as well as many other water birds. The variety of birds at Lake St Lucia is astounding, and the complex is justifiably world famous as an area to see spectacular bird life.
Cape Vidal is a superb coastal area north from St Lucia – superb for snorkelling at a low tide. The marine habitat is the route used by humpback whales on their northerly migration to Mozambique to calve. Other ‘big game’ fish include migratory marlin, sailfish and dolphins. We recommend that you take a boat cruise on the St Lucia Lake and possibly a marine boat cruise in season to look for whales and dolphins.
Serene Estate is ideal for lovers of modern architecture and they have strived to achieve the perfect balance between architecture and natural landscape. Serene Estate has a so-called Dutch design which is a mixture of minimalistic architecture and Nouvelles Formes with its characteristic bent lines.
The tranqul open layout of Serene Estate gives you direct access on three different levels to the rooms, lounge, breakfast room / big terrace with roof garden and fish pond. In the garden, there’s a good-sized rimflow swimming pool and martini deck. From the rooftop garden you can even see the ocean beyond the sand dunes.
Luxurious Park View rooms have big windows with a view to the gardens and the Wetland park beyond. Each spacious suite has a comfortable sitting area and air-conditioning, ceiling fan, minibar, flat screen satellite TV, king size bed with Auping mattresses, complimentary wifi, hair dryer and coffee/tea facilities. All bathrooms are luxurious, with double basins, separate toilet, bath, shower and towel heater.
