In the beauty of an undiscovered bush valley you can find the 5 star equivalent Abloom Bush Lodge & Spa Retreat. Just outside of the world famous but small historical town of Cullinan, 30 min east of Pretoria, Carmen and Lowie run their unique and exclusive boutique hotel.
Abloom offers only 4 luxurious suites, build as romantic standalone thatched chalets. All suites are eco-friendly and magnificently designed, build and decorated by Lowie himself and you will be short of eyes to absorb all the creative, stylish and elegant details he has given the lodge. A sense of peace and tranquillity greets you on arrival as the dedicated owners, their 5 dogs and 6 horses welcome you with their gracious hospitality to a luxurious but relaxed and informal farm.
Abloom is centrally located between OR Tambo International Airport of Johannesburg and the Kruger National Park.
Accommodation
All four suites are luxurious, beautifully decorated and tranquil and offer 100% privacy, a hot plunge pool (heated to 36 degrees), outside shower with warm and cold water and outside fire place / bbq on the secluded outside deck.
The elegant standalone chalets all have a small but fully equipped kitchen, fire place, lounge suite, DStv, flat screen TV, romantic candle lit bath, double shower and his and her basin. The extra length king size bed is made with the freshest white linen, old fashioned home washed and sun dried, offers a variety of pillows and is decorated with fresh flowers and bush leaves upon arrival!
Abloom offers a choice between three Executive Suites - sleeping two and one Presidential Suite - sleeping two. The Presidential Suite is more luxurious, has a larger deck and the superior view.
Dining
Abloom does not have a restaurant but does offer exquisite meals for the connoisseurs! Dining at Abloom is a spectacular experience. Lowie serves his three course gourmet meals in your suite where the table has been set under the breath taking African star lit sky. All meals are prepared with the freshest local products which inspire Lowie to design and prepare a unique set menu that may differ daily, al subject to the available ingredients and Lowie’s creative mood!
Wellness
Carmen runs their award winning, exclusive wellness centre, where truly unique treatments and romantic full day spa packages are on the menu. All treatments are done in-suite on your private deck with stunning views of the bush. An experience you will not want to miss. Carmen mixes her own massage oils and uses the beautiful world renowned products of Theravine, a 100% South African eco-friendly product. Pre-booking is advised.
Eco-friendly
Abloom looks after the planet. All products used in the suites and the spa are produced in South Africa and are eco-friendly. The spa doesn’t use disposables and our water is of a good quality so we invite you to drink directly from the tap instead of the bottle! In our kitchen we pride ourselves to use as much organic ingredients as possible. When building our suites we used local and recycled materials, eco-friendly cement, rocks from the farm en local builders. We save up to 10% electricity by using laptops instead of desktops and our dream is to one day go off the grid completely!
THINGS TO DO IN THE AREA:
• Walking with lions
• Horseback safari
• Self-drive safari
• Visit to the picturesque town of Cullinan
• Cullinan mine tour
• Italian Prisoners of War graves
• Township tour
• Hot air ballooning
THINGS TO DO IN WITHIN 1.5 HOURS DRIVE:
• Constitution Hill (internationally awarded)
• Cradle of Mankind (World Heritage site):
• Maropeng
• Caves
• Visit Pretoria
• Visit Johannesburg
Cullinan
In 1902, Sir Thomas Cullinan found a diamond pipe, and by 1904 semidetached houses were built for mine workers. The town was therefore named after Sir Cullinan. On 25 June 1905, the small town made its way into history with the discovery of the legendary Cullinan Diamond. Frederick Wells, who worked for the Premier Diamond Mining Company as a surface manager, made the magnificent find that has remained the biggest diamond ever found in the world.
The Cullinan Diamond weighed 621.2 grams (or 3 106 carats) and was approximately 10 centimetres in length. The Transvaal government bought the diamond and gave it to King Edward VII, as a birthday gift. In 1908, the diamond was cut in half and the biggest piece can still be viewed today, as it is set in a sceptre that forms part of the Crown Jewels of Britain.
Amongst the attractions in Cullinan, visitors will still be able to see the semidetached houses built in 1904, visit the graves of the Italian POW's who perished here during the Second World War or admire the beautiful stone church that was designed by Sir Herbert Baker. One of the most popular activities in town is the tour of the Cullinan Diamond Mine. They are still the leaders in producing some of the best quality gems in the world, and together with a surface tour, visitors will be able to see the mine shaft, the diamond and replica display room, underground tunnel models and the hoist room. After exploring how these precious stones are mined, visitors are invited to the Cullinan Diamond Mine Market, where they can see diamonds being cut and are able to purchase diamonds and jewelery.
