This past weekend a group of excited Rhino’s hopped aboard the Rhino Tripping vehicles for a picturesque drive up the coast to Grootbos Nature Reserve. Grootbos Nature Reserve is spectacularly situated on the hills above Walker Bay. Surrounded by forest and fynbos covered hills and bounded on one side by the Ocean, punctuated at this time of year by breaching whales, Grootbos is certainly an amazing venue.
Many Rhinos took the early bus so that they could arrive on time to watch the Springboks pummel their oldest rivals the All Blacks and claim the coveted Tri-Nations trophy, one thing is certain, Grootbos sure has the biggest television set we have ever seen! After the rest of the Rhinos arrived we were taken to see the various projects that Grootbos undertakes. Realising that conservation and educational initiatives are imperitive to forging a way forward for responsible tourism in South Africa, Grootbos has placed itself at the forefront of this type of tourism in South Africa. The lodges, of which there are two; Garden and Forest Lodge, are built in an eco-friendly fashion. All visitors to Grootbos will be contributing to one or more of the Grootbos projects as the lodge runs and supports a fair number and all are tied into the lodge activities. For example the Green Futures Horticultural and Life Skills College, teaches residents of the local disadvantaged community to grow and harvest their own foods in an ecofriendly manner, much of their produce is sold to the lodge itself. The vision behind ecotourism is to save and conserve threatened ecosystems and the organisms which live therein through the use of funding from tourists and visitors.
At Grootbos, guests can enjoy guided horseback tours, walks and 4×4 tours through the reserve, learning about the precious plants and wildlife that occurs here. All activities combine with the reserves conservation and education initiatives, benifitting not only the environment but the guests themselves. Where else can you recieve these valuable lessons in conservation whilst having a good time and staying in luxury accommodation?
Later our heads filled with fascinating facts about the unique reserve, it’s fauna and flora and the many amazing community and environmental projects going on at Grootbos. We had to pull up our socks, don our sometimes ill-fitting outfits and take to the field for a game of soccer against the local under 19 side. Within the first few minutes they had already opened up a lead, we Rhinos don’t play much soccer you see. Fortunately, realising our skill level, perhaps the coughing, hacking, falling over and the almost constant raucous laughter gave us away, they took it a little easier on us before to long and the game ended amiably with a 4-3 tally to our hosts!
Suitably refreshed we then piled on board a boat and headed out to see the aquatic Big 5! Although the seas were pretty rough, we saw whales leaping only a few metres from the boat, the dark shadow of a great white passing beneath us and the sharks favourite food, the cape fur seal. Definitely the highlight of the trip, boat based whale watching is a definite must do at Grootbos.
That evening we returned to the two lodges, Garden and Forest Lodge. Set amongst ancient Milkwood trees, the eco-friendly accommodation consists of large, private one- or two-bedroom luxury suites. Each free-standing suite is set in tranquil surroundings where guests have the chance to unwind amidst the splendours of nature. We chose to unwind with several glasses of wine and some tasty cuisine and celebrated Leigh-ann’s imminent birthday in fine style. Apparently much later, and don’t take my word for it as I wasn’t privy to the events, the girls decided a scantily clad swim in their plunge pool was in order!
All in all we had a fantastic time and would like to once again convey our thanks to Grootbos for hosting us on such a informative, educational and above all fun weekend! This unique and inspiring property is definitely doing things the right way, I hope the rest of the travel industry sits up and takes notice and follows suit!
See Grootbos Nature Reserve on our website: Grootbos Nature Reserve
There are also a few more pics on our facebook group: Grootbos Weekend Pics
You can also contact us for more information about Garden Route safaris: Contact Us