African Pathfinder

Escape the madding crowds....

2010-07-28T13:56:00.011+02:00

It's Wednesday today, a.k.a "hump-day" (no, get your head out of the gutter! I mean hump as in middle of the week...).

You're tired.

Not sure you can face the last few days of work without some treat or fun weekend to look forward to?

Need some inspiration for a quick, quiet getaway not too far from the city?

Well, here are some of our favourite ideas near Cape Town to whet your appetite:

Peace and quiet in the vineyards

An easy, 45-minute drive from Cape Town and you find yourself at the foothills of the towering mountains, surrounded by neat lines of vines and green grassy paddocks...

The sounds and smog of the city left miles behind, replaced by fresh country air and birdsong.

Grand Dedale is absolutely gorgeous. Set on a working wine estate outside the sleepy, farm town of Wellington, Grand Dedale offers exquisite luxury, pampering service and all the other bells and whistles you'd expect of a 5-star lodge.

Here's an enticing deal you can't afford to miss out on:
For only R900 per person per night, for a minimum of 2 nights, you get:

A beautiful luxury room to rest your weary head
Cap Classique breakfast daily
Welcome drink on arrival
Fresh flowers and fruit bowl in the room
Afternoon tea with homemade treats
All beverages from the self service resident bar fridges
3-course dinner for two on one of your evenings
15% discount on all Spa treatments
A bottle of award winning Doolhof wine as a farewell gift

NB! This offer is only valid til the end of August 2010, so enquire now about availability: info@africanpathfinder.com

A little hamlet called Robertson
Meander up the N1, through the Du Toit's Kloof tunnel and through Worcester. Follow the lovely Route 62 along wide-open karoo farmlands to the quaint Robertson village and pretty Robertson wine valley.

Turn into the little village and arrive at your destination: The new chic, boutique Robertson Small Hotel. Home also to the Rueben's Restaurant (second to the famous Franschhoek one) you don't really need to venture further for delicious cuisine!

Some of the things to do in Robertson include:
- browsing the art galleries
- horse-riding
- wine tasting
- lazing about
- sleeping in late

For as little as R650 per person per night sharing, this can be your weekend treat! The rate includes a sumptuous breakfast and is valid til the end of September 2010.

Lazy winter days and sea-breeze
Needing some RnR with good friends or family? Want to chill in a hammock, read a book or two and let the day ebb with the ocean tide?

Want to be here?

Located an easy 2 1/2 hour drive from the hustle and bustle of Cape Town, you can be sitting on the deck of a gorgeous, eco-friendly cottage... sipping gin and tonics... and staring out over the cool-blue lagoon.

For a steal of a rate from R400 per person per night, you can book the entire self-catering cottage which sleeps a maximum of 6 people. It comes fully kitted with everything you'll need to ensure a fabulous getaway! (there are many other fabulous cottages to hire too - so bring lots of friends along if you want!)

Contact us now for these and other great destinations! info@africanpathfinder.com

The whales are back!

2010-07-21T11:06:00.014+02:00

We love this time of year... especially this year where we seem to be having such fabulous, warm sunny days in the Cape! But particularly because our large friends start arriving from the icy waters of the Antarctica. Coming to enjoy our warmer climate and sheltered bays along the Western Cape Coastline. Spending time mating, calving and frolicking with incredible water acrobatics to wow any crowd!

A few days ago, a leisurely yacht cruise turned out to be quite an eventful trip when suddenly a large, young southern right whale breached right near the yacht - and landed on it! These pictures tell the story... luckily no-one, including the whale, were hurt (except the yacht clearly)

The whales visit our shoreline anytime from May to about November which makes this a fabulous time of year to come visit the Cape. You can often spot them from land, but there are also many great boat-based excursions too.

And if you need ideas of where to stay while visiting - well, we have many great places to suggest from Cape Town to Hermanus and beyond.

For somewhere away from the crazy whale-watching crowds, a place to chill and enjoy a private whale-watching time with your family or a group of friends... how about this magnificent private beach house located about 3hrs drive from Cape Town. Sleeping a maximum of 8 people and fully kitted for self-catering, it makes a wonderful place to enjoy a couple of days of sea-side living!

Want to book it? Contact us now for availability and special prices: info@africanpathfinder.com

Interesting Southern Right Whale facts:

Adult whales can measure between 15 & 16.2 meters in length... a newborn calf can be anything around 5 - 6 meters long
The average lifespan is a whopping 90 - 100 years!
Right Whales get their name from whalers who identified them as the 'right' whale to kill on a hunt
An adult whale weighs roughly 70 tons... that's about 10 x a bus!
Unlike fish, whales swim by moving their tails up and down

Some whale antics:

Breaching When a whale leaps out of the water, sometimes twirling around, it is called breaching. This action may be done purely for play, or may be used to loosen skin parasites and other irritations the whale might have. Breaching is also believed to be a means of communication with other whales and is usually done in sets of between four and six.
Fluking is when a whale raises its tail out of the water as it begins a dive.
Lobtailing This is an activity in which the animal sticks its tail out of the water, swings it around and then slaps it onto the water's surface. This produces a loud sound which is believed to be a means of communication between whales.
Logging This is when the whale is merely lying in the water, with its tail hanging down. Part of the head and back are exposed.
Spouting / Blowing When whales blow water out of the blowholes located near the top of the head it is known as spouting. Southern Right Whales have two blowholes which act as nostrils. When they blow water out of their blowholes a distinctive V-shaped cloud of vapour is produced largely by condensation when warm breath comes into contact with cooler air.
Spyhopping An activity in which the whale pokes its head out of the water, possibly to take a look around.

Time for Africa continues...

2010-07-14T11:28:00.011+02:00

Firstly: Huge congrats to Spain!

Even though the Fifa World Cup has come to a close and all players (and cup!) have now left the African soil, the united spirit and pride lives on strongly in all of us in South Africa.

It was such an incredible event - even for those of us who never knew a thing about soccer before! And we hope you enjoyed it too - whether watching live here in SA, or in a vibrant pub or on your comfy couch at home.

But now its all over and as the country recovers from the hang-over of the party, we will continue to spread the energy and love of our land. It is still the time for Africa!

For those that never managed to get here for the games, or had no interest perhaps, we hope to have at the very least, sparked a passion to explore this diverse and gorgeous country.

Even for those of us lucky enough to live here, it's time to travel more around southern Africa.

We have it all here (ok, except for good snow!)... from some of the world's best, white-sandy beaches, majestic mountains beckoning the avid hiker, fascinating historical sights, incredible wildlife , wide-open skies above rolling farmlands, dramatic coastal drives, deserts, forests, savannas... you name it! And best of all - a wonderful nation!

To encourage more visitors, many destinations are offering incredible special offers and deals to well into 2011. It's the perfect time to start planning your next holiday here, so do contact us so that we can design a fabulous, unique holiday for you! Keep an eye out on our Featured Specials page for updates on offers or pop us an email to info@africanpathfinder.com

We can't wait to welcome you (back!)...

2010-06-04T10:42:00.000+02:00

Welcome to African Pathfinder's Blog!

We'll be adding some updates, specials and interesting snippets of what's happening in and around the gorgeous southern Africa.

Enjoy!