I collected my Group B car from the airport and headed out of Cape Town on the N2 motorway. After a spot of lunch at the “Steers” in Riviersonderend (a must for all N2 trips!) I carried along the road and finally hit the dirt road to De Hoop just before I reached Swellendam.
Due to a recent experience with me being very (shall we say unkind) to my hired car on a dirt road, I decided to take this road carefully and averaged a respectable 30 miles an hour – after about 45 minutes of this I decided that dirt road driving at this speed could be implemented as a form of torture! The thing with dirt roads in Africa is that you see the long road ahead of you, you finally get up a hill and as you pass over the hill you see another long stretch ahead, shattering all hopes of the madness ever ending! I thought that nothing on earth could be worth this suffering – that is until I reached the De Hoop Reserve and on my final hill climb spotted the magnificent dunes and Fynbos landscape in the distance. It is not often I am left speechless but as I started making my descent into the reserve I really fought back the tears (call me a softie but my goodness what a view) every little bump in that dirt road was forgotten and all I could think about was getting to those dunes as fast as possible. It is also at this point that I would like to point out that the dirt road can be done a lot quicker – many cars flew past me, I just chose to do it at a crawl.
The De Hoop Nature Reserve is situated in the Overberg area of the Western Cape - an ideal stop on a Garden Route itinerary or within very easy reach of Cape Town for a stand alone wilderness holiday. I could kick myself for only booking 1 night but was determined to make the most of my time there. After checking into my superb accommodation (more on that later) I jumped back into my car and headed to the Koppie Alleen beach. This beach is about 30 mins from the main Opstal Camp.
One of the De Hoop Collection properties is situated at Koppie Alleen – a four bedroom house with direct access to the beach footpath. Whilst taking the stroll down to the beach I already imagined my next visit with my husband staying at Koppie Alleen. I went down to the beach whilst the tide was in but if you pop down during low tide you are greeted with an array of rock pools teaming with interesting sea life. It was just so great for me to a) be in the sunshine and b) by the sea that I didn’t mind too much missing out on these rock pools. I had 3 lovely little Black Oyster Catchers keeping me company and posing for my photos that made up for it! From here I took the walk back up the hill and onto the huge imposing sand dunes. I can’t possibly think that there is anywhere in South Africa I’d rather be during whale season than on these dunes. You will have the absolute definitive VIP seat from which you can watch the spectacle unfold. Remember 43% of all Southern Right whales visit this bay during whale season.
As the sun started setting I had to rush back to Opstal camp as I was meeting Justin (no not Bieber!) the General Manager for dinner in the Fig Tree restaurant. The restaurant is decorated in typical Cape Dutch farm house style and we were met by a very enthusiastic and professional team. I was very impressed with the wine list and had to smile to myself when the French couple behind me commented that the food was as good as food prepared by a French master chef.
I enjoyed a Camembert Starter and a Polenta, Yellow Pepper & Sweet Chilli bake with greens as main course. Dessert was a chocolate pudding that went to my hips as soon as I saw it on the plate – but oh boy it was worth every calorie!
The following morning Jolene (Justin’s wife and Assistant Manager) took me around all the accommodation on offer at the De Hoop Collection. I was lucky enough to have the entire Opstal Manor House to myself – this is a 3 bedroom guest house. It is the original farm house and still retains historic features like the old baking oven and chimney. The rooms are all en-suite and 2 of them come with stand alone Victorian claw-baths. One of my biggest surprises was the fantastic Maria Garcia amenities – a real treat!
Other accommodation in the Opstal area included the Vlei Cottages, beautiful thatched cottages with 2 bedrooms so perfect for a small family or a couple wanting a bit more space and privacy from other guests. Another 2 bedroom option was the Equipped cottages – these all come with an open area for kids to play outside. The Opstal Village really did remind me of a small village and the 3 bedroom houses here are ideal for families or groups of friends. They are a lot bigger and have a separate dining area. The village house I visited even had 2 outdoor “African tyre” swings. Last but by no means least there are the 2 Opstal Houses, two big stand-alone houses with 3 bedrooms and private gardens.
De Hoop really is a haven for people wanting to experience open spaces, scenic beauty and prolific bird life and of course Whales & Dolphins. I really do think that De Hoop and the De Hoop Collection is one to watch and will earn its place on the “What’s Hot in South Africa” list.
For more information please see www.dehoopcollection.co.za or let me know and I can send you a brochure and fact sheet.
Some of the pictures I took at De Hoop:
