Madi a Thavha Lodge, which translates to water of the mountain in TshiVenda, named after the spring water from the surrounding mountains, is as close to an Eden paradise as one can imagine. This sanctuary, nestled in the magestic hills of Limpopo is the perfect refuge from the rat-race of big city life and is an elsewhere worthy of seeking out. The lodge offers visitors a choice between a Venda lifestyle and a cultural tour, both conducted by Musa, the resident guide.

The lifestyle tour is a laid-back introduction to daily life in some of Venda’s rural villages and the capital, Thohoyandou. It’s a welcomed change of pace from the art loaded excitement of the cultural tour. Heading in the direction of Sibasa we pass the Vondo dam and hear from Musa about the dam’s many crocodiles and traditional Venda myths about a sacred Python that inhabits the waters. En route to our first destination we pass the beautiful Tshivhase tea plantations. We finally arrive at the old open market in Thohoyandou bustling with weekend shoppers. The market is a mix of formal shops, hair salons, and informal vendor stalls bursting with colour, textures and traditional music. The market has something for everyone with its variety of traditional food, indigenous medicinal cures, cheap chinese goods, dried insects and mopane worm snacks, fresh produce and even a quick sip of sorghum beer.

We make a trip to The Thohoyandou Arts and Culture Centre to visit the prolific artist, Avhashoni Mainganye and his students. At the centre students explore various artistic mediums and create sculptured, paintings, etchings, prints and photographs. After a quick tour around the art’s centre we break for a small picnic, packed by the lodge’s staff. From the art’s centre we find artist and jeweler Japhter Luvhimbi, who creates thickset pieces of jewelry from indigenous wood.

On our way back to the lodge we drive passed the Tshakuma roadside market, an open-air 24 hour market that’s open seven days a week. Here travellers can stop and buy fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, which are available in abundance in the area.

And not short of things to do the lodge itself has two hiking trails that each reward the more adventurous visitors with a small waterfall at the end of one route and a giant 500 year old baobab tree at the end of the other trail. For the more creatively inclined guests the lodge’s Dancing Fish art gallery has a permanent collection of traditional Venda beadwork, pottery, carvings and tapestries, and a regular programme of group exhibitions showcasing the latest contemporary art from the region. The go-slow energy of Madi a Thavha is a sharp, but equally paired contrast to the abundance of sights, sounds and tastes of Venda – the only problem though is that eventually one eventually has to leave this paradise.