The Edge Lodge in Hogsback Review
Nestled in the heart of the Amatola Mountains, The Edge Hotel in Hogsback offers visitors a unique and tranquil getaway experience. With breathtaking views of the surrounding forests and valleys, the hotel is the perfect destination for nature lovers and view addicts.
The Edge Lodge
The lodge has a stunning location, cozy accommodations, and delicious cuisine. It’s the perfect destination for those seeking a peaceful retreat at (literally) the edge of nature.
The Edge Hotel’s architecture is a blend of modern and rustic, with thatched roofs and wooden beams that create a cozy and warm atmosphere.
Cabins at the Edge
True to its name, The Edge sits upon the literal edge of the mountain. The hotel offers a range of accommodation options, with several cabins having a view overlooking the mountains.
You can choose from one of the 10 garden rooms (for R750 per person/night) or the self-catering cottages that range from two sleepers to a six-person cabin, with garden or cliff views.
Heaven’s Above
We stayed in the Heaven’s Above cottage, a little splurge at R2,700 per night. It’s the honeymooner’s option and it’s definitely the right move for a romantic weekend.
The cabin is spacious and perfect for a long stay.
Heaven’s Above is a self-catering cottage with a stove and fridge. You’ll need to bring all your own spices and oil. You can purchase from the SaveMor Spar in town. The Spar is well equipped with fresh fruit and veggies as well as several cereals, meats, seafood, and other items. It’s probably the best-stocked small-town grocery I’ve visited throughout South Africa.
Hogsback is known for its bathtub views. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, do a little Google search. Although the most popular bathtub is at Away with the Fairies Lodge, at Heaven’s Above you’ll get a bathtub and outdoor shower all to yourself!
What to do at The Edge
You can choose to stay at the hotel for the weekend or explore the town.
Walk the Labyrinth and visit the Edge
The Labyrinth at the Edge is worth the visit, even if you’re not a guest. If you want the entire Labyrinth in and out, it’s 1.4km! This makes it one of the largest labyrinths in the world.
There is also a viewpoint called the Edge. Follow the signs past the shops in the courtyard.
Check out the shops and market
Do some shopping at the two shops. If you’re visiting during the weekend, at 10am on Saturdays there is a little market with some handmade goods, food, and trinkets.
Relax
It rained for two of the days we were staying at The Edge. One day we barely left the cabin (having bought groceries at SaveMor the day before). The internet connection at the cabin was excellent when there wasn’t loadshedding. I was able to stream and download movies—we did a Lord of the Rings marathon.
We braved the rain in the evening to have a cozy dinner at the restaurant on site. Be sure to get the glühwein (spiced, hot wine) if you’re here in the winter or on a rainy evening. It is delicious.
Get Married
Yes! The Edge is a popular wedding venue and it’s easy to see why. The space is gorgeous.
Explore Hogsback
Check out my post on what to do in Hogsback for info on biking, hiking, and waterfalls.
The Edge Restaurant
The hotel’s restaurant offers delicious meals with something for everyone. The menu includes an entire page of veg+vegan food. The food is a little on the pricey side but it’s well-prepared and excellent. For breakfast, we spent about R350 each day and for dinner, it was around R470. This included drinks and tip. Throughout the day you can buy bread, scones, and some small desserts of the day.
If you stay at one of the B&B lodging options, then breakfast will be included. Although we had self-catering, the menu sounded so good that we wanted to splurge.
For breakfast, my favorite was the toast with creamed spinach and eggs.
For dinners, we had salmon pasta, pizza, and duck. All dishes were great.
How to Get to The Edge and Get Around Hogsback
When we first booked to arrive at East London Airport, we considered spending a night in East London. As we got closer to our departure date, people started to recommend that we don’t bother visiting East London. We took their advice and instead went straight to Hogsback after our evening arrival. I suggest you do the same so you have another full day in Hogsback and not worry about transport in the city.
Private Transfer
Several hotels online mention a “shuttle service” that goes between Hogsback, East London, and the airport. While this is true that there is a van that operates this route, it is a private transfer and costs R1500 during daylight and R1800 in the evening, one way. For this cost, it makes more sense to rent a car.
Contact JM Transport at 078 846 4022 for the private transfer.
Rent a Car
I loved our stay at Hogsback at The Edge. You definitely need a car or properly enjoy Hogsback from the hotel though. I recommend you rent a car from East London Airport. The road to Hogsback is paved for the most part, except for some potholes as you approach the mountain. There are also cows out on the road at all hours so watch out—especially in the dark. The paved road ends and turns into gravel just as you reach Hogsback.
The road will get like this towards The Edge if you visit when it’s raining but the potholes are not that deep.
The Edge is about 3-4km from town and there are no transfer services in town to take people around without a car to the start of hikes or around. One day we walked into town, and it turned into an 11km trek. The other day we rented bikes from Hogsback Adventures; the roads are fine to bike on but there are a lot of hills which made our biking journey longer than expected as I had to get off a walk for a lot of ride.
Visit The Edge’s website here.