Boutique Hotels in South Africa

Boutique Hotels have become extremely popular over the world and South Africa is no exception. You can now find a good choice of Boutique Hotels in South Africa which all seem to offer something different . Many of these Boutique Hotels are more intimate and offer an ideal romantic getaway or weekend break. They also make ideal wedding function locations offering privacy and lovely settings. Generally these venues have achieved a minimum 4 star status and have been decorated to a high standard and offer something a little extra that your normal hotel. From ideal locations such as Cocomo Boutique Hotel in Hartbeespoort in the North-West Province of South Africa to Casta Diva set on the slopes of the Magaliesberg in stunning peaceful surroundings in Gauteng Province its worth seeking out these venues and to spoil yourselves. Many of these venues are family run and provide real home-from-home touches with the opportunity to recharge your batteries and getaway from the stresses of work and city life.

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Marloth Park in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa

Marloth Park can be found towards the southern edge of the famous Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Visitors to the 3,000 hectare Marloth Park can find some of the best game viewing conditions in South Africa and excellent accommodation to stay in. No fences are allowed around Marloth Park creating a natural environment for the abundance of animals to be found here.

Visitors are spoilt for accommodation in Marloth Park with some wonderful lodges offering everything from self-catering to luxury boutique style hotel accommodation. It is very common to find animals like nyala and kudu wondering around the accommodation in Marloth Park. Other animals to be found here include giraffe, lion, rhino, buffalo, warthog and zebra.

For families on a budget then self-catering accommodation offers an affordable holiday option with a chance to share the thrill of game viewing.  Marloth Park sits on the banks of the Crocodile River which is a haven for many different types of birds. For the adventurous types you can even enjoy a micro-light flight and observe the wild animals from the skies. In the evenings the skies in Marloth Park come alive with stars creating a majestic night sky. You will often find accommodation in Marloth Park with balconies so you can sit in the evening and watch the glorious sunsets while sipping on your sundowner.

From your Marloth Park accommodation you can easily explore the wonders of Kruger National Park or even take a day trip to the beaches of Mozambique. For other accommodation in South Africa visit Where2Stay-SouthAfrica.

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Formula 1 returns to South Africa in 2014

Formula 1 Racing is returning to South Africa at the famous Kyalami Race Track on 20th November 2014. Due to the cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix earlier this year there was a gap in the schedule that needed to be filled and South Africa has won the race to host the replacement. This is great news for South Africa and the economy as it will bring a real boost to local businesses and tourism around the Kyalami Grand Prix track.

David Coulthard recently drove around the Kyalami Race Track to test its suitability and gave the race track a ringing endorsement with just a few minor changes required to ensure a safe and successful race. The last time South Africa hosted a Grand Prix at Kyalami was back in 1993 when the likes of
Alain Prost was racing.

The Grand Prix at Kyalami will be followed by a huge concert with big acts such as U2, Shakira, Beyonce and Usher all playing. Kyalami Grand Prix Race Track is in Midrand in Gauteng Province, South Africa.

Gauteng Province has excellent self-catering accommodation, guest house accommodation, hotels and Bed and Breakfast accommodation to ensure your visit to this Grand Prix is an enjoyable one.

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Kloof - a leafy suburb of Durban

The small town of Kloof is a suburb located on the greater Durban area in KwaZulu-Natal. Kloof translates from Afrikaans to mean Gorge and is named after the deep gorge that has been formed from the Molweni River. The Kloof Gorge forms part of the Krantzkloof Nature Reserve which extends for approximately 5 square kilometres. The middle to upper class suburb of Kloof borders onto Winston Park, Forest Hills, Gillitts and Hillcrest which together are known as the Upper Highway Area. The area is also known as a mist-belt and includes winding roads and lovely mansions surrounded by trees. There are a number of shopping malls in the area such as Maytime Shopping Centre, the Village Mall, Fields Shopping Centre and Delcairn Centre. There is a lovely selection of places to stay in Kloof from Guest Houses, Bed and Breakfast and self catering accommodation.

Kloof Country Club is located in the green hills of Kloof, within easy access of Durban, and combines a wide choice of activites from the wonderful 18 hole Golf Course, to a squash centre, dining and conference facilities, tennis courts, swimming pool and also a cricket pitch. The Golf Course has been designed to USGA standards and offers a challenging course with a well earned refreshment break available at the Halfway House.

The Krantzkloof Nature Reserve is approximately 532 hectares in size and is managed by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. Although you will not see the Big 5 here you will discover zebra, grey duiker, vervet monkey, bushbuck, mongoose, genets, rock hyrax and many other animals. The birdlife here is excellent with over 200 different variety of birds being recorded. Much of the reserve is covered by thick forest and vegitation and has superb views across the gorge that has been created by the Molweni River.

Click here for more ideas on where to stay in Durban.

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Weekend away at Oceana Beach & Wildlife Reserve - Port Alfred

This weekend we spent a night at Oceana Beach and Wildlife Reserve which is located just 5 minutes outside of Port Alfred on the Eastern Cape Sunshine Coast. Oceana is situated in an elevated position overlooking 7km of private beachfront in the maleria-free Eastern Cape. It opened its doors for business approximately
4 years ago and has established itself as a 5 Star Game Reserve and Spa Retreat.

The location is extremely private and has a really romatic feel about it. The main lodge has a lovely bar with seating around a log fire and separate dining rooms. It would make an ideal setting for a wedding function or to just getaway and pamper yourself for a few days. We arrived early evening and enjoyed some pre-dinner drinks on the patio overlooking the Indian Ocean whilst gazing at the amazing star-filled sky.

As we were celebrating a special occasion our hosts had organised us a private table for 2 in one of their lounges with a lovely fire going next to us. The food was of a very high standard and the service was excellent. After dinner we enjoyed our superb cappuccinos by the open log fire by the bar. Next to the bar area there is a very nice patio with steps leading up to the swimming pool and boma. If you are having your wedding here then Oceana have a large Bedouin-style tent that covers this area and makes for a wonderful setting.




That evening we stayed in a lovely chalet with large balcony overlooking the Reserve and Indian Ocean. Our room had a wonderful double bed with TV at the end of it. There was also a his'n'hers bathrooms with a bath with views outside in one of them. The rooms are extremely well appointed and very spacious.

In the morning we sat outside with our coffee and watch the sunrise and the animals roam around just a short distance away. Oceana is not a Big 5 Game Reserve but it still has Giraffe, Rhino, Zebra, Buffalo, Wildebeest and many other animals. There is a lovely fitness room near the Lodge with magnificent views plus an excellent Spa with a range of treatments available. Other activities on offer at Oceana include; Surf and Rock Fishing, Game Drives, Bush Picnic and Sundowners, 5 hole putting green on the Heli Pad, Steam Room and Games Room.

Visit Where2Stay-SouthAfrica for more South Africa Accommodation ideas. 

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Our friends trip to Bukela Lodge in the Amakhala Game Reserve in Eastern Cape

Des and I had the wonderful experience of staying at Bukela Lodge in the Amakhala Reserve a 5 star Eastern Cape Game Lodge last weekend.

We arrived at Bukela Lodge about 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon and were welcomed by Steve, Kerry and Sandra.   We were taken through to the lounge where a welcome drink was waiting.    Sandra then went through the programme at the lodge and we signed the indemnity form – you can definitely see why this needs to be signed when you meet some of the guests who want to experience Africa.

Our room was everything that we had expected and more.    Each room is positioned so that it is completely private.    The rooms are large with a fire place, underfloor heating, air conditioning, jet spa bath, indoor and outdoor shower.    There is also a fridge in the entrance area plus a kettle and a large selection of tea and coffee. Each room has its own private patio – lovely to sit and relax and listen to the birds singing.

At 2.30 p.m. we went up to the main area where a scrumptious high tea was waiting.   Saturday was very hot with the temperature up to 30°C, so it almost seemed silly to be taking thick jackets, gloves and wearing denims at this stage, but the one thing I have learned is that Game Drives can get very cold, especially once the sun has gone down.

We set off on our game drive at 3 p.m. and drove towards a large plain where a cheetah with 5 babies had been seen in the morning.    We did not see the Cheetahs, but we did see lots of buck and Zebra.    We had been driving for a while when we came across the Buffalo who all seemed very happy.    There was 1 baby in the herd which was very cute.    The interesting thing I learned that day was that the baby buffalo goes through the mother’s back legs to drink – also for protection.   This section of the Amakhala Reserve did not have lions so the animals were pretty safe from predators as most of them were too big for the Cheetahs or any other predators.

We came across an area where the elephants had been earlier and followed their trail until we came across the elephants.   Steve decided this would be a good time to have our sundowners and watch the elephants.    Sundowners are always welcome – and that afternoon we had biltong and dried wors plus whatever drink you had ordered earlier.

The sun was going down as we followed the elephants for a while, amazing how quickly these enormous animals can walk.    The one elephant seemed a bit too interested in our vehicle – walked right up to it.  

On our way back to the camp we came across a snake in the road, Steve jumped down and showed it to us.    The reason the snake was around was that it had been so hot that day.

We got back to the lodge and were welcomed with a glass of sherry and then went to relax and clean up before dinner.

Dinner consisted of a starter of Camembert Cheese baked in pastry with Cranberry Sauce, butternut soup and a choice of a beef fillet or chicken plus a variety of vegetables.    The pudding was just the right end to the great meal.

We were extremely lucky with our fellow guests – a family of 5 from England and a couple from Durban.    Meals are eaten together and it lends to the whole experience, sharing what you have seen and finding out more about each other.

Wake up on Sunday morning was 6.30 a.m.    The amazing thing is that when I am in a game reserve, 6.30 is a good time to wake up, but when I am at home that seems very early.

The start of the day was cereals, toast, rusks, and biscuits with coffee, tea and orange juice and then we were off on the game drive.    We went in another direction and saw Hlosi Game Lodge.    We were looking for Rhino and Giraffes.   It did not take us long to find about 6 giraffes, mainly male with a couple of youngsters with them. We then drove around – the great thing about a good ranger is that they explain so much about the area you are in, picking up droppings to show you interesting things about it.   We found a lot of Rhino droppings and after our coffee break found a family of Rhinos, mother, father and baby.     These are such weird looking animals and when you look at them happily grazing you wander how anyone can injure or kill them for their horns.    We were close to a waterhole and watched them saunter across to drink water – watched by about 6 giraffes.   On our way back to the lodge we saw a lot of zebra and some wildebeest with of course a good number of buck.

Brunch is served soon after you arrive back at the lodge – fresh fruit and yoghourt followed by a cooked breakfast which will definitely mean that you do not feel hungry for many hours. After brunch it is time to relax until 2.30 p.m. and high tea.    

Sunday afternoon was very cold – the wind had arrived and a definite cold front was on its way through.    We now met the new guests, a couple from Hungary.    Perhaps this is the time to point out that although you are in a reserve with rangers who know their way around, the animals are wild and they do not have collars with radios in them, so the rangers have to find the animals on their own.    The other important thing to realize is that you have to listen to your Ranger – he is there to protect you and keep you safe, so if you do not listen to him, you put not only yourself in danger but the Ranger as well.

We were driving along the main road and just turning the way we had gone the day before when we saw the Cheetah and her cubs crossing the road ahead.    What a sight, mother and 5 babies.   We all agreed that this mother has got the obedience thing down to a fine art – those babies did exactly what they were supposed to do, no questions asked.    We spent a lot of time watching and looking for her and were really lucky to see the mother hunting an Impala (unfortunately for her, she did not manage to do it).    We spent a lot of time with the Hartebees and other buck and saw a really beautiful herd of Impala and Zebra.    It was really cold and Steve took us to a waterhole which was sheltered from the wind for our sundowners.

We all voted to go back to the lodge as the weather was really miserable and we were all very cold.    Steve took us up to an area where we looked over the plains surrounding the Bushman’s River (unfortunately very low due to the drought at the moment).    

Sunday night’s dinner was once against something to tempt your taste buds and ensure that you would not be hungry.     

On Monday morning we went to the other section of the Amakhala Game Reserve where the lions are.    In this section there is also Black Rhino and lots of buck.

We found the lions quite quickly and were really lucky as they decided to change their positions – I think they were cold and looking for sun.    We had a great view of the 2 lions walking and the male is really a magnificent animal.  

We got back to Bukela quite late that morning and by the time we had brunch it was time to say good-bye and get ready to face reality.

I would recommend Bukela to anyone – the service is absolutely amazing and from the moment you arrive you are made to feel extremely important and that nothing could be too much trouble to ensure your happiness. For more information on where to stay and places to see in South Africa visit where2stay-southafrica

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Expand your horizons on holiday in South Africa

When it comes to holidays; we are all guilty of it – sticking to our usual activities, swimming, relaxing, eating out, sunbathing, etc. How many of us choose a fabulous new holiday destination and come back thinking…  “well we had a good break but did we really experience the country we have just been to?”. 

Too many of us stick to our hotels and the trips on offer to us. With just a little research and an appetite to try out new experiences we can truly expand our horizons. 

When it comes to a destination such as South Africa; it is easy to get sucked into the classic holiday of Cape Town, Garden Route and Safari. Please don’t get me wrong these are good places to go but really only scratches the surface of what there is to do in this vast and culturally diverse country.

So let’s take the example of a Safari. Instead of taking the normal type of safari, why not consider a horse-back safari or perhaps a quad-bike safari. 

Both of these provide a uniquely different type of safari experience and miles away from the usual experience of queuing with lots of other tourists on the more typical jeep/minibus safari. 

If you are struck by the horse-back experience then why not try out one that includes a beach ride as well. The coastline along the Indian Ocean has vast expanses of deserted sandy beaches with huge sand dunes and you get the chance to ride through the shallow waves – a truly magical experience.

The countryside across South Africa is beautiful and just waiting to be explored. In the KwaZulu-Natal province you can discover the amazing Drakensberg Mountains where you can walk miles along hiking trails. The scenery is stunning with San Bushman caves just waiting to be discovered. Many of the peaks have names around the Drakensberg with Cathedral Peak being one of the best known. A trip up these mountains is well worth it especially on a sunny day with stunning panoramic views to be found.

Dotted all around South Africa you can find also Canopy Tours. These are a series of roped walkways between wooden platforms set high up in the forests.   Guides will take you through the forest where you can experience a truly different perspective of life in these indigenous forests. One place you can do this is at the lovely Tsitsikamma National Forest.

Many people visit the Garden Route driving through this pretty route en route from Cape Town. The route follows the Indian Ocean passing though or close to many pretty coastal villages and towns. But did you also know that you can try parasailing from one of the mountains that follow the route too. This is a fantastic experience soaring high above the route with amazing views of the Indian Ocean.

I have tried to give you just a few ideas but there are so many more. By exploring the web you can discover many other wild and different ideas for your trip to South Africa. Just think of all the photo opportunities you will get and be able to share with your friends. So next time you visit our wonderful country take the time out to try a few new ideas – you won’t be disappointed.

For more ideas on things to do in South Africa; accommodation and places of interest - go to www.Where2Stay-SouthAfrica.com

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Plettenberg Bay – the Monaco of South Africa

Plettenberg Bay is situated along the Garden Route and is hugely popular with visitors throughout the year but especially around the Christmas season. This area has become increasingly popular over the last few years with visitors being attracted by the miles of sweeping golden sandy beaches, rocky peninsula and wonderful climate. There are some fabulous spots here to look out across the vast Indian Ocean. There are three main beaches - Robberg, Central and Lookout. Of these, Lookout is probably the most appealing but they are all excellent for swimming and perfect for families. With over 300 days of sunshine a year Plettenberg has been compared to Monaco by some with its setting and delightful cuisine on offer.

There really is something for everyone to do from Skydiving, Bungee Jumping, Mountain Biking, and Canopy Tours to Whale Watching, Diving or perhaps just a gentle boat cruise. For the keen fisherman amongst you there is some excellent deep sea fishing to be had here. If you like playing golf then you will be spoilt for choice as this area has probably the most golf courses of all the areas in South Africa. Try the signature Goose Valley and Turtle Creek course in Plettenberg Bay, as well as the Country Club, offering golfers a unique experience.

Recommendations for accommodations in Plettenberg Bay include:

Madon Studio Self Catering Apartment If you’re looking for accommodation in a peaceful and tranquil setting look no further! This sunny North facing open-plan apartment forms the ground floor level of a resident artist’s home; from the private garden with its own entrance, overlooking a dense indigenous forest, home to a variety of bird life, you enter a spacious lounge and well-equipped kitchen; the bedroom has a king-size bed and en-suite bathroom with a shower - all you need for a relaxing stay in Plettenberg Bay, the jewel of the Garden Route. Prices start from R250 per night.

Crescent Country Hotel - The Crescent Country Hotel is situated on 8 hectares surrounded by beautiful rose gardens. The hotel offers 39 luxurious en-suite rooms, some with their own private garden terrace. The Crescent Country Hotel is a great base to explore the Garden Route - there also many wonderful activities on site and in and around Plettenberg Bay. Visit the Birds of Eden, Monkeyland, Game Reserves or take a boat trip to view whales, dolphins and sharks at close range. For Golf enthusiasts, there is a golf course over the road from the hotel. Paddle by canoe to the beach which is just 1km downstream or motor down 2kms away. Prices start from R520 per night sharing.

A Little Stint in Paradise - A tastefully furnished 4-star graded fully-equipped 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom ground floor holiday apartment located in the heart of Plettenberg Bay with the focus on luxury, comfort and style. Prices starting from R190 per night.

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