Mr & Mrs Travel - Example Itinerary

At Sanctuary Spa we pride ourselves on distinction. We have compiled a portfolio of exquisitely unique treatments that are the perfect combination of ancient and modern techniques.

Involving the arts of advanced massage techniques, we incorporate elements that enhance your entire being, promoting restoration on every level and captivating the senses, taking you on a journey of unparalleled relaxation and tranquillity.

Available at The Dock House everyday.

Thanks to the wonderful location of the hotel you will find all the most beautiful shops of the city within 2 minutes walking distance.

Experience Cape Town’s highlights, from built landmarks to the city’s famous natural features (private and group tour).

•South African Museum and the Company Gardens
•Parliament buildings
•City Hall and Castle of Good Hope
•Malay Quarter/Bo-Kaap
•Green Market Square
•Signal Hill
•Camps Bay and Clifton
•Short diamond factory tour (optional)

Make a difference. Make unforgettable memories.

Spier’s wide range of Growing for Good initiatives empower our communities to unleash positive social and environmental change. With Time for Good, hotel guests are invited to be a part of the action!
Guests can now book one of these inspiring activities, and we guarantee their visit to our historic wine farm will be meaningful, moving and memorable. Whether they're on a family getaway, a romantic escape or travelling as a group, Time for Good activities are an essential, unforgettable add-on to their Spier experience. Each takes place either on our farm or in the surrounding community.

Volunteer in our Food Garden
On a tour of our Food Garden, they will learn all about regenerative agriculture and permaculture gardening from our team of friendly, knowledgeable gardeners — and get to meet the pest control patrol: a paddle of runner ducks! Fancy getting some dirt under their fingernails? Volunteers are welcome in this tranquil space, where they will help the team cultivate a bounty of nutrient-rich and delicious produce without inorganic pesticides or artificial fertilisers. Their time will be well spent, whether weeding and harvesting or packing seedlings and veggies that are donated to local community feeding schemes.

Donate essentials to under-resourced schools and the elderly
If guests have some space to spare in their suitcase, they can fill it with essential items to be donated to some of the Winelands’ most vulnerable residents. As a proud member of the global initiative Pack-for-a-Purpose, we’ll distribute any school stationery, art supplies, children’s books, educational games and sporting goods they bring to under-resourced rural schools. If they're able to pack adult toiletries, bedding and other household items, we’ll pass these on to Zandvliet Care Facility which looks after the elderly.

Tackling poverty one seedling at a time
Guests can enjoy an inspiring tour of the Tree-preneurs nursery on our farm, home to 23 000 indigenous plants! Project manager Lesley Joemat has empowered dozens of “Tree-preneurs” living in impoverished communities to grow indigenous trees and plants. Once the seedlings she’s given them to nurture have reached a certain height, they are exchanged for essentials such as food vouchers, clothing, agricultural goods, tools, bicycles and educational support.

Taste wines in our organic vineyard
There’s no better person than our Organic Winemaker, Tania Kleintjes, to show guests around our farm’s organic vineyards. At the tour’s completion, they will unwind between the rows of vines as Tania pours them a taste of our three acclaimed organic Farm House wines. The cost of the tour includes two organic wines for guests to take home. If the tour falls during the annual harvest (typically a several-week period in February and March), guests are able to both lend a hand with picking the perfect grapes and tasting them too!

Visit and volunteer at the Sustainability Institute
A close neighbour and longtime partner of Spier, the Sustainability Institute runs a range of activities and programmes aimed at creating more equitable and empowered futures. As a volunteer in its food garden, guests will plant, harvest and enjoy a wild food tasting, followed by a harvest table lunch. Other volunteer opportunities through the Institute include tree-planting, soup-making, knitting, children’s reading circles and youth sports. Guests can also tour the Sustainability Institute’s campus, learning about its educational programmes, as well as the renowned Lynedoch Ecovillage – an ecologically designed, socially mixed community built around the campus.

Explore regenerative agriculture and recycling
Our Segway tours aren’t just exhilarating fun in the fresh air: they’re also a great way to learn about Spier’s deeply rooted commitment to the earth. As guests glide effortlessly past our organic vineyards, they will get the lowdown on all things green — from recycling to regenerative agriculture. Along the way, they will meet happy, free-roaming chickens, visit our eco-friendly wastewater treatment plant (which recycles 100% of the farm’s black and grey water), and stop by the tranquil Food Garden, where delicious produce is cultivated without artificial fertilisers or inorganic pesticides.

Venture with raptors into the wild
Guests can walk amidst Cape fynbos with majestic hawks, learning how birds of prey keep ecosystems healthy and balanced as they enjoy their daily exercise and conduct natural “pest control”. Into the Wild sessions will begin at Eagle Encounters — the raptor rehabilitation, conservation and education centre at Spier — with an introduction to falconry. Guests will then enjoy a leisurely hike on the farm with the Harris hawks freely following on and gliding around them. Eagle Encounters is also open to visitors, with exhilarating personal encounters and spectacular interactive flying shows with even more birds of prey (including eagles, owls, kites and buzzards). Guests will also get to meet other critters, including foxes, snakes and lizards.

Become a patron of the arts
The Creative Block project invites artists, both established and emerging, to create work on a small blank block. The blocks are submitted for critique, and the best are purchased and made available for sale to visitors – showcased across the farm. Creative Block is ideal for the budding art collector. With a modest budget, guests are able to establish – or expand – a collection of delightfully diverse artworks. This will ensure they are among the early collectors that help to support artists at the beginning of their careers. Curious to learn more about South Africa’s thriving art scene? A walking tour showcasing the highlights of Spier’s art collection (one of the country’s largest) is available upon request.

Connect and craft with local artisans
The vibrant Craft Market at Spier is a sustainable social enterprise which improves local livelihoods, provides eco-friendly shopping and adheres to Fair Trade principles. As guests browse the stalls, they can chat with talented artists and artisans creating striking art and design. Their one-of-kind pieces range from paintings, carvings and jewellery to beadwork, textiles and ceramics. There are also extraordinary items made from recycled and upcycled materials. Give it a go! Individuals and groups can book a fun make-it-yourself session where they will try their hand at painting, jewellery-making, beadwork or wirework. Our experienced artisans will share their techniques and know-how, encouraging guests to unleash their own creativity.

Read more here https://www.spier.co.za/time-for-good. If you have any questions, please contact Comien Grobler on comieng@spier.co.za.

Award-winning wine is paired with innovative food at Spier’s Tasting Room which is located on the banks of the Spier dam, with stunning views of the Helderberg Mountains. Wine is available for sale at cellar door prices. The Tasting Room’s retail space offers wine-related products, locally-made homeware, gifts and books.

Tastings include:
• Spier Tasting: choose wines from the Spier Signature range, Spier Seaward, Spier Creative Block and 21 Gables
• Chocolate and wine tastings
• Winemaker Selection: Taste from our 21 Gables and Creative Block ranges plus the organic red blend, Spier First Stone.
• The Children's Grape Juice Tasting is the ideal way to keep the youngsters busy with a tasting of two different grape juices and an educational activity sheet highlighting the role insects play in our vineyards.
• Food platters to pair with the tastings are also available for sale

Spier Wine Tasting is open from 10:00 – 16:30 daily, with Sales from 09:00 -17:00. Contact us on +27 (021) 809 1143/7 or visit https://shop.spier.co.za/ to order wines online.

The Spier Elemental Garden is just a stone’s throw from Spier Farm Café and Vadas Smokehouse & Bakery – both much loved by families. It was conceptualised by landscape architect Ed Brooks and local landscape architect Danielle Croly, using mostly indigenous plants.
The garden is divided into quadrants representing the four elements: water, air, fire and earth. Intersecting all four is a spiralling waterway that symbolises the Fibonacci Sequence – a set of numbers where each number is the sum of the two preceding ones. Many patterns in nature follow this rule — such as the spiral shape of a seashell, the arrangement of leaves on a branch, or the petals of some flowers (such as daisies and sunflowers).
Features of the garden include a slide landscaped into earth mounds, a tunnel to crawl through, a Charl Conradie wind sculpture and a swing bridge. The water in the Water quadrant has been treated and is safe to splash about in – perfect for hot summer days.

The Elemental Garden is open daily until sunset; entry is complimentary.

The Segway PT (personal transport) is a two-wheeled, self balancing electric vehicle. Users lean forward to go forwards, lean back to go backwards and turn using a "lean steer" handlebar. As you glide through the farm past our beautiful vineyards and pastures, your guide will share interesting insights about farming, Spier’s river walk and wastewater treatment plant.

Eagle Encounters has been going strong since 2001, rehabilitating and releasing birds of prey, promoting conservation and education, on land donated by Spier. Birds of prey keep the farm’s ecosystem in balance, making it possible to naturally control pests, without pesticides. Enjoy up-close-and-personal interactions with eagles, hawks, falcons, owls, kites, buzzards, snakes and lizards. Take part in heart-stopping falconry displays, where we fly birds to you. Kids will also enjoy our piglets, rabbits, tortoises, chickens and unique playground.

Take time off from real life and indulge in a facial or massage at the Spier spa, set inside the spacious Spier Hotel. Melt away tension and feel revived and refreshed with a full programme of skin, body and massage treatments on the menu.

Close to our Tasting Room, the Spier Craft Market showcases craftwork at eight custom-designed units – each manned by a cluster of artists. Wire and beadwork, 3D paintings, mosaics, items from recycled materials, jewellery, textiles, ceramics and woodcarving are all represented. Whether you want something simple like a key ring or fridge magnet, or a collectable art piece, there will be something to win your heart. Many of the artists work on site several days a week and would be happy to answer your questions and share the production process with you.

Spier has two audio tours you can listen to on your smartphone using the VoiceMap app (available on Google Play and the App Store):

· The Gables tour takes you around Spier’s historic farmyard, the Werf, offering a fictionalised account of the world of a Stellenbosch wine farm around 200 years ago. It was researched and written by acclaimed playwright, Brett Bailey. The narrator is Sannie de Goede, a slave woman on the Spier Estate in 1836, on the eve of her freedom.
· The hour-long Walk the Spier Farm tour will introduce you to the farm’s many facets: from art and wines to hospitality and heritage. You’ll also discover our efforts to forge a sustainable future, through biodynamic farming, the rehabilitation of fragile indigenous ecosystems and our eco-friendly wastewater plant and water-wise winery.

Discover the farm for free, using one of the Qhubeka Buffalo Bicycles located at the Spier Hotel entrance. These are sturdy and strong machines, designed for rough African terrain (and prove more than a match for our farm roads). Designed by Chicago-based World Bicycle Relief and assembled in South Africa, these bikes were named by the BBC as one of the 10 most beautiful bikes in the world.

Find everything you need for a challenging workout at Spier’s gym. Feel the burn, then pour the wine. Exclusive to hotel guests. Situated above the Kids Club.

The tour will show you how a modern day working commercial farm operates.

Our tour guide, Koos, starts by telling you the fascinating story of how Oudtshoorn owes its history to the ostrich. Indeed the ostrich feather started it all … and the rest (as they say)… is history!

Koos, will take you for a drive around the farm to show you the adult ostriches. You will get a chance to meet the curious and friendly, young ostriches in the farm paddocks.

He then will show you how we breed the chicks. You will see how we use advanced farming methods to care for the eggs and provide the right environment for them to hatch into healthy young birds. Once hatched, our chicks then go into the nursery for their upbringing. As they grow, so they move into bigger paddocks along with all the other chicks they bonded with in the nursery.

If you want to do shopping, some of the local things that we recommend you buy as gifts or souvenirs are the following places. Mooiplaas Country Guesthouse also has an on site curio shop.

Our on-site spa facility is one of the best Oudtshoorn spa facilities, offering treatments and massages to suit every guest’s needs. Add some extra pampering to your holiday.
Treatments include massages, facials, hand & foot treatments, exfoliation, body wraps and more – with the signature range of Kalahari spa and beauty products.

Experience a touch of Africa – in the comfort of our luxury farm style surrounding.

Mooiplaas Guesthouse boasts a beautiful swimming pool overlooking the farmlands of Oudtshoorn. Take a dip and enjoy a cocktails pool side on those hot summer days.

Robberg Nature Reserve to our west and the beautiful Natures Valley to our East

Seals, whales, dolphins, sharks, pelagic birds ... from the sea or from the land. A beautiful way to spend the day.

Rejuvenate, relax and restore in the exquisite bamboo forest gardens of the Balinese-style Spa at Fairlawns. With a range of therapies and signature Asian-inspired treatments, a team of skilled therapists are able to bring you back to a state of calm and natural well-being. Five indoor treatment rooms with enhanced mood lighting set the scene for your journey to relaxation and restoration. The Balinese Gardens are the perfect space to catch your breath after your massage. Featuring a heated plunge pool, Knipe Therapy, spa bath and hidden escapes on a Chinese daybed or pod swing chairs, it is an oasis to disconnect and refresh. Three outdoor treatment salas accommodate groups of two and more. Choose from a variety of facials for gentlemen and ladies, travel therapy treatments like a Jet Lag Massage, or the perfect manicure and pedicure combination.

Discover heartfelt hospitality and elegance in the Manor Bistro lounge with windows opening out onto the gardens, serving daily classic afternoon tea. An ideal spot to dine on light meals, and ogle the cake trolley, inspired by the Ritz in London, this is also fast becoming very popular with events. Partake in a classic, with morning and afternoon tea served daily. You can also indulge in Champagne or sparkling wine served by the glass. High Tea is served from Tuesday to Monday, 11h00 to 17h00.

Feel Africa underfoot on a guided bush walk with a highly trained game ranger. The experience offers an intimate encounter with nature and wildlife, and medicinal and other plants are identified en route.

Rangers also teach walkers to track wildlife in the traditional way, using animal footprints and scat. Expert trackers are able to tell the gender of many animals just from their footprints. Large and dangerous animals are avoided on walks, but many other species can be viewed from a safe distance at ground level. A bush walk through Kapama Private Game Reserve is a truly memorable and authentic encounter.

Surrounded by stillness and sweeping bushveld, the Kapama Wellness Centre takes safari spa treatments to new heights. Considered one of the finest safari spas in Africa, the six sumptuous treatment rooms are arranged around a generous central lap pool that evokes a sense of calm.

While Dermalogica and Matisse products are used in the spa, five uniquely created African-inspired treatments are also on the menu to provide rejuvenation and complete relaxation. Soak up the signature four-hour Marula Miracle Moments - which includes a body wrap, facial, massage and more - or opt for other enticingly named treatments such as the Kapama Pinotage Bliss, which uses vine-infused products, or the Marula Sensual Steam Treatment. Various treatments are also available to couples. The luxury safari spa treatment menu includes a full range of body and beauty treatments.

Highly trained and experienced beauty therapists remain abreast of global treatment trends, while giving them a uniquely African twist for Kapama’s Wellness Centre. After your treatment, take a swim in the lap pool or relax under bushveld skies before heading back to your luxury game lodge accommodation.

Alternatively, if you’d like to work up a sweat, the state-of-the-art mini gym is fully equipped. There is both cardio and weight-lifting equipment, depending on if you want to tone or build muscle. What is guaranteed is that a visit to the Wellness Centre will energise and uplift you for the day.

The Kapama Romantic Sleep-out offers a million-star overnight experience. Sleeping in the open air on the reserve, elevated high above the ground under the African night sky, is a uniquely romantic experience. A raised platform is evocatively furnished with an oversized bed festooned in white linen and billowing mosquito netting. It’s completely safe, while being surrounded by only wilderness and wildlife. The experience is guaranteed to take your breath away.

You’ll arrive before sunset to watch the changing colours of evening and sip a sundowner. The African bush fairytale continues with a five-course dinner served to you by a personal chef at an intimate table for two on the platform. Or you can enjoy dinner at the lodge and arrive at your romantic sleep-out venue afterwards. By night, it will be encircled by a ring of golden lantern light.

The platform and luxury bathroom underneath are both animalproof, but both a two-way radio and cellular phone are supplied for additional peace of mind. With a flush toilet, shower and his and hers basins, the bathroom has all comforts catered for.

Your private night in the African bush continues until after dawn, when you will call your ranger by radio to transfer you back to your lodge. An appointed pick-up time may also be arranged in advance.

Kapama Private Game Reserve is delighted to host world-class photographic training by a leading South African wildlife photographer - hands-on in the African bush.

Kapama Private Game Reserve is offering this three-night photographic workshop package at its four diverse luxurious safari lodges. Hosted by professional wildlife photographer Albie Venter, the workshop is aimed at beginner and intermediate photographers. It also aims to bring together like-minded people who enjoy both nature and photography. During the workshop, you will learn everything from operating a camera to how to compose and spot evocative photographs. You will also be able to put your newly acquired knowledge into action, and hone your skills during private game drives through the bush.

Whether you have never picked up a camera before or just want to learn to use the one you have better, the emphasis of the weekend is on learning both the technical and artistic sides of photography in a relaxing natural environment. All appropriate genres of photography will be discussed, and the theoretical aspects will be taught during two sessions hosted in the lodge conference room. The six game drives during the weekend are aimed at putting knowledge into practice, with guidance from the professional photographer on your vehicle. Groups are kept small to ensure personal attention. A maximum of six people are accommodated on the game drive vehicle, to ensure all participants have ‘window’ seats.

This photographic can be customised for any number of days. Kapama is happy to quote on and accommodate specific guest requirements.

Across all of Kapama’s lodges, two daily game drives are offered and are included in the tariff. Accompanied by a skilled guide and assistant guide, guests can expect to encounter a diverse range of animal and bird species on game drives. Since this is a Big Five reserve, seeing lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffalo is possible over a two-day safari in Kapama Private Game Reserve.

The day starts with an early wake-up call between 5 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. Tea, coffee and rusks are enjoyed together before heading out at first light. While seeing Big Game is always exhilarating, there are many other smaller species that are also captivating, and birding enthusiasts will be delighted at the approximately 350 species of birds recorded on the reserve. Halfway through the game drive, there’s a stop for hot drinks and snacks, before returning to the lodge at around 9 am for a full breakfast. Throughout the day, it’s likely you will see wildlife around the lodge - nyala antelope and vervet monkeys are frequent visitors, though seeing some of the Big Five is also not uncommon.

At around 3:30 p.m., everyone gathers for a decadent high tea, before heading out with your ranger and tracker for the afternoon game drive through the reserve. En route, you’ll stop for a sundowner drink and will have a chance to stretch your legs as you watch the sunset over the distant peaks of the Drakensberg mountains.

As darkness falls, the nocturnal animals of the bush come out. The skilled tracker will scan the landscape using a spotlight, which illuminates animals’ eyes. A variety of completely different species can be seen on the night drive back to the lodge. Arrival at the lodge is usually around 7 p.m., allowing time to freshen up before enjoying a sumptuous dinner.