For the Wine Lovers

Cape Town is unique in so many ways, but perhaps none more so than the diversity of world class wine routes right on the doorstep.

Constantia Valley Wine Route

The Constantia Valley is the closest wine route to the city, and no more than 20 minutes away.   This region is home to both the country’s oldest established wine farms and some of the newest.  Constantia wines are largely cool climate offerings, so look out for world class Sauvignon Blancs, wonderful reds and infamous sweet wine offerings.

Stellenbosch American Express® Wine Routes

The Stellenbosch Wine Route was the first wine region in South Africa to establish a wine route along an organised network of wineries. The route boasts almost 200 wine and grape producers and due to its vastness is divided into a number of sub regions…
Stellenbosch Berg
Stellenbosch Hills
Greater Simonsberg
Bottelary Hills
Helderberg (Somerset West)

The historic student town of Stellenbosch is the ideal place to start your exploration of this region and is not to be missed.

Helderberg Wine Route

The wineries that fall under the Helderberg Wine Route’s jurisdiction are all in and around the Somerset West area, a 30 minute drive from the city. Historic estates line up alongside cutting edge modern cellars, all producing a wonderful diverse array of wines.  In recent times, it has acquired a reputation for producing impressive white wines, particularly Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.


Durbanville Valley Wine Route
A short drive north of the city will quickly have you in the Durbanville Valley. Most of the wine estates here offer wonderful dining in addition to their fabulous wines and many with spectacular views back across the ocean towards Table Mountain.


Franschhoek Wine Route

The Franschhoek Valley is a spectacularly beautiful wine route.  With many of the wine farms sharing a French Huguenot heritage, expect to find enormous French influence here and not surprisingly a Champagne-inspired sparkling win sub-route, the “Cap Classique Route”.  The gorgeously quaint village of Franschhoek abounds with art galleries, antique shops, restaurants and boutique hotels.


Activities also on offer in the winelands

Live performances, spas, birdwatching, brandy tasting, art galleries, cheese-making, fly-fishing, game drives, horse riding, olives, food and wine pairings

For more information please contact us at 

info@southern-africa-travel.com

www.southern-africa-travel.com

Matobo Hills Lodge

Matobo Hills Lodge is situated within a private wildlife reserve bordering Matobo National Park (50km from Bulawayo). Matopos hills is an area of exquisite beauty, the lodge's accommodation units are built upon a granite outcrop with sweeping panoramic views over the surrounding hills. There is a separate lounge/bar which commands spectacular 360-degree views of Mount Ififi and the Maleme Valley.

Accommodation

 

In an area of exquisite beauty, the lodge's accommodation units are built upon a granite outcrop with outlooks over the surrounding hills. 34 beds in seventeen luxury hilltop lodges; 13 twin bedded and 4 double bedded.

Facilites
 

A separate lounge/bar which commands spectacular 360 degree views of Mount Ififi and the Maleme Valley. A swimming pool has been built into the granite dome to resemble a natural rock pool. Laundry, gift shop, swimming pool, conference facilities for 40.
 

Restaurant and Bar Facilities

Meal times are at the usually accepted times but can be dependent on game drives and will vary seasonally. All meals are Table d'hôte with a wide selection of dishes. Meals are taken in a thatched dining room or open air gazebo depending on the weather.

For more information please contact us at 

res@zimbabwe-reservations.com

www.zimbabwe-reservations.com

Grassland Bushman Lodge

Grassland Bushman Lodge (Central Kalahari, Botswana) is a little world of wonders… As our name suggests, our main activity is based on our cultural activities with our local San people. Guests get the opportunity to meet our local San people and to spend some time with them. This is truly an amazing experience and likewise, this gives the San people a feeling of appreciation as their culture is on the verge of extinction. A wide variety of Kalahari animals and bird species can also be seen on 4WD game drives or on horseback, or guests can simply gaze out at the numerous species attracted to our own floodlit waterhole, a mere 50 yards away in front of the lodge.

Accommodation:

At Grassland, you will be amazed by the comfortable chalets, dining facilities, and hospitable staff. Grassland has eight extremely well furnished chalets, each with their own en-suite bathrooms, beds, closets, safe and dressing table.

Each facility has constant hot water and your laundry is done daily at no extra cost. They can accommodate up to 16 guests and have a family suite as well.

Camp Site

All four camp sites are well shaded, have running water, a fire pit and a braaier (BBQ grill). At the camp site they also have two ablution facilities; with running water and a “Donkey boiler” for warm
water (wood for the Donkey boiler is supplied by Grassland Bushman Lodge).

Activities

Guests are free to take life at their own pace and soak up the unique atmosphere of the lodge, but you’ll always find there’s something different to do. Because of the lodge’s unusual location, many of the activities offered are either exclusively available at Grassland or will be sufficiently different from anywhere else, to make the experience
truly memorable.

 

1.Cultural activities with the local Bushman – Their main activity…
2.Predator Protection Project
3.Horse Riding & Horse Safaris
4.Game Viewing  

 There’s never a dull moment at Grassland Bushman Lodge!

For more information please contact us at 

info@botswana-reservations.com

www.botswana-reservations.com

The Nata Sanctuary

The Nata Sanctuary is part of the Makgadikgadi Pans Important Bird Area (IBA), and as such is one of Botswana’s premier birding destinations. After good rains, hundreds of thousands of globally threatened Lesser Flamingos, along with Greater Flamingos, Chestnut-banded Plovers, Great White and Pink-backed Pelicans, and a host of other waterbirds converge on the nutrient-rich waters of the pans. As the pan dries out, the Sanctuary hosts the largest congregation of Lesser Flamingos in Southern Africa – a flamboyant spectacle and a must for any bird enthusiast.

How to get to the Sanctuary

The Nata Sanctuary is situated 170km northwest of Francistown, on the northeastern tip of the great Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. The Makgadikgadi was once the site of the largest inland lake in southern Africa, which dried up between 10,000 and 20,000 years ago. Today remnants of this great lake exist in the form of two large salt pans, Ntwetwe Pan in the west and Sua Pan in the east, that flood only temporarily in the wet season.

Facilities and activities for birders

Camping

The Nata Sanctuary provides affordable camping in the Mophane woodland near the entrance of the park. Enjoy a private campsite complete with braai place and table. Ablutions consist of hot showers and flush toilets. Luxury tents are under construction at present.

Birdwatching

 

Nata Sanctuary is a birdwatchers’ paradise but varies greatly throughout the year. In order to see the birds at their best, it is advisable to enquire from staff about conditions within the Sanctuary.

Viewing platform/hide

 
A viewing platform/hide provides panoramic views of the pan and sunsets.

For more information please contact us at 

info@namibiareservations.com

www.namibiareservations.com

Tswapong Hills

The Tswapong hills, located 40km south of Palapye, are about 15km wide and rise 400m above their surroundings. These hills have their own micro-climate with considerably more rainfall than the regional average resulting in rich biodiversity. The water in the hills is its main attraction and it was this that led the to the formation of Phalatswe in the Phothophotho valley. This 30,000 strong settlement moved on as the water source dried up, perhaps due to the high demand. A number of villages still exist at the foot of the hills with the surrounding area being a good source of water and grazing land for livestock.

Wildlife

The flora and fauna of the hills can be spectacular with some plant species found here that are not found anywhere else in Botswana. The hills are home to a number of mammals including leopard, brown hyena, kudu and porcupine though these are seldom seen due to the pressures of hunting in the area. Rock dassies are commonly seen as are Baboons and this is one of the few areas in Botswana where Jameson's Rock Rabbit is found. The streams and pools contain small fish and crabs and the birdlife is abundant with over 330 species being seen. There are two Cape Vulture colonies in the Hills - one at Gootau and the other at Moremi. These birds are a protected species and therefore tourists are required to take care not to disturb these birds especially during the breeding season.

Places of Interest

The Tswapong Hills contain many deep gorges with seasonal and some permanent springs giving rise to streams which form cascading waterfalls in places with deep pools. The most accesible and perhaps most spectacular waterfalls can be found in the Moremi Gorge - now a conservation area due to the protected Cape Vultures which breed here. This area is part of the Moremi Community Trust project and an entrance fee is charged for this area. There are many unexplored gorges due to the prevalant fear of ancestral spirits which are believed to dwell in the hills. As a result the area remains unspoilt and contains many hidden 

treasures for the intrepid explorer.

Old Palapye (Phalatswe)

Malaka Gorge, Phothophotho Gorge, Gootau

For more information please contact us at

 info@botswana-reservations.com

www.botswana-reservations.com

Mana Pools National Park

The mighty Zambezi River flows from Lake Kariba through the Lower Zambezi Valley, a huge rift in the earth's crust. Over the millennia the Zambezi has rushed through this valley creating islands, channels and sandbanks. Old river meanders, left in the mineral-rich volcanic soils, have formed into small ox-bow lakes surrounded by lush vegetation and tall old stands of mahogany and ebony. This abundance of water and luxuriant greenery accounts for the valley's wealth of big game.

Where to stay in Mana Pools

 
There are now three permanent camps here which we recommend, all accessible by light aircraft – and sometimes by transfers into the park along the road or river.

Ruckomechi Camp

 
Just outside of Mana Pools National Park's western boundary, Ruckomechi Camp has ten large reed and thatch chalets with en suite facilities. The camp was relocated a couple of years ago and the new location offers great views of both national parks on either side of the Zambezi. Ruckomechi Camp's guides conduct walking trips and game drives, as well as canoeing or fishing trips on the river. 

Vundu Camp

 
Nestled on the riverbank is a simple yet comfortable bush camp with seven tents where the emphasis is on professionalism, rather than luxury. Each tent has a porch, twin (or double) beds, and an en suite shower and a flushing toilet. There are many open living spaces, a bar, and a dining room which sits on a sandy patch right next to the river. Walks, drives and canoe excursions are all possible.

Kanga Bush Camp

 
Kanga Bush Camp is the newest addition to Mana Pools having only opened last year. It's located near the unspoilt Kanga Pan, allowing excellent wildlife-spotting opportunities with few other people around. The camp consists of 6 canvas tents overlooking the waterhole, and the activities here focus on 4WD safaris as well as walking into areas inaccessible by car.

For more information please contact us at  

res@zimbabwe-reservations.com

www.zimbabwe-reservations.com