October Specials

In cel­eb­ra­tion of Spring and all that the com­ing Summer months offer us, we’ve put together a list of spe­cials in des­tin­a­tions offer­ing some­thing “sum­mery”. All spe­cials lis­ted below are valid for the month of October 2009 (unless oth­er­wise spe­cified) and are sub­ject to availability.

The first thought of Spring brings to mind the Namaqualand Daisies. Traditionally one thinks of the Northern Cape, but the Cape West Coast also plays host to spring’s most mag­ni­fi­cent bou­quet and it’s just an hour or two out­side of Cape Town.

Whispering Whale Guest House in Jacobsbaai (known as the Namaqualand of the West Coast) offers a 15% dis­count on stays of 3 mid­week nights or a 10% dis­count on a 2 night week­end. These self cater­ing apart­ments are an ideal base from which to explore this unspoilt coast­line and its quaint fish­ing villages.

Aloe Cottage (Darling) offers a 3^rd night free when stay­ing 2 mid­week nights. The fully equipped self cater­ing cot­tage which sleeps up to 6 people has mag­ni­fi­cent views over Darling's rolling hills and farm­lands to the dis­tant moun­tains. Though you may visit Darling for its spec­tac­u­lar wild­flowers, it has many other secrets to entice vis­it­ors, includ­ing (but cer­tainly not lim­ited to) Evita se Perron, theatre / cab­aret venue of well-known South African sat­ir­ist Pieter-Dirk Uys.

Though you may have missed the Hermanus Whale Festival, the whales don’t just pack up and move on as the event draws to a close. You still have a month or two to enjoy this mag­ni­fi­cent spec­tacle. Why not take a few days off and enjoy some land-based whale watch­ing at a pace more suited to these gentle giants. The Cape Whale Coast is pre­dom­in­antly made up of the coastal Overberg towns (Hermanus, De Kelders and Gansbaai are best known for whale-watching), but stretches West to Cape Town's False Bay and East along the Garden Route.

3 Flavours Guest House (Pringle Bay), with sub­lime sea and moun­tain pan­or­a­mas, is offer­ing 2 spe­cial offers until the end of November. Stay Friday to Sunday at dis­coun­ted rates or stay 5 nights and only pay for 4. Either option includes a 5% dis­count on a whale watch­ing tour in Hermanus.

Kleinmond Panorama (Kleinmond) has a year-round long stay spe­cial with a 1% dis­count on stays of 3 nights or longer. These self cater­ing units offer 180 degree views of the main beach, lagoon and moun­tain and are only a 2 minute walk from the beach and only 20 minutes’ drive from Hermanus.

Overzee Guest House (Mossel Bay) offers 10% off stays of 3 nights or longer. Watch the whales and dol­phins play from your bal­cony at this log home situ­ated in a nature con­servancy. Children over 6 years are welcome.

Nagenoeg Beach Cottage (Herold's Bay) is offer­ing dis­counts of 10–20% off depend­ing on length of stay. This private self cater­ing cot­tage sleeps up to 5 people and is set right on the beach­front with mag­ni­fi­cent sea views and dir­ect access to a sandy beach and tidal pool.

Halcyon House (Plettenberg Bay) offers dis­counts of 5–15% off depend­ing on length of stay. This 4 star gues­t­house is situ­ated in a quiet pos­i­tion close to renowned Robberg Beach, and offers sea and moun­tain views. Boat-based whale watch­ing excur­sions are avail­able  from Ocean Encounters in Plettenberg Bay.

As a long winter finally draws to a close, we’re all yearn­ing for beach weather. It might not be warm enough to start swim­ming yet, but a long walk on our sandy shores is good for the soul and some water-sports are def­in­itely on the cards again. There is too much coast­line to men­tion all of the spe­cials avail­able, but here are a few that stand out.

In the Western Cape:

Villa Atlantica (Camps Bay) offers a 4^th night free of charge when stay­ing 3 nights.
The Long Beach Hotel (Kommetjie) offers a 3^rd night free of charge when stay­ing 2 nights.
Seagetaway Self Catering Cottage (Simons Town) is offer­ing dis­coun­ted rates on stays of 2 nights or longer.

In KwaZulu Natal:

White Shores Guest House (Southbroom) offers 15–20% off depend­ing on length of stay.
Botha House (Pennington) is offer­ing a free night on stays of 3 nights or longer in cel­eb­ra­tion of their 1^st anniversary.
La Loggia Bed & Breakfast (Umhlanga) offers your 4^th night at half price.

Winter is the dry sea­son in most of the coun­try, par­tic­u­larly in South Africa’s game rich provinces. The Spring and Summer rains her­ald rebirth here with grasses grow­ing tall and anim­als birth­ing their calves, cubs or pups. This makes Spring a great time for game viewing.

In KwaZulu Natal:

Bushwillow (Hluhluwe) offers 10–20% off depend­ing on length of stay.
Thanda Private Game Reserve (Hluhluwe) is offer­ing dis­coun­ted rates on stays of 4 nights or longer.
Mkuze Falls Game Lodge (Mkuze) offers your partner's stay at half price if you stay 2 nights or longer.

In Mpumlanga:

Bushwise Safari Lodge (Marloth Park) is offer­ing a spe­cial 3 night safari pack­age, which includes a full day safari in Kruger Park.
Protea Hotel Kruger Gate (Skukuza) is offer­ing reduced rates on stays of 2 nights or longer.

In Limpopo Province:

Botsebotse Bush Retreat (Bela Bela) offers a 4^th night free of charge, when stay­ing 3 nights.
Itaga Private Game Lodge (Bela Bela) is offer­ing a spe­cial 3 night package.

In the North West Province:

Bakubung, Kwa Maritane and Tshukudu, all Pilanesberg, are offer­ing dis­coun­ted rates until the end of the year.