Conceived and designed as a truly African sanctuary, Kedar Spa in the Country uses indigenous African herbs, flowers and spices in all our treatments. These range from anti-stress massage, aromatherapy and reflexology, to advanced biological skin care and water treatments.

The Spa has been designed to allow the guest to take full advantage of the natural surroundings, with water being the central theme.

Host your next conference at Misty Hills!

Misty Hills offers 23 versatile conference and events venues; the largest being the Pelindaba, which can accommodate up to 800 delegates

Contact us for a competitive quotation.

Continuing in our Hall of Kings series:
"KING KHAMA, Khama of the Ba-Mangwato. “

I must say I looked forward with great interest to seeing a man with so wide a reputation for integrity and enlightenment as Khama has in southern Africa. 
Somehow, one’s spirit of scepticism is on the alert on such occasions, especially when an African is the case in point; and I candidly admit that I advanced towards Palapwe fully prepared to find the chief of the Ba-mangwato a rascal and a hypocrite, and that I left his capital, after a week’s stay there, one of his most fervent admirers.

Not only has Khama himself established his reputation for honesty, but he is supposed to have inoculated all his people with the same virtue. No one is supposed to steal in Khama’s country. He regulates the price of the goat you buy; and the milk vendor dare not ask more than the regulation price, nor can you get it for less.

One evening, on our journey from Shoshong to Palapwe, we passed a loaded wagon by the roadside with no one to guard it save a dog; and surely, we thought, such confidence as this implies a security for property rare enough in southern Africa.
The aspect of Palapwe is very pleasant. Fine timber covers the hill slopes. A large grassy square, shaded by trees, and with a stream running through it, has been devoted to the outspanning of the many wagons which pass through here.
Everything in Khama’s town is conducted with the rigour of religious enthusiasm.
The chief conducts in person church services, twice every Sunday, in his large round kotla, at which he expects a large attendance.
He stands beneath the traditional tree of justice and the canopy of heaven, quite in patriarchal style. In manner the chief is essentially a gentleman, courteous and dignified.

He rides a good deal and prides himself on his stud. On one occasion he did what I doubt if every English gentleman would do. He sold a horse for a high price, which died a few days afterwards, whereupon Khama returned the purchase money, considering that the illness had been acquired previous to the purchase taking place.
On his wagons he has painted in English, “Khama, Chief of the Ba-mangwato”. They say he understands a great deal of our tongue, but he never trusts himself to speak it, always using an interpreter.

There is something Teutonic in Khama’s imperial discipline, but the Bechuana are made of different stuff to the Germans.
They are by nature peaceful and mild, a race with strong pastoral habits, who have lived for years in dread of Matabele raids; consequently their respect for a chief like Khama – who has actually on one occasion repulsed the foe and who has established peace, prosperity and justice in all his borders – is unbounded, and his word is law.

Khama pervades everything in his town. He is always on horseback, visiting the fields, the stores and the outlying kraals.
He has a word for every one; he calls every woman ‘my daughter’ and every man ‘my son’; he pats the little children on the head.
He is a veritable father of his people, a curious and unaccountable outcrop of mental power and integrity amongst a degraded and powerless race.
His early history and struggles with his father and brothers are thrilling in the extreme and his later development extraordinary. Perhaps he may be said to be the only African living whose biography would repay the writing.” Extract from “The Ruined Cities of Mashonaland” by J.Theodore Bent, F.S.A. F.R.G.S. – 1892

BEAT COLDS AND FLU THIS SEASON........

• Wash your hands as often as you can 
• Keep hydrated 
• Maintain a healthy lifestyle – get adequate sleep, good nutrition and physical exercise to ensure a strong immune system 
• Control stress – stress weakens the immune system 
• Top up on Vitamin C and Zinc 
• Have regular massages at the Spa in the Country – massage reduces stress and boosts the immune system

The management and staff at Kedar, wish to extend warm congratulations to Mr Gladwyn Mokgopha our very own super athlete and sports star, who competed in the 2014 Rustenburg Mountain Race on Saturday 26th July. 

Gladwyn was amongst 2000 entrants that competed and came fourth in the race. Well done Gladwyn........

Gladwyn is part of the team tending the gardens at Kedar Country Lodge, Conference Centre & Spa.

Gemsbok Carpaccio,

 Serves 4 – 6, 

1 Gemsbok loin, ( Gemsbok can be replaced with any other antelope species). 
150ml olive oil, 80ml lemon juice, 30g crushed garlic, 30g whole grain mustard, 100ml balsamic vinegar, 50 g coarse ground black pepper, 50g salt, sheet aluminium foil.

Spread the foil out flat on the table , mix all ingredients in bowl and soak the loin in the mixture, coat well.
Place the loin on the foil and cover with mixture.
Roll loin up tightly in the foil and ensure the ends are properly sealed. Please loin in freezer overnight.
To serve, remove loin from freezer , un-wrap the foil and cut the loin into paper thin slices.
Arrange a mix of fresh rocket leave and micro-greens on a plate and layer the thin slice on top.
Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the Carpaccio, add parmesan shavings , fresh coriander and black pepper.
Serve immediately

Kedar Country lodge Conference Centre & Spa

The property encompasses a collection of unique historic buildings and offers a fascinating insight into Kruger's life at a time when South Africa was locked in a struggle for sovereignty with the British Empire.

Carnivore Gourmet Meat Butchery is located in Rustenburg and currently supplies a number of mines in the local Rustenburg area, as well as numerous surrounding hotels, resorts and industrial catering companies. 
Contact us for Meat packages to suit any families needs

Companies looking for conference venues in Gauteng should look no further than Misty Hills! 

Ideally positioned with easy access to Johannesburg and Pretoria in the Gauteng district, and just 15 minutes from Lanseria airport.

Our Elephant Venue, is ideal for Wedding and Functions as well as Conferences with a Carnivore twist.....

Treatment of the week: For the Mom to be – Massage therapy during pregnancy is a wonderful complement to your prenatal care. 

It is a healthy way to reduce stress and promote overall wellness. Massage relieves many of the normal discomforts experienced during pregnancy.......

It's Competition Time.....

WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN 

Spa in the Country is giving a luck winner a “Shea Butter Full Body Massage Ritual” for two people, plus a fabulous Matsimela Hamper (worth R350.00) total value of prize R1410.00.

For your entry to qualify all you need to do is:

Answer the question correctly:
Question: Where are our Spas in the Country located?
Share, like and invite your friends to like our page.
Email your answer to: facebook@rali.co.za together with your name, surname and telephonic contact details.

Terms & Conditions: Your transportation to Spa in the Country is for your own expense. Staff of Recreation Africa are not permitted to enter the competition.
Competition ends at midnight on Thursday 7th August 2014.

Did you know: At Carnivore Johannesburg we serve a selection of a minimum of 4 Venison meats per day.

Now that's carnivorous......

The Spa in the Country at Kedar provides a soothing escape to relax and unwind.....

Indulge in an exceptional spa experience in one of our exclusive treatment rooms, perched uniquely on the dam wall, overlooking the grasslands where wild game graze. You could not find yourself closer to nature

Join Carnivore Restaurant Johannesburg in celebration of a man who changed South Africa to a free and beautiful country 

Recreation Africa's Carnivore restaurant Johannesburg will be donating R 2.50 for every meal served on the 18th -20th of July 2014 in honour of Madiba Day 

Come and experience a truly South African environment and taste the flavors that represent our beautiful Nation !

www.recreationafrica.co.za 

Did You Know?

• The skin is the largest organ of the human body
• 70 % of dust in your home consists of shed human skin cells
• The skin sheds 50 000 dead skin cells per minute
• The skin releases 3 gallons of sweat a day in hot weather
• More than 50% of women spend 30 minutes researching a skin care product before purchasing a product
• Cleopatra’s skin care regimen included bathing in sour milk to exfoliate the skin
• Take good care of your skin:

1. Cleanse the skin correctly
2. Do not smoke
3. Eat a healthy balanced diet
4. Protect the skin against harsh sun exposure
5. Keep hydrated – drink water

The Recreation Africa Group of Companies has a particular interest in preserving our great wildlife heritage and has embarked on assisting in saving the Pygmy Hippopotamus. 

While the Pygmy Hippopotamus is not indigenous to South Africa, as South Africa forms an integral part of the African Continent, continental conservation has to be taken into account in view of the conservation status of the Pygmy Hippopotamus.

Recreation Africa has acquired a breeding pair of “pygmies” – Stoffel 0909 and Mathilda 0708

Over the years, as Misty Hills developed, we commissioned Elsabee Heine, of The Cutting Edge, to create stained glass windows for our property. 

The first one was a round window for the Tusker Pavilion which depicts a Paradise Fly Catcher.
She then made several windows for our Spa – there is one in the reception, one in the Signature Room and another in the indoor pool area.
When extensions to the Carnivore restaurant began, we commissioned a window for the Cigar Lounge, which celebrates good food, drink, and merriment.
Our old porte cochere was remodeled a few years ago and became The Elephant Room, and another of Elsabee’s creations is on show there.
As many of you know, our hotel reception burnt down last year. We took the opportunity to commission another stained glass window here – our architect, Nico Wessels, designed it and Elsabee outdid herself, producing a fantastic eagle.
Next time you visit Misty Hills, be sure to do a tour of the buildings which house these remarkable stained glass windows. They are spectacular and create a soothing ambience to our majestic property.

KING KGOSI MOGALE MOGALE........ 

Kgosi Mogale wa Mogale was born between 1789 and 1799 at Wolhuterskop, between the BaPo Ba Mogale and BaKwena BaMogopa wars, which saw the death of his father. Raised by his grandparents, he grew to be a fine young man, heir to the throne of the BaPo BaMogale kingdom.
When Mzlikazi invaded in 1827, Mogale Mogale was in the process of founding his own military group. He was arrested by the Matabele and the story goes that he was forced to pierce his ears as a form of humiliation. After some years in captivity, he was rescued by a party of BaPo BaMogale and hid in the mountains until, in 1837, he settled in Magaliesberg and was inaugurated King. He had a vision to see his people rise, reconstruct, become unified and develop their kingdom to its former glory. He formed a good relationship with the Boers when he pursued Gozane, Ndebele’s Headman, and slayed him and took his men prisoners, but, in 1847, he was suspected of gunrunning and conspiracy and was forced to flee to ThabaNchu, Basotholand, leaving all his possessions behind, including 1000 head of cattle.
He remained there for almost 15 years, in the company of other kings of the Batswana who had fled, under the protection of Kgosi Moshoeshoe. In 1858, Kgosi Mogale Mogale participated in the Senekal war. In 1862/3 he invited his people to join him and purchased their sacred lands at the foot of Wolhuterskop from Orsmond, for 499 head of cattle. This is where many of his descendants live to this day. However, he had been declared a criminal, wanted dead or alive by Veldkornet Gert Kruger, and so returned to Basotholand where he remained between 1865 and 1868, and fought in the Battle of Siqiti. He was resolved to restore his kingdom and managed to reach consensus with the then President of the Zuid Afrikansche Republiek.
The remaining years of his life he spent in Wolhuterskop with his people, and in 1869 Kgosi Mogale Mogale passed away at the age of 70.In BaPo BaMogale’s history, Kgosi Mogale Mogale dominates their geneaology of kings. He rose to be a Black Star and Black Iron Pot of the BaPo BaMogale nation, beloved by his people and remembered for his bravery, diplomacy and leadership.

Treatment of the week........

Is your skin feeling dehydrated from the harshness of the cold winter? 

Treat yourself to a Shea Butter Full Body Massage Ritual - with a combination of essential oils and Shea Butter, this massage ritual calms the mind and balances the body.

(Shea Butter provides all the essential vitamins needed to make skin look and feel smoother, softer and most importantly, healthier. Its therapeutic properties protect the skin from wind, cold, sun and it helps heal wounds faster. Shea Butter stimulates cellular activity, fights the effects of aging and repairs rough, damaged skin.)

Save the date and join us in celebration......

Every year on 9 August we celebrate Women’s Day in South Africa, a public holiday that pays homage to the women of our nation.

Did you know Misty Hills has Botanical Status?

PAUL KRUGER COUNTRY HOUSE MUSEUM @ KEDAR.

It is often forgotten that, before becoming President of the old Suid-Afrikaanse Republiek, Paul Kruger was a successful farmer who owned and worked several farms in the Rustenburg district. On one of these - Boekenhoutfontein - stands the Paul Kruger Country Museum which encompasses a collection of unique historic buildings, offering a fascinating insight into Kruger's life and a time when South Africa was locked in a struggle for sovereignty with the British Empire. Declared a national monument in 1936, and preserved by the Simon van der Stel Foundation since 1971, it is now administered by Kedar Country Hotel, Conference Centre & Spa and has been restored to its former glory.The buildings were damaged by British forces during the Anglo Boer War, and after President Kruger's death in exile in 1904, the property passed to his descendants. "Boekenhoutfontein belongs to you - preserve it as your own" - Simon v.d. Stel Foundation.The main house, where Kruger lived with his 16 children and his second wife, Gezina, is a solid and stately building which portrays his invincible belief in the future of his country. Built in a neat row, the buildings bear witness to his sense of order and symmetry. Simple building methods and materials are evident, such as rough beechwood lintels, cow dung, peach pip and blood floors and roof beams fastened by dowels and leather thongs. Period furniture and authentic wallpaper have been recreated by craftsmen in Europe; Kruger's rifle is on show - possibly the one with which he killed a lion at the tender age of 14 - together with one of his many bibles and the bellows organ, played by his wife Gezina, plus many gifts given to him by visiting state dignitaries. The Bronkhorst House, dating back to the early 1840s, was occupied by Kruger while he was building his first house at Boekenhoutfontein. It is reportedly the oldest white owned dwelling in the then Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek. This property neighbours the Bafokeng nation whom Kruger befriended and persuaded to register their land rights, resulting in today's great Bafokeng wealth generated through its royalties from the platinum mines. In close proximity can be found family graves, the koppie where Kruger often sought religious guidance and the saddle in the hills where he hid his horses from the British forces. The old schoolhouse, which has served many purposes over the years, can be transformed into a simple chapel & conference room. The dams built by Kruger have also been restored and today serve as watering holes for the herds of game which can be viewed roaming the surrounding untouched bushveld.

Kudu Schnitzel Recipe!

Serves 4-6, 1 Kudu loin, about 1,5kg (Kudu can be replaced with any other antelope species) 120g Seasoned cake flour, 4 eggs beaten, 150g bread crumbs, oil for frying, lemon wedges, Cut the loin into +- 250g steaks, place steak in a thick plastic bag and gently beat with a meat mallet on each side until steak is +- 1cm thick. The plastic bag prevents the mallet from tearing the meat. Do this to all the steaks. Dip the steaks into flour, then into the beaten egg then coat with bread crumbs. Place in fridge for +- 45 min , keep the schnitzels separate from one another. Heat oil in frying pan and fry schnitzels until golden brown on both sides. Serve immediately with French fries or starch of your choice. A lemon butter, cheese or mushroom sauce will enhance the dish.

Hall of Kings Series: 
QUEEN MODJADJI V
The Rain Queen, Queen of the Lovedu people, which her dynasty has ruled for two hundred years. Even among the convoluted and very often bizarre histories of African royal succession, Queen Modjadji’s story is unique. For a start she has thirty three wives! The Lovedu Queen is forbidden by custom to marry men and must choose her wives from among the eldest daughters of her people. Then there is the fact that her lineage was generated by incest! It all began on the Northern banks of the Limpopo river, when a certain Princess Dzuguzini, daughter of the sacred King of Mambo, potentate of the Empire of Monomotapa, indulged in an illicit affair and was impregnated as a result. Dzuguzini steadfastly refused to reveal the name of the perpetrator to her outraged father and was banished from the kingdom. Departing into exile and an uncertain future in a hostile and war torn land, with an infant child to support, Princess Dzuguzini was in desperate need of a measure of security, a situation she resolved by taking with her the sacred rainmaking beads of Mambo, with their attendant power to control the elements. In the fullness of time, the father of her son was revealed to be her own brother, the Prince of Mambo, which made her son heir to the throne, to which he ascended upon the death of the King. Having established something of a family tradition, the dynasty continued to perpetuate itself by incest, with the consequence that the fifth king, Mugado, was completely paranoid, and, in an African version of the Oedipus myth, became convinced that he would be murdered by his own son. His terror of patricide lead him to take the drastic measure of having his male heirs asphyxiated at birth. This gruesome practice resulted in the propagation of a line of female succession, redoubtable Queens who defended their people by controlling the storms and inflicting flood or drought upon their enemies. This power over the clouds and the rain was passed down from mother to daughter, along with the throne. Not surprisingly, the surrounding tribes came to view the Lovedu with some trepidation, in particular the otherwise dauntless Zulus, who believed the Mambo Queens to be fearsome predatory witches, with four lungs, who lurked in the swamps waiting to ambush hapless travellers Whatever their reputation may have been, the Mambo Queens were certainly fierce and successful survivors, embodied today by the present Queen, Her Majesty Modjadji V. Call it superstition if you will, but within one hour of the unveiling of the statue on the evening of Sunday October 29th , a violent thunderstorm assailed the misty hills of Muldersdrift, and it rained heavily for five consecutive days. Draw your own conclusions! Heraldry was first taken to southern Africa in1488, with the Portuguese adventurer, Bartholomew Diaz, who had stone crosses erected bearing the arms of Portugal. The Portuguese were probably the first to grant arms to an indigenous king in this area. The Emperor Monomatapa was given his coat of arms by the King of Portugal in 1569. The Rain Queen descends from the house of Monomatapa