There’s no time to be bored in a world as beautiful as this.
Congratulations, you’ve arrived safely in De Hoop Nature Reserve! What now? Your home away from home is set within 34 000 hectares of Fynbos, beaches, dunes, vlei wetlands and the Potberg Mountains, which all mean endless possibilities. With so much to do, where do you start? Morukuru Ocean House offers our famous Morukuru Family “freedom concept”. This means you and your group are at liberty to choose your own activities. Morukuru Beach Lodge offers guests a wide range of group pursuits. This changes daily - so don’t forget to check the info board and pick what you fancy.
Begin with the beach; a ranger-led marine walk is a great activity suitable for the whole family. The beach and rock pools are home to plenty of marine life, including hermit crabs, starfish, octopuses, mussels, sea cucumber and sea & sand anemone.
Take this to the next level with a snorkelling adventure in the nearby, protected rock pools. Don’t worry about gear. Manager and Guide Riehan Groenewald explains: “ we supply our guests with wetsuits and full-face masks, making the experience so much more “real”. The facemasks are excellent as they cover your entire face, and you do not have to worry about water running down the snorkel. It makes it a lot easier and more comfortable.” If you enjoy a bit of friendly rivalry, you can get competitive with some good old-fashioned beach games like volleyball, cricket and croquet, plus kids can also get creative with some kite making and flying.
Dune boarding is one of the most exciting outdoor adventure sports, and we have plenty of white sand for daring tricks and high speeds. Dune boarding is exhilarating, fast, fun, and super-safe, with sit-down options on offer. Experts tell us it is easier than snowboarding, wakeboarding and surfing and the most fun you can have in the sand of De Hoop.
The whale-watching season offers world-renown opportunities to spot Southern Right whales and dolphins. There isn’t an official date for the start of the whale season along the Southern Cape coast, and you can catch ad hoc sighting of whales anytime between June and November. However, locals will tell you that July to October usually offers exceptional whale watching opportunities.
If you feel like taking it up a gear or two, mountain biking is the perfect way to explore the area around our properties and the greater reserve. Bikes and equipment are provided, and our trained staff can guide you along different routes. Add wildlife spotting to the plan with a 4 x 4 nature drive. These drives allow you to get deeper into the De Hoop Nature Reserve and look out for rare animals like Bontebok and Cape Mountain Zebra and spot other animals like Eland, the Cape clawless otter, baboons, rock dassies and the occasional rooikat (caracal) and elusive Cape Leopard.
If you are keen on walking, you can enjoy a guided fynbos hike and get an introduction to the diversity and beauty of the indigenous vegetation found in De Hoop Nature Reserve. You can get out your binoculars for some bird watching. The reserve is home to over 260 species, including the endangered African Black Oystercatcher and a rare and threatened Cape Vultures colony. Other species to check off your birding list are the Hottentot ButtonQuail, Cape Spurfowl and the Agulhas Long-billed Lark, and if you explore the vlei, you will spot The Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus).
After the nature walk, head back to the lodge for some timely refreshment and a unique opportunity to experience some fynbos tea tasting. Riehan tells us, “There are over 1500 species of fynbos in the reserve and Rooibos, Buchu, Honeybush and Cancer bush make for particularly great tea!” The lodge team will create an immersive tea experience with special pairings like lemon, honey or berries. You would have relished the fynbos’ sight and smell on the walk on the walk, and now you get to be captivated by the taste. Sit back. Relax. Enjoy.
Congratulations, you’ve arrived safely in De Hoop Nature Reserve! What now? Your home away from home is set within 34 000 hectares of Fynbos, beaches, dunes, vlei wetlands and the Potberg Mountains, which all mean endless possibilities. With so much to do, where do you start? Morukuru Ocean House offers our famous Morukuru Family “freedom concept”. This means you and your group are at liberty to choose your own activities. Morukuru Beach Lodge offers guests a wide range of group pursuits. This changes daily - so don’t forget to check the info board and pick what you fancy.
Begin with the beach; a ranger-led marine walk is a great activity suitable for the whole family. The beach and rock pools are home to plenty of marine life, including hermit crabs, starfish, octopuses, mussels, sea cucumber and sea & sand anemone.
Take this to the next level with a snorkelling adventure in the nearby, protected rock pools. Don’t worry about gear. Manager and Guide Riehan Groenewald explains: “ we supply our guests with wetsuits and full-face masks, making the experience so much more “real”. The facemasks are excellent as they cover your entire face, and you do not have to worry about water running down the snorkel. It makes it a lot easier and more comfortable.”
If you enjoy a bit of friendly rivalry, you can get competitive with some good old-fashioned beach games like volleyball, cricket and croquet, plus kids can also get creative with some kite making and flying.
Dune boarding is one of the most exciting outdoor adventure sports, and we have plenty of white sand for daring tricks and high speeds. Dune boarding is exhilarating, fast, fun, and super-safe, with sit-down options on offer. Experts tell us it is easier than snowboarding, wakeboarding and surfing and the most fun you can have in the sand of De Hoop.
The whale-watching season offers world-renown opportunities to spot Southern Right whales and dolphins. There isn’t an official date for the start of the whale season along the Southern Cape coast, and you can catch ad hoc sighting of whales anytime between June and November. However, locals will tell you that July to October usually offers exceptional whale watching opportunities.
If you feel like taking it up a gear or two, mountain biking is the perfect way to explore the area around our properties and the greater reserve. Bikes and equipment are provided, and our trained staff can guide you along different routes. Add wildlife spotting to the plan with a 4 x 4 nature drive. These drives allow you to get deeper into the De Hoop Nature Reserve and look out for rare animals like Bontebok and Cape Mountain Zebra and spot other animals like Eland, the Cape clawless otter, baboons, rock dassies and the occasional rooikat (caracal) and elusive Cape Leopard.
If you are keen on walking, you can enjoy a guided fynbos hike and get an introduction to the diversity and beauty of the indigenous vegetation found in De Hoop Nature Reserve. You can get out your binoculars for some bird watching. The reserve is home to over 260 species, including the endangered African Black Oystercatcher and a rare and threatened Cape Vultures colony. Other species to check off your birding list are the Hottentot ButtonQuail, Cape Spurfowl and the Agulhas Long-billed Lark, and if you explore the vlei, you will spot The Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus).
After the nature walk, head back to the lodge for some timely refreshment and a unique opportunity to experience some fynbos tea tasting. Riehan tells us, “There are over 1500 species of fynbos in the reserve and Rooibos, Buchu, Honeybush and Cancer bush make for particularly great tea!” The lodge team will create an immersive tea experience with special pairings like lemon, honey or berries. You would have relished the fynbos’ sight and smell on the walk on the walk, and now you get to be captivated by the taste. Sit back. Relax. Enjoy.
