Staying at the Indaba Hotel in Johannesburg

Roundabout this time of the year, most people feel rather (or extremely) stressed or fatigued. The cure for this almost-but-not-quite-yet-end-of-year-feeling is a staycation. A staycation is basically a mini-holiday that is close to your home. A quick breakaway to fill up your tank so that you can make it (sanely) to Christmas.

My recent solo staycation at The Indaba Hotel in Fourways could not come at a more welcome time. For one night, I literally just switched off & relaxed.

The Hotel is on William Nicol drive about 5 minutes from Fourways here in Johannesburg. It has a 42-acre (over 16 hectares) garden with 116 bird species. Along with the thatch roof buildings & friendly faces, you instantly feel like you are somewhere in the bush when in fact you are still in the heart of Joburg. The Indaba Hotel has more than 900 rooms, a dam, lecture rooms, conference facilities & a pool. Also a wedding chapel, hairdresser, spa & two restaurants. The decor is classy & seems to have been updated recently.

I stayed in a Luxury Suite which offered everything that I could possibly have dreamed of; a spacious lounge area, rusks, wine, two TVs & aircon. I really loved that the room had a capsule coffee machine, fresh milk & free wifi.

But I was most interested in having a large luxurious bed & the tub bath of my dreams all to myself.

The Hotel reminded me of an international holiday resort which is not a bad thing at all. It is a well-oiled machine that caters to tour groups from all over the world, business travelers, couples, singles & conference-goers.

The friendly service & can-do attitudes of the staff deserve an applause. I ordered a room service lunch when I arrived. The ginormous burger arrived real quick & was delicious!

Even at 23:30 at night, after I returned from the spa & couldn’t figure out the safe code, one of the security guys came very quickly to assist. With a smile nogal.

If you are a keen swimmer or want to be very close to the gym, be sure to ask for Room 501 – 550 where the hotel’s pool & gym is situated.

The property is quite large but you can still take a walk to all the facilities. Or you can request a golf cart to whizz you around. Super fun!

The highlight of my visit was my evening at Mowana Spa which is also on the property. I’m getting relaxed & sleepy again just thinking back…

On arrival at the spa at 18:00, you are welcomed by a group of singing ladies & some home-made iced tea. You then change into your gown before taking your seat for some welcome drinks & snacks.I was clever enough to arrive a bit early, so I could still take a quick dip in the spa pool. It was extremely hot during my stay so this was bliss. Our hostess Ginny & my therapist for the evening, Tshidi, were amazing throughout the evening. The spa offers various day or evening packages that you can check out on their site.I had the African Skies Night Spa Pamper Journey which started with a foot scrub & a 45-minute foot & lower leg massage.

This is followed by a short break. Then a head, neck & shoulder massage of about another 45-minutes. By this time my fellow spa-goers & I were totally weak from all the relaxation. And possibly also from the wine? Next up was a 2-course dinner – that you pre-select – served with local beverages. I had the chicken fajitas & fruit salad. Fresh & delicious. Then someone had a birthday & the ladies came out with drums & sang a special African version of HAPPY birthday. So cool.

My last treatment of the evening was a full body massage with hot stones. A perfectly relaxing end to the evening.Mowana Spa & their staff get a big high five from me! It is such a relaxing & fun evening out. You should take your friends or your colleagues. Couples who enjoy lots of pampering will love it too. I was very happy to have a solo visit, so I could go into my zone & stay there.

After a seriously good night’s sleep, I could barely get myself out of bed, but I’m glad I did. The buffet breakfast spread is one of the biggest I’ve seen in a long time. You can have all the usual continental & cooked breakfast items, plus dim sum, vegetable quiche, fresh veg juice, ox liver, every kind of sausage that you might think of, spring rolls, Chinese condiments & more.
The only sad part of my staycation was that I had to go home after one night. I would have been happy to stay for a week.Next time when you are looking for a relaxing night out, somewhere to host your corporate getaway or a staycation, head on over to Mowana Spa & The Indaba Hotel. I’m still dreaming of those massages, the amazing bath, the pool & spring rolls for breakfast.