Tag Archives: nature

Snaps on Tour: Spring at Kirstenbosch

Earlier in October I had the immense pleasure of hosting long-time blogging friend John Steiner (of Journeys with Johnbo), his wife Lynn, John’s niece Patricia Broesder and her husband Gary on a tour of Cape Town and the Kruger National Park.

You cannot visit Cape Town and not spend some time at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, considered one of the top gardens in the world. And can there be a better time of the year than the Spring season to visit a garden of this stature!? We spent several hours enjoying the grounds before having a delicious lunch at the Moyo restaurant.

The Kirstenbosch Conservatory houses plants native to dries parts of the country

Spotted Eagle Owl

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens

Kirstenbosch Spring Annuals Display

Common Dotted Border

Kirstenbosch Spring Annuals Display

Sour Fig in flower

Painted lady

Kirstenbosch Spring Annuals Display

Egyptian Goose in the Gazanias

Vygies in bloom

Bronze Mannikin

Cape Canary

Coral Tree flower

The Boomslang Treetop Walkway

I am a fully accredited and legally registered tour guide (with all the necessary insurance, professional drivers license and first aid certification) – don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like me to arrange a guided tour of Cape Town’s natural attractions and the rest of South Africa for you as well.

Snaps on Tour: The most beautiful Cape in the world

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Earlier in October I had the immense pleasure of hosting long-time blogging friend John Steiner (of Journeys with Johnbo), his wife Lynn, John’s niece Patricia and her husband Gary on a tour of Cape Town and the Kruger National Park.

On our first day together I spent quite a bit of time with the Steiners and Broesders exploring every corner of the Cape of Good Hope section of the Table Mountain National Park. We took the funicular up to the lighthouse at Cape Point, had lunch at the Two Oceans Restaurant, and took in all the scenic sights and interesting wildlife from the excellent road network.

Scenery at the Cape of Good Hope

The lighthouse at Cape Point

Four-striped Grass Mouse

Bladder Grasshopper

Ostrich on the beach at the Cape of Good Hope

Cape Fur Seals

Scenery at the Cape of Good Hope

Ostriches on the beach at the Cape of Good Hope

Hadedas

African Oystercatcher

Scenery at the Cape of Good Hope

Kelp Gull

Scenery at the Cape of Good Hope

Da Gama cross

Bontebok ewe and lamb

Bontebok at the Cape of Good Hope

Scenery at the Cape of Good Hope

Snaps on Tour: Penguins galore, and much more, at Boulders

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The very first destination I took the Steiners and Broesders to was the Boulders Penguin colony just a few blocks down the road from the Simon’s Town Quayside Hotel where we stayed. While the Penguins are of course the main attraction there’s many other animals and birds and spectacular scenery as well that makes Boulders a must-see on any visit to the Mother City.

Dassie, aka Rock Hyrax

Brimstone Canary

Cape Grey Mongoose

African Penguins

African Penguin youngster

African Penguin

African Penguins at Boulders Beach

African Penguins

Cape Wagtail

African Penguin

Snaps on Tour: The Simon’s Town Quayside Hotel

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My American friends flew to Cape Town directly from Newark and after meeting them at the airport we headed for the Simon’s Town Quayside Hotel. Thanks to their amazing staff, comfortable rooms, fantastic views and excellent meals at Bertha’s Restaurant the Quayside is a firm favourite of mine whenever I am in this part of the country and especially so when guiding guests on tour. With Simon’s Town being the largest base of the South African Navy it is probably no surprise that the decor in the hotel and restaurant has a very maritime theme, with the old photographs of Able Seaman Just Nuisance – a Great Dane that has the honour of being the Royal Navy’s only ever enlisted canine and probably Simon’s Town most famous resident – being especially interesting and pleasing.

Welcome to Simon’s Town

View from my room at the Simon’s Town Quayside Hotel

Simon’s Town harbour

Simon’s Town Quayside Hotel, Boardwalk Shopping Centre and Bertha’s Restaurant

Statue to Just Nuisance in Jubilee Square, Simon’s Town

In addition to using it as a base when we are on tour the Simon’s Town Quayside Hotel is also one of the destinations for which DeWetsWild offers a reservation service – don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you’d like to stay at this gem of a place!

DeWetsWild’s Portfolio grows again!

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DeWetsWild’s portfolio of destinations for which we render a reservation service has expanded again to 307 points on the map, with the following 24 new properties in South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique and Zambia now included:

In South Africa:

26º South Hotel in Muldersdrift.
African Rock Hotel & Spa in Kempton Park, Gauteng – conveniently close to the OR Tambo (Johannesburg) International Airport.
Beacon House, Knysna.
Impodimo Game Lodge in the Madikwe Game Reserve.
Kapama River Lodge, Kapama Buffalo Camp, Kapama Southern Camp, Kapama Karula and Kruger Homestead, all in the Kapama Private Game Reserve.
Khaya Ndlovu Safari Manor, in the Rietspruit Game Reserve near Hoedspruit.
Kubu Bush Lodge & Kubu Safari Lodge, near Hoedspruit in the Lowveld.
Kruger Untamed Tshokwane River Camp in the Kruger National Park.
Kruger Untamed Satara Plains Camp in the Kruger National Park.
Mjejane River Lodge in Mjejane Game Reserve.
Tangala Safari Camp in the Thornybush Game Reserve.

In Botswana:

Chobe Marina Lodge in Kasane
Elephant Sands Lodge near Nata
Elephant Valley Lodge near Kasane
Kadizora Camp in the Okavango Delta
Saguni Safari Lodge in the Okavango Delta
Senyati Safari Camp near Kasane

In Mozambique:

Villa Robal at Machangulo Point on Maputo Bay

In Zambia:

The David Livingstone Safari Lodge and Spa at the Victoria Falls

Touring Kruger Park – 12 October 2024

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We spent most of today searching for wildlife along the few pools spread along the mostly dry Shingwedzi River to the southeast of camp, and the sightings were thrilling!

Common Duiker

Crested Francolin

Waterbuck

Lionesses at the Tinyarhini Waterhole in the Shingwedzi River

Nyala

Tiny baby elephant

Leopard stalking next to the Shingwedzi River

Cheetah

Grey-headed Bush-shrike

Elephant cow walking past Shingwedzi Camp’s entrance

Lioness at the Tinyarhini Waterhole in the Shingwedzi River

Baboon

Nile Crocodiles

Pearl-spotted Owlet

Touring Kruger Park – 11 October 2024

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Just some of the sights and sounds – and smells! – we experienced around Shingwedzi today.

Black-backed Jackal

Common Duiker

Tree Squirrels

White-fronted Bee-eater

Elephant cow bullying a youngster at the waterhole

Rock Monitor Lizard

Plains Zebra on the run

Martial Eagle

Tsessebe cow and calves

White-backed Vultures at a smelly elephant carcass

Lappet-faced Vulture

Touring Kruger Park – 9 & 10 October 2024

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Having seen our guests and Irving Knight off at Skukuza’s airport, Hannes Rossouw and I have extended our stay in the Kruger National Park by just a few days and have now moved base to Shingwedzi Rest Camp in the north of the Park.