PLATBOS

Visit the last remaining afro-montane forest in the Overberg at Platbos, just 30 minutes drive from Stanford Valley. Meander through a forest treed with ancient specimens dating back a 1000 years. Have unique sightings of beautiful flora, chance encounters with rare fauna which together make up a mystical experience.

Don’t miss the very special nursery tucked away in the forest. It offers, for sale, indigenous trees and plants which will specifically off-set your carbon foot-print.

Meet the owners, Melissa and Francois Krige and their children, who live in the forest. He is a tree-surgeon and she offers Sole Reiki, a relaxing yet energizing treatment stimulating the immune system, in a remote and magical cottage in their forest.

Entrance fee Platbos Forest R50/ Adult and R20 / scholar

Melissa & Francois Krige
www.platbos.co.za
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082 411 0448

Drive to the remote hamlet of Baardskeerdersbos, 30 min from Stanford Valley (www.baardskeerdersbosartroute.com ), home of some outstanding artists.  Here you can either pay an intimate visit to the imaginative eco sculptures of Andrée Bonthuys, or experience a land art workshop with her,  peruse the evocative wood-cut prints of Joshua Miles or view the finely wrought canvasses of Niel Jonker.

Please make appointment with:

Andrée Bonthuys, 072 622 3456    This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Joshua Miles,        072 136 3309    This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ,

SANDBERG FYNBOS RESERVE

Visit ‘Sandberg Fynbos Reserve‘ a beautiful fynbos estate bordering on the village of Elim and just 30 minutes from Stanford Valley.  The estate is known for it's  remarkable botanical diversity and abundance of rare species, which includes the very beautiful Erica filipendula.

Sandberg Fynbos Reserve was the first property in the Western Cape to be awarded Sustainable Harvesting Certification by CapeNature, the Western Cape conservation agency. The estate is one of the test sites for a study to determine sustainable flower harvesting practices, carried out by the University of Stellenbosch and Flower Valley Conservation Trust.

Gerhard van Deventer, the owner, is also instrumental in the environmental education and sustainable harvesting training of both farmers and flower pickers on the Agulhas Plain and throughout the rest of the Cape Floristic Region.

A visit to the estate includes a delicious vegetarian lunch and a guided tour in  a Land Rover, through the vast fynbos valleys on the estate. In his charming way Gerhard will give you an introduction to and interpretation of the ecology of Fynbos, and, if you are lucky, you will see some of the 17 different rare species of Erica’s, which grow on the estate. Visitors will also have the chance to see an abundance of local birds.

Allow 3-4 hours for a visit to Sandberg Fynbos Reserve. Minimum 3 persons, maximum 8 persons @ R150 pp, includes vegetarian lunch, followed by a guided tour in a Land Rover. Bring your camera!

SHARKS AND WHALES

You might say that shark-cage diving and boat-based whale watching is not ‘out of the ordinary’ here on the Whale Coast. You are right, in season there are whales everywhere along the coast. But to find a person with such an immense knowledge on marine bio-diversity in general and sharks and whales in particular and who has a deep love and care for this environment, is definitely out of the ordinary.

Meet Wilfred Chivell, owner of Dyer Island Cruises and Marine Dynamics, which are boat-based whale-watching and shark-cage diving companies (accredited Fair Trade in Tourism), in Gansbaai near Hermanus.

He is an experienced skipper, diamond and wreck diver, naturalist and conservationist with an extensive knowledge about the Marine Big Five: sharks, whales, seals, penguins and dolphins.

As the founder and chairman of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust, he has developed and supports a project where researchers acoustically track sharks in the Dyer Island area during the summer months to assess their behaviour. This will result in a better understanding of the white sharks usage of Gansbaai's shallows.

Wilfred’s staff is exceptionally well trained and knowledgeable and will make every trip an unforgettable experience.

www.sharkwatchsa.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it PH:028 384 1005

www.whalewatchsa.com

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Ph: 028 384 0406 or 082 801 8014