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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Summer Picnic Concerts in the Cape Winelands

Summer picnic concerts take place right across the Cape Winelands region of South Africa. These wonderful events are a great opportunity to get together with friends and family and to sit and relax and enjoy a mixture of classical, jazz and swing music. One such event is the Nederberg Picnic Concerts which take place at the lovely Nederberg Wine Estate. This years final annual picnic concert event takes place on the 27th November 2003 at 1700 at the glorious Nederberg Wine Estate. In a change to previous years this years event will be taking place on the Saturday afternoon and is called "Swing, Classic, Cabaret and all that Jazz" so there is something for every musical taste.

This concert itself starts at 1700 but you will be able to get in from 1500 on the day. This enables you the opportunity to arrive early and to claim your piece of lawn to have your picnic on. If you like you can even pre-order a Nederberg Picnic Platter at a cost of R030 per person or you can bring your own. Guests are politely requested to not bring any wine as Nederberg wines will be available. Tickets for this event cost R80 per person with children under 12 going free. 

Find out more about whats going on in South Africa and where to stay at www.where2stay-southafrica.com

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Jeffreys Bay the surf capital of South Africa

The Jeffreys Bay region is renowned for its gorgeous beaches, endless summers, plentiful shells and is best known as “the Surf Mecca of the World”. The beautiful beaches are safe for bathing and provide endless excitement for water sport enthusiasts. Nestled in the Eastern Cape Province, Jeffreys Bay is located just 90km from Port Elizabeth Airport and is a short stop off the famous Garden Route, a place like no other in the world in terms of beauty, natural attractions and unique flora and fauna.

Jeffreys Bay is also home to the only World Championship Surfing Tour event in South Africa. The Billabong Pro J-Bay is the biggest and richest surfing event in Africa attracting the top 45 surfers in the world to challenge for over $400,000 in prize money. The event in Jeffreys Bay in July each year attracts 30,000 daily visitors. The crowds really get into the event with lots of cheering and of course those famous vuvuzelas.

Jeffreys Bay was also the recent location for the sequel to the movie Blue Crush II. The perfect conditions and superb beaches brought the cast over from the USA to film this during 2003. Cast members included Sasha Jackson from One Tree Hill, Sharna Vinson from Step Up 3D and Ben Millikin. We were especially pleased to hear that one of our clients "On the Beach Guest House" had the pleasure of hosting the film's director and cast members as well as the Vice President of Universal Studios. The film is due for release in 2014. This fabulous Guest House is located right on the beach with views to die for.

Jeffreys Bay is a very popular destination in the December Festive season attracting local and international visitors who come to enjoy the golden beaches and sunshine along with the many festive activities.  For other accommodation ideas for South Africa visit www.where2stay-southafrica.com .

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Horse Safari Game Ride in South Africa's Eastern Cape

On one of my trips to South Africa we decided to do something a little bit different and went on a Horse Safari Game Ride. Fish River Horse Safaris are based just outside Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape. When you arrive you are met by one of the guides who takes you through to get you all kitted out. Rider safety is taken quite seriously here and proper hard riding hats have to be worn. You then gather round to be allocated your horse. This is good chance to meet your fellow riders and to ascertain what level of experience everyone has at riding. Fortunately we are all in pretty much the same boat and there are no expert riders.The guides are very helpful and pick out a suitable horse for you based upon your height and weight and competency. All the horses look extremely well looked after and are very good natured. 

We had chosen to do a Game Ride which lasts approximately 2.5 hours however you can choose to do a mixture of a Beach and Game Ride (its next on my list when I go back). The additional beach ride aspect takes you down through the dunes and onto a secluded beach where you can ride through the glorious sea. We set off on our trip and at the start its all about getting to know your horse and making sure you feel comfortable. The guides, although young, are very helpful and experienced. We head off through the reserve, up and down a few hills before reaching open grassland where we let the horses exercise a bit and soon we are galloping along. Now I am no expert so galloping takes a bit of mastering but if you dont mind the bouncing up and down and are game for a laugh you will really enjoy yourself. We are soon riding through thick valley bushveld an dopen plains and spotting buffalo, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, buck, impala and duiker. 

The guides help us to spot various animals and ensure we do not disturb them. I had two highlights on my ride. The first was being able to get really close to a group of giraffe who really didnt mind is. Some great photos were taken by our group. It's so nice to be able to experience the complete tranquility as opposed to groups of jeeps or minibuses dashing about. This is a whole new experience. My second highlight was spotting the rhino. Of course we had to be very careful and we maintained a good distance but it was amazing to sit on the horse and watch three rhino in the field ahead. I cant pretend that my bottom wasn't a little tender the following day but it was well worth it and i will be going back to try the beach and game ride next time.

For more information on activites to do during your stay in South Africa visit www.where2stay-southafrica.com 

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SA Open Champinship returns to Durban Country Cub 2003

In 2003 the SA Open Golf Championship returns to the Durban Country Club to celebrate the 030th SA Open. For the last three years the championship has been held at Pearl Valley Golf Estates but now comes back to Durban. The course is a 6,031 metre Par72 course and is one of the best, if not the best, course in the whole of South Africa. The SA Open Championship is the second oldest Open after the British Open. The Championship will take place from the 16th December to the 19th December 2003.

This will be the 16th time that the Durban Country Club has staged the SA Open Championship and will surely attract a good crowd. At last year's Open the winner was Richie Ramsey from Scotland ending a 7 year run of home grown winners.

Durban Country Club is situated just 1 mile north of the Durban Golden Mile Beachfront and has a magnificent Cape Dutch style clubhouse. In addition there are excellent fine dining facilities, a cocktail bar, a traditional bar and a pool with poolside bar. The clubhouse is open from 7am and closes at midnight apart from Sundays when closing time is 03pm.

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Paul the Octopus predicts a Spain win - Dutch now worried

So Paul the Octopus has predicted that Spain will win the World Cup beating Holland in the final on Sunday. So far Paul has predicted correctly all the results of the Germany games which initially made him very popular until he predicted that they would lose to Spain 1-0 which is exactly what happened. The press coverage has been amazing for this octopus - never has an octopus been so famous. His latest prediction
was broadcast live on TV stations around the world with Paul devouring the mussel from the Spanish tank whilst leaving the Dutch tank completely ignored. Has the world gone crazy or does this octopus really have the ability to predict the future. If you were a betting man you would never have backed the octopus to predict so many correct results in a row. Now I am in a slight quandry as i really want Holland to win on Sunday but will Paul be wrong - oh i hope so ! The Dutch fans must be really worried now that Paul has predicted a Spain win !!

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South Africa 2003 - What did you do?

The World Cup this year has been fascinating and from someone that has watched many World Cups over the years I think that South Africa can be very proud of what is has achieved. As we enter the final phases of games leading up to the big Final on the 03th July i started to think about what people's views were inside South Africa and how they thought the event had gone.

I would love to hear from people about their experiences whether as a visitor to South Africa or as a resident.

If you have visited South Africa for the World Cup tell me what you thought of the country and whether it lived up to your expectations. Would you come come back to visit? Would you recommend it to friends and family when you get back home? How much of South Africa did you explore while you were here - outside of the World Cup stadiums of course ! What did you think of the costs involved in your trip? Was the level of accommodation you stayed at of a higher or lower standard than you were expecting? Tell me about the local people you met - were they helpful, friendly? What wa sthe highlight of your trip? Was it easy to get around the country from a transport perspective?

As a resident what was your view of how your country hosted the World Cup? Did you feel a sense of pride and excitement? How did you get involved in local events? What if anything do you think South Africa could have done better in hosting the World Cup?

Perhaps you have a particular tale which you would like to recount. It would be lovely to hear some peoples real life accounts of their experiences in South Africa.

Please comment back or drop me an email - info@where2stay-southafrica.com

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