Bushmans Kloof Winter in the Cederberg with “African Travel Solutions”
Another magical winter in the Cederberg
Winter is the ideal season to escape to our corner of the Cederberg for some serious pampering, and much much more.
Dear Friends of Bushmans Kloof
In our corner of the Cederberg, winter is fast approaching after a long and very dry summer. We can sense that flora and fauna alike, are eagerly awaiting the rain that will transform the Cederberg landscape into a vivid blanket of colour. August usually heralds the start of flower season and we have fascinating botanical excursions planned with Ernst Van Jaarsveld, a botanist at Kirstenbosch Gardens, who will be taking guests on a journey of discovery through the reserve and the nearby Biedouw Valley – one of the best vantage points to view the spring flower spectacle in this area.
We recently co-hosted the annual Cedar Tree Planting event with our longstanding partner Cape Nature, in the village of Heuningvlei. As always, the local community turned out to support the event, along with 250 guests and dignitaries to plant 200 young cedar trees. We extend grateful thanks to all who supported this important initiative.
The first Guest Chef events for 2015, were held in June, at our three South African properties – The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa, Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat and The Oyster Box. Gerard Coughlin, Executive Chef at The Chesterfield Hotel in Florida was the visiting chef at each of the events, where guests entered a competition to win two return Business Class trips from Johannesburg to any Delta Air Lines destination in the USA. The winner of the main prize is Ivan Moodley who attended the Durban dinner at The Oyster Box. Consolation prizes were won by Lynette Strom, who will enjoy Tea by the Sea for two people at The Twelve Apostles and Steven Widegger, who won a night night’s stay at Bushmans Kloof.
Excitement is in the air, with our Assistant GM Floris Smith and his Riel dance troupe, Die Nuwe GrasKoue Trappers all set to jet off to Los Angeles on Monday 6 July to participate in the World Championships of the Performing Arts – as part of ‘Team South Africa’. Celebrity playwright and performer David Kramer visited us recently and met with Floris and the Riel dancers. He generously shared valuable advice ahead of their overseas trip. Who could ever forget David and his red ‘veldskoene’ in the advert featuring the VW Kombi? Click here to watch him singing the song he sang for us before he hit the road…
We wish our Riel troupe well and have high hopes that they will bring back the Gold. Special thanks to everyone who helped with the fundraising drive to get them there, along with the Tollman family who is the main sponsor.
Another recent high note for Bushmans Kloof was receiving one of the highest accolades on Trip Advisor, the world’s largest travel site. The coveted ‘Hall of Fame’ award is granted only to those businesses that have earned a Certificate of Excellence for five years running. We are so proud to be recognized in this way by this global travel entity!
Game capture is an important activity that helps us to keep our game numbers at below capacity on the reserve. Last month 20 Eland were successfully captured and relocated, and we are planning another capturing in the next two months or so. Speaking of which, we recently found evidence of Cape Leopard activity out in the reserve and promptly called our friends at The Cape Leopard Trust. They agreed to place six motion cameras at strategic points to track and monitor any leopards moving through our property. With their help we even hope to be able to capture and collar some of these wily animals, before releasing them into the wild again for monitoring purposes. Watch this space!
A reminder that winter is the ideal season to escape to the wilderness for some serious pampering, and our signature Food and Wine and Guest Chef weekends offer just that. For families with young children, our ever-popular 3-night Family Fun events offer wilderness adventures of note.
There’s much to look forward to during the months ahead, and we would love to share these special experiences with you and your family. Hope to see you soon.
Warm regards, James, Dee and the Bushmans Kloof Team
Stay for 4 nights at Koro Lodge, Pay only for 3
If a luxurious stay in a secluded wilderness setting sounds like your dream holiday, then our four night fully inclusive special offer at private villa Koro Lodge is for you – with one night entirely on us.
Gather family or friends and relax while your private chef and guide take care of you. ABOUT KORO LODGE READ MORE
Botanical – 2 Night Special Events
Join Kirstenbosch botanist Ernst van Jaarsveld for a fascinating excursion out in the reserve among 755 indigenous plant species. Discover fascinating facts about Fynbos, Rooibos and other unique plants that grow naturally in the Cederberg, while you feast your eyes on the dazzling array of wild flowers. Friday 7 to Sunday 9 August & Friday 14 to Sunday 16 August READ MORE
To book or for further information contact Mel @ African Travel Solutions Ltd
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