Hiking Archives - Page 4 of 9

Cousine Island

Follow in the footsteps of Sir Paul McCartney & Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge

If you are seeking privacy and exclusivity and budget is not too much of a concern then Cousine Island is probably one of the most perfect locations anywhere in the world. This fairly small island is situated 6 kms off the coast of Praslin and is home to numerous migratory birds, Hawksbill and Green Turtles and, of course, Giant Tortoises. The island is completely free of alien mammals and so is also the perfect Private Nature Reserve. It is also classified as a Conservation Island. Accommodation is in 4 exceptionally luxuriously appointed villas set right by the beach with wonderful ocean views. Only 10 people at a time can be accommodated on the island and the design and location of each villa ensures the maximum privacy. Most of the building materials for the buildings were sourced locally and all the ingredients for the restaurant are similarly sourced locally to provide a wonderful Creole experience. The main building (called The Pavillion) has a dining area and overlooks the pool, the Indian Ocean and the islands of Praslin, Cousin and Aride in the distance. Boat excursions to other islands, diving and fishing can be arranged. There is a spa in the newly created Wellness Centre and there is also a gym. The beach extend for the full length of the island and a further one appears during the North West Monsoon season. Transfers can be arranged by helicopter from Mahe and Praslin airports.

Raffles, Anse Takamaka, Praslin

This a very special hotel with a setting that can only be described as paradise.

The setting is spectacular and unusual. Raffles occupies a commanding view over Anse Takamaka and the island of Curieuse. All the suites are large with a plunge pool and views over the bay. The accommodation is exceptionally luxurious and private. The rooms (and the bathroom) look out over your own private deck and the extraordinary scenery. The restaurant specialises in local dishes as well as an international menu and provides some of the best cuisine we have encountered in the Seychelles. The hotel has three restaurants, each with their own style of cuisine. The hotel also has a wonderful pool for those who just want to relax. You may also want to make ‘friends’ with the hotel’s own giant tortoises. The rooms are situated over a wide and elevated location and the hotel provides buggies to transport you around the property. You will see a myriad of colourful birds and we have even seen the reclusive tenrec (a type of cute, long snouted mouse) nesting in the bushes at twilight.

About the Location

The views are spectacular across crystal clear turquoise blue waters. In the distance, you will see the pristine and ecologically fascinating island of Curieuse. This is home to some of the World’s largest and oldest tortoises including one that is reputedly 300 years old! Trips to Curieuse can be arranged by the hotel. Concierge will also arrange scuba diving as well as snorkeling. If you don’t want to stray too far then snorkeling from the beach by the hotel will reward you with a myriad of remarkably tame fish. The hotel is situated on the far side of Praslin from the airport, which is approximately a 20-minute drive. You will also be close to the most photographed beach in the Seychelles – Anse Lazio. The beach is palm fringed with the characteristic rounded granite rocks and pristine almost pink sands. It is also easy to catch the ferry from Praslin for the short journey to the island of La Digue. In summary this is one of the most romantic locations that you will find anywhere in the world!

Le Vieux Cep, Cilaos

Family style hotel in the centre of this unusual island

A charming hotel with excellent facilities including a wellness centre. The hotel is quite large with 45 rooms including a few suites. The accommodation is tastefully decorated in a combination of local Creole and rural France style. Natural wood finishes are used extensively and although the standard rooms are quite small they are, nonetheless comfortable. The pool is an exceptional feature and the activities include mountain bikes. The restaurant is well regarded locally and is charmingly situated by the pool. The mountain views are among the best of any of the hotels in this area and each room is designed to maximise the view. Some English is spoken. The hotel caters for families.

About the location

Cilaos is one of the most spectacular locations on this extraordinary island. The views from the hotel are stunning and you are within walking distance of all this little, very French, town has to offer.

Tsilaosa Hotel, Cilaos

Old world charm in this extraordinary destination

One of our favourite hotels for friendliness and atmosphere in Reunion. The hotel has no pretensions but as soon as you step through the doors from the busy village street you appear to step back in time. You are welcomed with a warm smile and you will be helped up to your delightful room beautifully decorated in local Creole style. The rooms are a little larger than normal for Reunion with stripped wood floors and excellent bathrooms complete with whirlpool baths. The hotel does not have a pool as it occupies a fairly restricted village centre site close to local restaurants. There are magnificent views from most of the rooms that also have balconies to relax on and enjoy the ambiance or, if you are artistically inclined, from which to paint local scenes in the bustling village surrounded by spectacular mountains. Indeed, the hotel specifically caters for artists.

About the Location

Cilaos is a truly amazing location set in a collapsed caldera which was originally the home of the volcano in the south west of the island. Yes, it has moved over the aeons. The road up to the village from the coast is incredibly scenic but also extraordinarily tortuous – not for the fainthearted.

Hotel Le Cilaos, Cilaos

Simple but comfortable accommodation on the edge of this fascinating town

This is a medium sized, 24 roomed, country hotel. All the rooms have commanding views over the spectacular mountain scenery around Cilaos including the highest point on the island – Piton Les Nieges at 3,300 metres. The standard rooms are simple in decor but comfortable. The larger rooms are similar in style but with individual touches. Bathrooms, again, are fairly standard in size but reasonably equipped. There is a mini bar in the room. The hotel has an excellent pool and from here the views of the mountains are awe-inspiring. The hotel also has a sauna and wellness centre. The restaurant serves mainly buffet style food for breakfast and evening meals and this is a mixture of local and international cuisine – mainly French inspired. We would rate the food above average for the Island. English is spoken and we found the staff friendly and helpful. We would, however, warn that the hotel is built on many different levels and, common with most of Reunion, there is no porter service so you will be faced with carrying your own luggage often up fairly steep steps.

About the location

The hotel’s location is on the edge of town – approximately a 10-minute walk to the centre. This is a good base for hiking in the mountains and the hotel has details of the excellent and well-marked and maintained hiking trails in the area.

Le Boucan Canot, St. Gilles les Bains

Resort hotel in a great location on this unusual island

This large hotel has 44 rooms and suites including 38 standard rooms. The property has the aire of a resort style hotel with all the amenities you would expect. It is perfectly located on the main beach of the island and can be accessed relatively easily from the main airport.

About the Location

From here it is relatively easy to drive to the town of Cilaos perched high in the centre of this spectacular island. You can enjoy paragliding, mountain biking (for the fit!) and canyoning as well as deep sea fishing. The volcano is a 2 1/2 hour drive and then a long hike at 8,000 ft but you can also take a helicopter tour of the volcano and island. You would normally combine this hotel with others closer to some of the key tourist locations.

St Alexis, St Gilles les Bains

An unusual, luxurious hotel on the main beach of the island

This is one of the most unusual hotels we have encountered. From the time you enter the reception area with its model of the boat (St Alexis) that brought the French to Reunion) and underwater views of the pool, you know that this hotel is different. It is large with 58 rooms and suites of varying sizes and all on the ground floor have a terrace with direct access to the pool which winds its way around the hotel complex. Accommodation is spacious and decoration is sophisticated using cool and uncluttered schemes. Bathrooms are also larger than normal. There is direct access to a great beach, which has a semi private feel at the quieter end of this popular bay. There is an excellent restaurant serving a variety of well-prepared dishes at tables that are on a terrace overlooking the beach as well as inside. The hotel has gym and spa facilities in addition to several Jacuzzis located around the pool.

About the Location

Although the hotel fronts onto a busy street in popular St Gilles, once you are inside the hotel you are in a different world where you will be able to relax. From the hotel, you can drive into the mountain regions around Cilaos. This is a 3-hour drive along tortuous roads providing some of the most spectacular views on the island. You may want to use the hotel as a stylish base and combine it with a couple of nights in Cilaos. We also recommend taking an organised day tour to the volcanic southeastern side of the mountain where you will be able to walk out on lava flows by the sea that are still steaming! For the volcano, La Fournaise, we suggest a helicopter tour unless you are very fit and enjoy hiking at high altitudes.

Auberge Burgundy, Hermanus

Auberge Burgundy occupies a great location in the centre of this bustling and trendy seaside town

Auberge Burgundy is four star accommodation at its best set in the centre of Hermanus. The style of the hotel is just as the name suggests with echoes of laid back rural France. The 14 rooms and 5 suites are spacious and very comfortably appointed with soothing light tones to the decor. There is a roof top pool for relaxing when you just want to chill out rather than walk the short distance down to the beach. The poolside is a good option for those clients who enjoy easy pool access. The restaurant opposite used to be a part of the hotel and guests still eat breakfast here and can book for an excellent evening meal.

About Auberge Burgundy’s Location

The bustling town centre is close and sports a number of individual boutiques. Walker Bay is an excellent location to see Southern Right Whales between June and November. Humpback Whales can normally be viewed from August to December. Their presence is greeted by the colourful, and noisy, Hermanus Whale Crier. He pounds the streets of the town to inform the residents of the most recent orcadian residents in the bay! This location has a lot to offer even outside the whale season. There is shark cage diving close by in Gansbaai and Sea Kayaking can be arranged locally. For the super fit, Sandboarding on the dunes at Betty’s Bay (30 minute drive) can be fun! For those who enjoy more passive pursuits, a trip to the local wine route of Hemel-en-Aarde will be rewarding. Two of South Africa’s top wineries, Hamilton Russell and Bouchard Finlayson are located in this charming valley just 15 minutes from Hermanus. Township tours, Paragliding, Deep Sea Fishing and Horse Riding are among the many activities available.

Jan Harmsgat Country House, Swellendam

Jan Harmsgat combines out of the way rural charm with beautiful rooms and great cuisine

This is real country living! Set beneath the imposing Langeberg Mountains this property has four large bedrooms mainly set in a thatched converted barn . The property also has a family sized, self catering cottage on a working farm approximately 5 minutes’ drive away, This can be used to accommodate families with children under 12. The rooms are spacious and have a calm, cooling country feel with thatched or cape reed ceilings. Dinner in the main house is a feature of any stay at Jan Harmsgat. The cuisine ranks among the best we have encountered in South Africa, the wine cellar features some of the top South African wines with an emphasis on local wineries and some lesser-known labels, which are excellent.

About Jan Harmsgat’s Location

You can relax beside the pool soaking up the sun, walk among the fruit orchards which include grapefruit, apples and quince. You can also hike into the Langeberg Mountains. Explore historic Swellendam, just 25 kms away, where you will find some fine examples of Cape Dutch architecture, There are interesting museums and a good craft complex in the Old Gaol, which is part of the Old Drosdty museum. Robertson, which is home to some excellent wineries, is just 60 kms along the road. In fact the entire road up to Worcester is dotted with vineyards. Both towns have excellent restaurants. The Bontebok National Park is an easy 15-minute drive and it is one of the most successful conservation stories. The park was established in 1931 to protect the remaining 60 bontebok. There are now well over 2,500 bontebok throughout South Africa. You can take a short drive to Montagu, which has hot springs and dramatic scenery through the Kogman’s Kloof Pass. The southernmost tip of Africa (Cape Agulhas) is an hour’s drive. For those looking for a truly unspoilt wilderness the drive to the De Hoop Nature Reserve. The spectacular pristine beach at nearby Witsand will reward you with wonderful sightings of Whales in season (June to December). You will also find examples here of the unique Cape Fynbos vegetation at its best. Rather than just a stopover on your way to the Garden Route, we believe you will be enchanted by a two or three day stay.

Rouxwill Farm, Greyton, Nr. Caledon

A personal favourite in beautiful countryside with wonderful accommodation

For people looking for a country getaway – this is for you. Rouxwil is a working farm with one bedroom, 2 luxury bedrooms with sweeping views over the countryside and 1 garden family unit. The Farmhouse is set in a valley surrounded by fields of wheat, in season, orchards and the natural Cape fynbos. The rooms are beautifully decorated with entrances into the gardens that boast far-reaching views of the mountains. The rooms are complete with original antique furniture collected locally and have exquisite bathrooms completed in the owners’ inimitable style.

About the location

The farm is situated near the little towns of Elgin and Greyton, which are famous for their apple orchards, and Villiersdorp that is well known for its Cape Dutch architecture and fields of lavender. Caledon is not far away with its impressively refurbished Victorian thermal spa. This has been redeveloped into a complete spa centre but retains the original (very) hot baths that are reputed to have healing properties. Franschhoek and the Winelands is a 20-minute drive over the spectacular Franschhoek Pass and Hermanus, which is fabulous for whale watching in season (between June and December), is a short 30 minutes’ drive. The owners live on the farm and here you will experience fine home cooking. This is a quiet, relaxing location but it could also be a good centre for those wanting to hike and explore this beautiful location on foot. 4×4 trips around the property can also be arranged. Rouxwil is only an hour’s drive to Cape Town International Airport along fast roads.