The common thread in any post about Hogsback, is how magical it is. As you drive the winding, tree lined road towards this small town, you feel like gnomes and fairies will pop out around the next corner to say, “Welcome to Hogsback!”
The town is quite small but very busy. There is no end to the number of things you can do just by walking down the Main Road. From eateries to places dedicated to fairies and gnomes, it is a great place to explore on foot with your family.
Walk down the Main Road at your peril though. You will be confronted by local artists selling their wares at every turn. 
EVERYONE makes these adorable clay hogs and they all have a moving story about the need to feed their family. So, you feel like you should at least try and help everyone. I did draw the line at the beautifully decorated walking sticks though. Giving my kids sticks would just be asking for trouble. They do quite enough damage to each other without the temptation of a knobkierie, thank you very much.
Places to stay: Laragh on Hogsback
Booking.com is our site of choice when it comes to booking accommodation because I have yet to find another site that allows me to select the dates, location, input the ages of the children and gives me a TOTAL price for the number of days. I hate it when I use a system and it gives me, what looks like an awesome deal, and then I find out it doesn’t include this, that and the other thing!
So, when we found pictures of the snow drenched Laragh On Hogsback, it looked so blissfully gorgeous, we just had to book it. These cottages are beautifully outfitted with every convenience you might need and the owners are so friendly and accommodating that if there is anything you need, you only need to ask.
There seems to be a very broad definition when it comes to self catering accommodation. For some, it seems that it only implies a 2 plate stove, kettle and fridge. For others, it means a full oven, microwave, kettle, coffee maker (!) and all the utensils you may ever need. Like braai tongs, salt and pepper. Many we have stayed with have included some milk, coffee and tea so that you can at least wet your whistle after that long drive. How’s that for awesome? I LOVE small touches like these. It makes such a difference to the whole experience.
In terms of the accommodation trifecta, it was great. The electric blanket was great, the bed was a bit low but it was super comfortable and the pressure in the shower was perfect. The chalet was serviced daily and sufficient wood was provided for the fireplace (although we struggled to get it going).
In terms of location, it was around the corner and down a long, very potholed road to The Edge, where we explored the Labyrinth and not too far from the forest walk where you could do the easiest hike, to the 39 steps waterfall.
We were warned by our friends at The Plantation about the local grocery store that ran out of bread if you don’t get there early enough, so we made sure you stopped there when we walked through the town. I was pleasantly surprised at the variety of items available. I mean, I could even get free range eggs. I couldn’t even get free range eggs in a major supermarket in Humansdorp!
Those of you who follow us on social media may remember me reporting on the service delivery protests while we were there. This did put a bit of a dampener on things as, while the residents and accommodation venues weren’t threatened, it meant we couldn’t access the Main Road for a day or two as protestors had chopped down trees and were burning tires.
Fortunately the residents all pulled together and, after the police were brought in to keep the peace, all the business owners came together and cleaned up the town. Then, it was just a matter of Eskom coming to repair the electricity lines, that had been pulled down by one of the larger trees falling onto it during the protests, and we had power restored and precious cellphone signal in a little over 24 hours.
We really enjoyed our time in Hogsback despite the unrest and we look forward to returning one day to explore this magical little town, properly.
Disclaimer: We paid a slightly discounted rate in exchange for a blog post. All words, pictures and opinions are our own.
Leave a Reply