Flamingo Adventure Tours » whale watching

PRE & POST TOURS – WORLD CUP 2010

Pam — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:38:13 +0000

From the prices I have received, thank goodness I was sitting down when I read those e-mails, things are rather pricey for the Soccer 2010. So with a lot of thought and ideas rushing through my head, I have decided that I am NOT going to rip-off any potential guests and offer PRE & POST tours to see this beautiful diverse and scenically stunning country of SA, especially the Cape Town area and the Garden Route with Malaria-Free game safaris to 5 star private reserve of Shamwari in the Eastern Cape. They do have the BIG 5! I have seen them there often – Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo, Rhino, black & white!

We will be offering tours from early June until day before match day, which is 11th June and then again from 20th July.

13 – 14 days or parts of this itinerary – 4 nights Cape Town, 3 nights Garden Route, 2 nights Safari, another 2 nights in Garden Route area then a night back in Cape Town or Hermanus for big 6 – Whale watching, then home.

You can see the itineraries on my website – www.flamingotours.co.za

As each tour is personalised to your requirements, we do not have schedule tours or listed prices, each tour is designed to suit your interests and ability. so contact us and we can arrange this JUST FOR YOU!

: BIG 7 – CHEETAH

This is the most endangered big CAT in Africa – the CHEETAH!

Seasonal Tours

Carey — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 19:51:34 +0000

Spring flowers excursion

Whale watching (Day & Away Tours)

Whales and Wine tour – July – November

Carey — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 19:28:28 +0000

We drive via the False Bay coastline to Hermanus. On route we visit the wine growing area of Walker Bay and then enjoy the afternoon whale watching in Walker Bay. Return via the N1. (Meals not included.)

Whale watching – from beach launch boat

Carey — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 18:37:41 +0000

For those who want to push their bounderies. We now have a sling seat to get you on board a boat that launches from the beach in Plettenberg Bay – ocean Safaris – to go out and get close to Southern Right whales, occasionally Dolphins will appear, which is the added bonus. This is best done during July to mid November each year, when these largest mammals in the world, come around our shores especially along the Western and Southern coastlines. Another incredible experience

Winter newsletter – August 2008

Carey — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 18:29:57 +0000

With Spring knocking on the door, with wonderful weather yesterday and today with temperatures just into the 20′s C (70F), I think we are in for a real treat with our Spring flower display – Mother Nature at her best. She gave us a really hard time this winter with rain for weeks, so solid that flooding took place in many places, especially in the low areas of Cape Town, on the Cape flats, but in her usual motherly nature, she will compensate us for that with breathtaking magic of the annual flowers along the Western and Southern regions. I took this photo a few years ago, but it shows you how the veld becomes a carpet of colour. This is the West Coast National Park, where we visit for a day out of Cape Town and take a picnic lunch with us.

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EXCITING NEW PLACES AND THINGS TO DO!!
On recent trip to check out a few places down the Garden Route, we found a new attraction in t he form of a “Small Cats Sanctuary” – TENIKWA – where you can get close and failry personal with animals like the smaller cats, those you do not see when doing a Safari, as many of them are the shy ones, nocturnal ones or those seldom seen at all. Caracal (lynx),with their tufted ears and redish fur, Wild Cat – that looks like house cats, but are far from that. Black footed cat, that are beatiful, ferocious and almost never seen. Cerval that are long legged and small bodied. The other highlight is the boardwalk above the new Meerkat enclosure, where you can see these fascinating animals in their natural enviroment. You can also get very close to our National Bird – the blue Crane. I sat having coffe stroking this birds feather – first for me!! The undertakers of the veld – the Maribu Stork was also a close encouter and a first for me on being so close. There are also hand reared Cheetah at this sanctuary that are loved and looked after by Len and Mandy who loves these animals so much it shows in the way the animals respond back to them.
HOW MUCH MORE RELAXED CAN THIS CARACAL (Lynx) BE???

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WHALE WATCHING – FROM BEACH LAUNCH BOAT

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FOR THE VERY MAD AMONG US!!

WHO REALLY WANT TO MORE THAN PUSH BOUNDARIES

(MUST HAVE UPPER BODY STRENGTH)

Become a monkey for about two hours – “swing from tree to tree” – I did – but then I am not in a wheelchair. Again the sling seat will get you to the forest site and out again. Get strapped into gear and with lots of help from a very helpful team of tree flyer guides – we will get you from tree platform to the next at the top of the tree canopy!! Again I must iterate, that there are restrictions for those doing this, in weight, strength and ability. Exhilarating – yes – exhausting – yes. I have very strong arms from pushing wheelchairs in and out of my vehicle and I have lactic acid muscle pain the next day! Not for the faint of heart – only the crazies like me! The certificate proves it – make of that what you wish!!

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NEW ACCOMMODATIONS

I have a few new ones that I checked out last month. After years of “nagging” our bestman Dennis Jenkinson in Port Elizabeth, he and his wife Sandy, have adapted one of the rooms in their guest houses and built in a roll-in shower and grab rails. The room has an added bonus of having a kitchenette for a bit of self-catering. WELL DONE – at last! Thanks Den

In the Klein Karoo capital town of Oudtshoorn, we have found another gem and have a new guest house option there as well, with charming hosts and luxury interior and one adatepd room. This is my secret find!

Our usual stop at the Farm near Heidelberg, Anné-Lize and Neels, are also adding another adapted room on as we speak, so that they will soon have 2 adapted rooms on the Guest Farm.

So strides are being made in the smaller venue accommodation industry, who are showing up the big boys in the industry, in how to make a REAL difference to our guests with special needs -

WELL DONE ALL OF YOU!!!

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Enough prattle from me today, until next time. – SPRING NEWSLETTER Love each other like there is no tomorrow. Tell your loved ones you love them often. Always hug your animals, they are the the ones that love you unconditionally! Love and hugs to ALL PAM & JEFF

“Adventures” we can facilitate

Carey — Sat, 31 May 2008 18:47:57 +0000

We can facilitiate many adventures, that many people are not aware of. here is a list of things we can arrange for our special guests who want to do something different or are mad enough to want to do these “adventures”. Some are already included in our itineraries.
CAPE TOWN

Helicopter flips
Deep Sea Fishing
Abseiling – tandem
Yacht sailing
Fossil Park archaeological site viewing (Palaeontology – extinct animal fossils)
Boat trip to view seals
Sea Kayaking – good upper body strength and balance required
HERMANUS/GANSBAAI

Shark Cage Diving – cold water 12 – 15°C
Whale watching from boat
Land based Whale watching

GARDEN ROUTE

Farm Experience – farm tour on back of pick up vehicle (bakkie) to see African Nguni cattle, ostrich and sheep.
Shark Cage Diving – Warm Water 20°C+
Paragliding – tandem
Meet the People – unusual style “township” tour – not typical tour – very different – show pride NOT poverty!!
Whale and Dolphin watching from boat off beach launch
500m Forest Walk
Crocodile Cage Diving for those who can stand – not in chair
Hot Air Ballooning for those who can stand – not in chair (In JNB area in chair) Oudtshoorn for able bodied.
River cruises on boats
Bungi Jumping
Tree Top Canopy tour
Game safari

WEST COAST

Fossil Park – extinct animal bones of creatures were have never seen
Many more things are happening all the time. Hope to add to the list soon.

If you have more exciting things to do – let me know and I will add this to the list!

Autumn newsletter – May 2008

Carey — Sat, 31 May 2008 18:42:58 +0000

Driving along the Route 62 recently, commonly known as R62,(the longest wine route in the world) with almost wintery weather – cool with showers, all I thought about was – WOW – it is going to be a magic Spring if this rain continues through the season like this. Generally our area of South Africa has winter rains from May – September, so April showers and the cool air, with possible overnight snow – yes I said SNOW, in the eastern areas of the country on the very high mountains of the Drakensburg, bodes well for the next Spring season. So book early and come and experience something beyond what I could pen here or a photo could do justice to. Nature at its best. Carpets of colour. Now we can even take guests in wheelchairs, that can manage in a very large standard bathroom with roll-in shower – only no grab rails – as yet – have to still work on the rails bit with the management of the lodge in the Cederberg area, 225 km North of Cape Town. I am going to do 1 day tour to West Coast National Park and 3 to 5 day tours venturing further North, to see the flowers in August and September only . Spring Spectacular! So if you love mountain scenery, with nature’s annual wonder as the added bonus – come visit!! What also crossed my mind as I drove through this beautiful area, was, I suppose most people today are cuddled up in bed with a good book! They do not know what they are missing, there is so much to do and see here – they are the mad ones not me! (That was written last month!) How time flies.
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INDABA TRADE SHOW DURBAN MAY 2008

Jeff and I were at the Indaba Trade Show in Durban earlier this month, in the Zulu Kingdom of South Africa, the sub-tropical area of the country – hot, humid with everything larger than life, as it rains often and the weather is usually warm to hot always! We love it, as it is a nice break from the cooling Cape Town and Garden Route. Everyone loves our bright pink Flamingo sitting in a wheelchair (a wire one – not the real thing – nature conservation would have me up for cruelty). We are now offering some more plans going further afield and into unexplored areas for those guests who are able to move around in a standard bathroom. OFF the BEATEN TRACK, BRITISH INFLUENCE IN S.A. or design your own tour with your interests in mind and let us arrange your dream holiday for you. We found that many more accessible places that are coming online, with lots more to do and see. Remember we can facilitate many adventure types of day trips. Deep Sea Fishing, Tandem Paragliding, Bungi Jumping, Shark Cage diving, Fly through the canopy of the indigenous forest, just to mention a few, you name it, I will see if I can arrange it. We found that those wanting a real “Adventure” type tour, we can offer so much more these days. This is what we go to Indaba for to bring the world in one country to you! Next month we are off to see all these new places and experiences, to check out the accessibility and advise on how to change it, so that we have more to offer our guests and friends.

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EXCITING NEWS
Adapted vehicle to hire out to overseas visitors

In the near future we are going to be able to offer our overseas visitors (when I buy it!!) an adapted vehicle to hire for package deals only. This is for able bodied driver with international driver’s licence, arriving and departing from Cape Town. The package includes accommodation, all pre-booked and an itinerary to follow or design your own itinerary. This exciting development will be on offer later this year. I am selling my VW Microbus and want to purchase a newer vehicle, that we can offer, when it is not in use by ourselves for our tours. So hold your thumbs, fingers and toes, that we can find something suitable at a reasonable cost and also that we sell the VW without too much hassle. Selling VW 2.3 Microbus white, in standard mode – 212 000 km 1997 December first registered – good condition.
R65 000.00. as is – voets stoets.

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“ADVENTURES” WE CAN FACILITATE”

We can facilitate many adventures, that many people are not aware of. here is a list of things we can arrange for our special guests who want to do something different or are mad enough to want to do these “adventures”. Some are already included in our itineraries.
CAPE TOWN

Shark Cage Diving – cold water 12 – 15°C
Whale watching from boat
Land based Whale watching

GARDEN ROUTE

WEST COAST

Fossil Park – extinct animal bones of creatures were have never seen
Many more things are happening all the time. Hope to add to the list soon.

If you have more exciting things to do – let me know and I will add this to the list!