A Galaxy Far, Far Away

The known universe

Galacticboogaloo

May the room service be with you

Imagine you’re one of those guests in West World, albeit without the scary robots and without the murder and devastation. Walt Disney World’s soon-to-launch Star Wars-themed hotel is essentially a make-believe fantasy – living aboard the Halcyon, a Galactic Starcruiser with staffers costumed as characters from the sci-fi film franchise that will enable these theme park accommodations to charge an outrageous fortune (around $1 200 per person per night – plus you’ll need to factor in the cost of flights to Florida).

Good news is that all food (in the Crown of Corellia Dining Room where dishes from across the galaxy will be served), non-alcoholic drinks, and a whole bunch of interactive activities are included, including lightsaber training and an excursion to the planet of Batuu. The hotel opens in March 2022, although it’s already sold out until June. disneyworld.disney.go.com

 Soul restoring skies

For a real treat, head through Clanwilliam, east on Pakhuis Pass, and continue 34km until you reach Bushmans Kloof, an 8 000-hectare wilderness reserve with by far the most luxurious accommodations in the Cederberg. Reality is totally suspended since you could be a million miles from anywhere, cradled by nature, while in fact you’re in the lap of luxury.

On game drives, your ranger mixes a mean G&T, and there are rock art sites, trails and crystal-clear rock pools. More than anything, though, what you’ll relish is the silence, the space, and the sweet serenity that digs into your soul as – after dark – you set your eyes heavenward to observe clear dark skies festooned with stars. bushmanskloof.co.za

 Reconnect with the universe

The idea at Bliss and Stars, a wilderness retreat in an exquisite valley along the banks of the Doring River in the Cederberg mountains, is to be afforded the space and environment to slow down and re-evaluate, to recharge, to tap into the healing power of nature. ‘Ours is a space to transcend,’ say the owners who operate on a strict ‘retreats only’ system, so it never feels like just another hotel. The formula, as the name attests, is actually pretty simple: Mindful immersion in experiences that help fine-tune the connection between mind and body, and a setting that draws focus up towards the heavens – and, more specifically, towards the canopy of stars that seem to shine so much brighter here, where light pollution is almost non-existent. blissandstars.com

Intrepid storyteller

Stellar Tales

A journey of imagination in KZN

Mlendeni Sitole will tell you things about the night skies – and the stars – that you never imagined, not in your wildest dreams. Part of a broader socially-responsible tourism programme in the Drakensberg foothills near Giant’s Castle, Antbear Lodge has helped foster Mlendeni’s storytelling skills into an overnight experience unlike any other. He’s set up a stargazing  hammock camp – with blankets and hot-water bottles – where the heavens are a canvas against which he shares African folktales about the night skies with Antbear’s guests.

Mlendeni says his interest in the stars began when he was a young boy and his grandmother told origin stories to the beat of a drum as they sat around a fire. Now, with the entire universe at his fingertips and the Milky Way clearly visible, Mlendisi invariably begins by explaining how the sun and moon came to be in the sky, why the sky is so far away, and how hunters are guided home by a maiden who created the Milky Way. And, of course, how the Milky Way was created.

He’ll point out major constellations while weaving in marvellous Zulu myths and legends – his knack for storytelling will not leave
you unmoved. antbear.co.za