Manfields: Fields of men, fields of dreams, fields of passion or fields of pleasure?? Perhaps a little of each!! We were invited to the 2nd Birthday party celebrations which took place on the weekend of the 24th to 27th September, so Petros and I hopped in his gleaming black Merc (the Rolls got the weekend off!!) and headed up to Bela Bela on the Friday afternoon: it was just an easy 2 hour run up there.
Living the sheltered life that I do, I had not heard of Manfields who do not generally advertise, so I was not at all sure what to expect other than what I could glean from their website. I was, however, getting a little bit excited as the party was themed and we were asked to join in the fun as Roman gladiators. (I was rather looking forward to being ‘put to the sword’!!) I balked at getting myself up in a leather tunic, amulets, helmet, sword and shield so I selected a more sedate Roman Senators’ outfit which ended up a bit like bad drag with a flowing white robe, with gold sash and a head band reminiscent of a tiara!! Petros, however, looked splendid as a robust black charioteer.
Manfields was opened just over 2 years ago by André Heunis and his then partner: they have since split up and I am sure André was wondering how he was going to run his 25 hectares plus the resort alone, but was very fortunate to find Danie, who has become his manager and very much the ‘mine host’. I have seldom met anyone so hard working and Danie is in charge of the kitchen and service staff , oversees the chalets and is always around with the guests being his natural unfailingly charming self. André is more serious but equally as charming and we enjoyed chatting to them both. Manfields is not clothing-optional although nude sunbathing around the pool is permitted, but put your Speedos on if you head over to the bar for a dora!! This is a resort to relax and unwind in true virgin bush surroundings in the company of other likeminded men who are probably not looking for a jol around the sheets as their ultimate goal! Indeed it is somewhere to bring your lover or partner either in a group of just the two of you without feeling you have to keep your eye on him! This is not to say that ‘nothing’ goes on, for, indeed, we did become aware of a certain amount of cavorting and shenanigans albeit in the privacy of the accommodation!
The accommodation consists of 12 cabins, spaced well apart nestled in the bush, which are very adequate having double beds, ample hanging and storage space, electric outlets for those vibrators or whatever, and excellent shower rooms with constant hot water, basin and toilet, plus that essential fridge to make sure your liquid refreshments remain chilled and the wors doesn’t go off!. They have a small outside deck and a braai as well as a parking space. They are equipped with bedding although in cooler weather you might want to bring an additional blanket or duvet with you. You will also need to bring your own towels and if you plan to use the braai you will need to bring the necessary utensils as well as a kettle, mugs and spoons for that reviving coffee the minute you open your eyes!! My only comment would be that we would have liked a couple of chairs and a small table on the deck of the cabin, so we could enjoy relaxing there. I guess that guests are expected to bring their own but this is not always practical especially if you are swooping up there in your TT convertible!! Pets are welcome, (André has several friendly ones himself and there is wi-fi connectivity if you absolutely must stay in touch! There is a lot more information on the well designed website and as is pointed out, Bela Bela is just a few kms away for anything you may have forgotten and without which you cannot survive. Further accommodation involves three tents on raised deck in a ‘bush village’, ideal for a group of 6, as well as plenty of sites for tents and caravans. Water and electricity is available and there are communal toilets and showers closer to the main building: these are modern, inviting and spotlessly clean.
Back to our weekend: we pulled up to the main building which houses the bar, restaurant, lounge with wide screen TV (DSTV on tap!!), pool table and 2 Jacuzzis, and Danie was there in the driveway to greet us with a delightful smile. Checking in we were presented with rolled parchment scrolls welcoming us to Caesar André’s empire and gladiator games, promptly had our first dora and then made our way over to our cabin to unpack. We then wandered back over to the main building to commence the evening’s fun. A few doras later dinner was served which consisted of a fantastic smorgasbord of cold meats, salads, delicious and exotic cheeses, dried fruits, fresh bread and crackers, followed by a sinful cheesecake and fresh fruit. We certainly were not going to leave thinner than we arrived!! This, of course, all washed down with copious quantities of wine served by an absolutely heavenly (alas straight) bartender, Johan, who turned out to be very ‘ambidextrous’ and after dinner turned his hand to being a DJ and karaoke singer with a very acceptable voice to go with those stunning looks. Some of the boys and ‘girls’ hopped into the 2 Jacuzzis while others elected to dance and party away until the wee hours: I am not sure how some found their way to their cabins or if a few ended up in the ‘wrong’ ones!!
The next morning the guests slowly made their way to the yummy buffet breakfast, where the conversation centred on hangover cures! I think the consensus was a few pills, a dora or two and a relaxing day round the pool. A few of the more energetic cavorted on the maxi Gladiators Inflatable pool slide which André and Johan had erected. There was plenty to keep everyone busy with water polo, net ball, pool, the Jacuzzis or a leisurely bush walk around the 25 hectares. I think naps were the order of the afternoon though. At 5.00 p.m. sharp, we were all invited for a ‘booze cruise’ around the property: the ‘cruise ship’ turned out to be a tractor and trailer with André at the ‘helm’ and chairs on the trailer, doras in our hands we had great fun and André was very informative and showed us the various landmarks including the area where he intends building a dam and some luxury self catering chalets: this is all on the cards for next year. André seems a very talented man, and well able to turn his hand to anything. His profession is a petroleum engineer, and having quit Sasol, he is now a consultant for them a few days a week and the rest of the time his loving attention is directed towards Manfields which he proudly says he built himself with the help of a little local labour. What is very warming is that all that he does is with the environment in mind and everything he builds is eco friendly; he has also removed all the non indigenous vegetation from his land and introduced some bok.
After the ‘booze cruise’ we all went off to sort out our costumes for the evening and by 7.00 p.m. the bar area was resplendent with gladiators, charioteers and me in my ‘bad drag’ Roman senators’ outfit all ready for the birthday celebrations. Danie made a splendid set up of tastefully decorated tables and a sumptuous buffet for dinner: candles glowed, cutlery and glassware sparkled, the fresh flower decorations scented the perfect evening under the bushveld stars and the festivities commenced! The leisurely dinner punctuated with conversation and laughter, complete, the costume parade commenced. Petros, André and I were the judges and it was certainly a difficult choice: it seemed most of the cute ones there were in costume so I duly made them parade up and down a few times! Tsk tsk!! And the winners were, (we couldn’t make up our minds on a single one), David & Patrick, who duly received a free weekend for two at Manfields: not a bad prize! The rest of the evening was a little more subdued than the previous one: I guess not everyone had recovered: but it was nonetheless very enjoyable with some of the guests settled comfortably around a roaring bonfire, some back in those ever so popular Jacuzzis and others just relaxing in the lounge area. Johan once again entertained us with his marvelous voice and then continued the evening with some mood music. It was an evening to remember and I think I detected a tear of joy in André’s eye!
The next morning dawned bright and sunny with the bird life, (some 150 species), in full concert. After a yawn and a stretch and a leisurely shower we settle ourselves on the al fresco sofas and chatted until yet another delicious breakfast was served: being a holiday weekend a number of guests had decided to make an early exit and beat the traffic and by mid morning there were just 4 or 5 of us left being entertained by the acrobatics of Johan and Petros on the pool slide. Later in the morning we bid our fond farewells to our new found hosts (for we will surely be back) and, feeling relaxed and adequately pampered, headed back to the metropolis.
So thank you André, Danie and Johan (and your hard working staff) for a pleasurable and well planned birthday weekend: just please get a few chairs and tables for those cabin decks and perhaps a slightly extended choice of wines for those of us who enjoy the noble grape as the Romans certainly did in ancient Rome!
And to you, my faithful followers, make your pilgrimages to Manfields and enjoy the hospitality of André, Danie and their staff: you will come away feeling refreshed, relaxed, satisfied and probably with some new found friends listed in your phonebook. Check out the web site for special weekends coming up.

Ian’s Rating: Manfields gets a well deserved 4 Candelabras and I will be back!! Just remember that this is not a ‘luxury’ resort, but a very comfortable, well managed one, with good food, a warm ambience and wonderful host, where you are able to do as much or as little as you like.

Details:
Manfields All Male Resort
Portion 145, Farm Tweefontein
Bela Bela
(Directions on their website)

Web site: www.manfields.co.za
e-mail: info@manfields.co.za

Phone: 083 399 0779
André: 079 178 5578
Fax: 0866 759 696