Spectacular whale viewing – fabulous wines – incredible music!
The Wine Whales and Music Weekend from Friday 1 to Sunday 3 September 2017- a special weekend to celebrate 10 years of De Hoop Collection’s hospitality – offers spectacular whale viewing with great wines and music – an absolute feast for the senses!
To witness and celebrate the magnificent giants of the sea you are invited to enjoy a memorable three days of whale spotting, wine tastings, tea and cake on Saturday afternoon and the highlight of the weekend, the Whale Time Serenade on Saturday evening.
De Hoop’s dinner, bed and breakfast weekend itinerary includes a special wine tasting with Strandveld wines, followed by a 5-course dinner on Friday evening and on Saturday book for Eco Boat cruises, a guided Bird Walk and Richard von Geusau’s chocolate-making workshop and enjoy tasting the wines showcased by the fabulous local wineries, and explore marine life under the microscope; afternoon tea and cake will be served under the Fig tree and in the evening listen to the ever-popular Whale Time Serenade for strings and flute with world-class musicians Peta Ann Holdcroft, Malané Hofmeyr-Burger, Irina Tsoniff, Ivo Ivanov and Vladimir Ivanov, with dinner in The Shed.
An exciting addition to this bumper Weekend are the three learned professors from the University of the Free State, Professors Jo and Liesl van As and Professor Linda Basson, who will explain ‘Life in the Intertidal Zone’. They will set up a mini-lab and show guests the wonders of marine life through the microscope, which will be followed by a “marine experience” early on Sunday morning at low tide to explore Real Estate Habitats on the rocky shores at Koppie Alleen and enjoy a Picnic Breakfast on the dunes.
…and then there are the whales!
De Hoop is world-renowned as one of the best whale-watching spots with this stretch of the coastline being one of the world’s most important nursery areas for Southern Right whales and it is in September when more than 40 percent of the world’s Southern Right whales arrive in the bay at De Hoop to mate, calve and see their young through their first few vulnerable months.
Cost: from R925 per person per night sharing in a Rondawel to R2 150 per person per night sharing in a Suite (minimum two night stay). Rate includes Friday Wine tasting, Friday Dinner, Saturday breakfast, Wine tasting, High Tea, Dinner and Music, Sunday breakfast and Whale Talk at Koppie Alleen. Drinks and guided activities excluded.
Booking is essential.
Reservations can be made at 021-422 4522 or email res@dehoopcollection.co.za
www.dehoopcollection.co.za/com
Social media:
Twitter: @dehoopreserve
https://www.facebook.com/DeHoopCollection
Instagram: @dehoopreserve
When taking pics at De Hoop please use these hashtags – #dehoopcollection #dehoopgetaway
The Itinerary
Friday 1 September
2:00pm Arrive and Check-in at De Hoop
3:00pm Eco Boat Cruise on the Vlei with delicious canapés and drinks (R350 pp, kids 12 and under half price)
5:30pm Wine Tasting with Strandveld wines
7:30pm Gourmet Dinner with suggested wine pairing by Strandveld wines
(Dinner included in accommodation rate – wines charged per glass)
Saturday 2 September
8:00 am Guided Bird Walk along the Vlei (R150 pp kids 12 and under half price)
8:00-11:00 am Breakfast (included in accommodation rate)
10:00 am Chocolate-making Workshop with Richard von Geusau (R120 pp, kids 12 and under half price)
11:00 am Eco Boat Cruise on the Vlei with delicious tea, coffee and pastries (R350 pp, kids 12 and under half price)
11:00 am – 3pm Wine Tasting – enjoy a selection of wines from the local wineries
3:30pm High Tea while exploring the fascinating marine life in de Hoop under a microscope
4:30pm Presentation by Professors Jo and Liesl van As and Professor Linda Basson – The Shed “Who are the farmers of the rocky shores at Koppie Alleen?”
7pm Whale Time Serenade for strings and flute with dinner in The Shed –Peta Ann Holdcroft, Malané Hofmeyr-Burger, Irina Tsoniff, Ivo Ivanov, Vladimir Ivanov
Sunday 3 September
7:30am: explore Real Estate Habitats on the rocky shores at Koppie Alleen with Professors Jo and Liesl van As and Professor Linda Basson, with a Picnic Breakfast on the dunes
Activities at De Hoop – Guests of all ages and tastes will find something to do at De Hoop: Families can enjoy all the usual home comforts plus family oriented fun activities on offer – wonderful birding opportunities, nature lovers will enjoy the interpretive rock pool and Fynbos walks, extensive hiking and mountain biking trails or a running trail (25km route); tennis or boules and remember, for the younger members of the family there are baby-sitting services available – and don’t forget, Winter is whale season at De Hoop. And if you should need ‘time out’ for a bit of pampering, remember there is that ultimate escape (with a variety of revitalising Beauty and Body treatments) at the Spa @ De Hoop, an exercise in understated luxury, situated in the beautiful surrounds overlooking the vlei. Few other reserves offer as complete an outdoor experience as the De Hoop Nature Reserve – from the sea, which during whale season is the playground for the Southern Right Whale, the sand dunes, the vlei, the rare Fynbos, the diverse antelope and the De Hoop ‘regulars’ of Bontebok, Eland, Cape Mountain Zebra and the more than 260 species of birds De Hoop is without doubt, the ultimate location to visit. Experience all of these riches with one of De Hoop Collection’s fabulous and knowledgeable guides.
About De Hoop Collection
The De Hoop Collection opened in the De Hoop Nature Reserve in the Western Cape in 2007 under the creative and entrepreneurial hands of Carl Trieloff and William Stephens, renowned for their successful Madikwe Game reserve developments. In a spectacular setting, with conservation aspects managed by Cape Nature, the reserve offers a wide range of accommodation types designed to suit all budgets. The Reserve, in the Overberg region, is a comfortable three hours’ drive from Cape Town on the world renowned Garden and Whale routes – the ideal stop-over en route from the Cape Winelands to Plettenberg Bay. Visitors to the De Hoop Collection enjoy unparalleled peace and tranquillity in what must be one of the Cape’s last unspoiled gems.
