7 minute read
Luxury in Limpopo: Mhondoro Safari Lodge and Villa
Mhondoro Safari Lodge and Villa located within the Welgevonden Game Reserve – approximately three hours from OR Tambo international airport in Johannesburg – offers guests a truly luxurious safari getaway with 5-star hospitality.
Arriving at the entry of Welgevonden Game Reserve, it’s about an hour’s drive to Mhondoro Safari Lodge and Villa. The city life recedes and the Waterberg landscape lush with bushveld, rolling hills, multi-coloured sandstone cliffs, plains, rivers and wildlife transports guests to nature's haven.
Hot towels to freshen up were presented by our private butler to freshen up following our drive, and we were given a tour of accommodation, which includes luxury suites (equipped with a private plunge pool) and villas, each tastefully decorated with an eclectic fusion of African chic meets Europe.
Our private chef served up a freshly made late lunch to sustain us for the approaching afternoon game viewing drive. Interestingly, Mhondoro Safari Lodge and Villa have established a farm near the entrance of Welgevonden Game Reserve that provides organic fruit, herbs and vegetables for meals with plans underway to bring in livestock such as cattle and sheep.
A wildlife haven
During the trip, we did a total of four game drives – each providing a special experience, be it sunset sundowners with snacks or freshly made pancakes in the bush. Our game ranger was a veritable fountain of information and had a keen eye keeping a lookout for wildlife. Visitors will be amazed at the game reserve, which is teeming with wildlife – there are no dull moments or driving around for hours in search of spotting animals in the wild. The Big
Five (lion, elephant, rhino, leopard and buffalo), zebra, giraffe, various type of buck, monkeys, baboons, reptiles and other mammals all call the reserve home – and, it’s easy to see why as the reserve itself retains a wilderness that seems almost untouched making it a safe haven for wildlife. During game drives, our ranger ensured that we caused as little disturbance as possible even when there were a few close calls, including some rhinos, buffalos, zebras and elephants blocking the pathway. During our drives we encountered four out of the big five – the leopard as per usual proved to be rather elusive.
Of all the adventures on offer, the game walk was the most exhilarating. Setting off at 6am in the morning, our game ranger took us on a mini hike through the reserve. There was no vehicle to run to, and it was exciting – yet requires a level of nerves of steel – to be only a few metres away on foot near animals. On our walk we encountered baboons, rhinos and zebras.
Exceptional service, exceptional experiences
In addition to wildlife game drives and walks, the staff component at Mhondoro ensures that every activity undertaken is an exceptional experience for guests.
Some of these experiences include: • For those seeking a bit of a spoil, the spa at Mhondoro hosts a private relaxation deck offering a tranquil yet one-with-nature experience.
Treatments on offer include deep tissue massage, hot stone massage, aromatherapy, manicures, pedicures and facials. • A boma dinner with traditional song and dance under the stars – weather permitting; • Star gazing: surrounded by darkness with a blinding lit up star-studded sky, the Mohondoro custom-built star deck comes equipped with a telescope. Rangers use pointers to highlight constellations and help guests operate the telescope. To complete the experience guests are served beverages of their choice and provided with blankets if they get chilled; and • An underground waterhole hide that connects to the main lodge via a tunnel, providing guests with a unique experience at eye-level with wildlife who frequent the waterhole.
When not out and about, the suites and villas provide serenity and privacy. Each suite/villa offers scenic views, heated private pools equipped with loungers and elegant furnishings. Sitting on your private deck makes for a fantastic experience to enjoy a sundowner while marvelling at the wildlife roaming nearby at all hours of the day.
A great example of responsible ecotourism
Mhondoro is a great example of responsible ecotourism with sustainable initiatives including renewable energy solutions, on-site waste recycling, organic farming, enabling employment opportunities, selling traditional African accessories and handcrafted pieces at the curio shop, in addition to the establishment of a trust with sponsorships for the school on the premises.
Staying at Mhondoro is a luxurious and enchanting experience. There is attention to detail across all aspects, making for a luxurious and comfortable experience for guests. Everything is incredibly well maintained and run by warm, yet professional employees, who seem to anticipate your requirements in advance.
Luxury, bush and great adventures – Mhondoro serves it all up!
For more information, visit
www.mhondoro.com
Keeping wine natural with organic farming
The award-winning Swartland wine farm Org de Rac, follows the principals of organic farming for one reason only: naturally farmed and healthy grapes make better wine.
Johan Gerber, Org de Rac’s General Manager, says that organic farming is often incorrectly referred to as a modern fad or a gimmick. According to Gerber, exactly the opposite is true.
“Organic agriculture is far older than modern winemaking,” he says. “At the beginning of the previous century, all agriculture – including the farming of vineyards – was organic. Farmers had to use natural fertilizer and do pestcontrol without chemical pesticides. It was only after the Second World War that agriculture became industrialised with the use of factory-made chemicals, which changed the face of farming.”
All that organic agriculture is, is using farming practices as was done in the days before artificial additives were used.
“At Org de Rac we have always only used natural fertilizer, such as manure and compost, as well as nonartificial methods of controlling harmful insects and weeds. By following this method of organic farming, the soils are not sterilized by chemicals and the vines grow and develop grapes in a natural environment. And this leads to healthier grapes at harvest time, making wines that are purer in flavour and more expressive of the relevant variety than those coming from chemically farmed vineyards,” says Gerber.
Johan says this can especially be seen in Org de Rac’s Rhône grape varieties such as Shiraz, Mourvédre and Grenache on the red side and Roussanne and Verdelho on the white. The well-known Chenin Blanc grape, one of South Africa’s best-loved varieties, also takes on a uniquely delicious flavour profile in these conditions.
“Whether in single bottle varieties or taken-up in our Die Waghuis Red or White blends, the combination of Swartland sun and organically farmed, pure soils show a unique flavour profile and delicious expression of these varieties,” he explains.
“Whenever someone asks me whether organic wines taste better and different, I offer a glass of Org de Rac Shiraz or Roussanne to prove my point. Or let them taste our Die Waghuis Rhône-style red and white blends which have garnered terrific scores from the international critic Tim Atkin, MW as well as roping in the gold medals at various local and international wine shows.”
Johan says that organic wine farming is growing at a rapid pace around the world. “The top wine regions in France, such as Bordeaux and Burgundy, have moved to organic as the best way to grow healthy grapes best able to express terroir,” he says. “And with the wine industry globally under pressure to follow a sustainable path, more-and-more farmers around the world are changing over to organic. This places Org de Rac in a great position as we have been organic since beginning operations 22 years ago and are now one of the oldest organic farmers in South Africa from where we are proud to lead the way and spread the message that organic wine is the wine for the future that is actually coming back from the past.” Contact us: +27 (0)22 913 2397 l wine@orgderac.com www. orgderac.com
