There are many reasons to love De Hoop Nature Reserve. Set just more than a two-hour drive from Cape Town, it’s in the sweet spot for a weekend getaway... especially if you ‘work remotely’ and skive off early on a Friday. There’s an array of accommodation – from the cosy to the downright luxurious – and a reserve filled with hiking and biking trails. Love birds? The De Hoop vlei is a hotspot for all manner of feathered creatures.
And this month, just as the Southern Right whales begin to arrive on their annual migration, the De Hoop Collection will once again be hosting its Wine Whales & Music festival. This year the event takes place on the weekend of June 21-23, 2024.
It’s a ‘festival’ that allows you to pick and choose your events, based on your budget and interests.
The weekend event starts on the Friday afternoon with an optional nature drive or an eco-boat cruise with delicious canapés and drinks (R450 per person/kids under-12 half-price); followed by a wine-pairing dinner at the Fig Tree Restaurant. Live music comes courtesy of local band The Generation Gaps, with the trip crossing generations in both age and musical styles.
On Saturday, there is a guided Bird Walk along the De Hoop Vlei (R195 per person/kids under-12 half-price), or a Chocolate Workshop with acclaimed Overberg chocolatier Richard von Geusau (R125 per person/kids under-12 R70) and a wine and cheese tasting. Afterwards, perhaps take a drive down to Koppie Alleen and spend some time on the dune scanning the waves for whales.
In the late afternoon look forward to High Tea, followed by a presentation by Dalfrenzo Laing. As the Exhibition Ambassador, he is an expert guide to the fascinating ‘Origins of Early Southern Sapiens Behaviour’ exhibition. After the presentation guests are taken on a guided discovery of this remarkable exhibition, that delves into early modern sapiens and their existence in the De Hoop area around 75 000 years ago.
That evening, Dinner at the Fig Tree Restaurant features the Whale Time Serenade for Strings and Flute, with world-class performers on stage. After breakfast on Sunday head back to the shoreline for a guided marine walk of this pristine intertidal zone.
Rates for the Wine Whales & Music 2024 weekend range from R2725 to R7200 per person, depending on the accommodation booked. Rates include dinner, bed and breakfast, all entertainment (music on Friday and Saturday), wine and cheese tastings, a Guest Speaker presentation and High Tea, but excludes drinks, workshops and guided activities.
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