• Blissfull adventures •

I will be offering several different options for those interested in coming to stay in the Lowveld.

In the “self-tour”, I will assist couples, families or small groups who prefer to visit this region at their own rhythm. Here is how it works. We would start with e-mail communication to set up the trip. I will handle lodging reservations, secure the appropriate car, greet you in

Nelspruit and take you to your home in the bush. I would also gladly take you to meet the folks of the village in which I work and help you with any particular interest you have. This could include tutoring children in English, birding through the bush with a local expert, cycling the canyon...The second option is a full 24/7 two-week guided tour. I will offer two tours in 2007, one in May and one in October. On this tour I will meet the group in Johannesburg and we will set off in our rental van to explore the Lowveld. Rather than list the activities here day by day I will give you a sense of them and

leave it up to the group as to what pace and in what order we:

Visit the Moholoholo Rehab Center to hear about the ecological situation in the region, meet the resident eagles, honey bear, lions and any orphaned baby animals in need of attention.
Spend a morning in the village of Rooiboklaagte with guide Emerencia Mohlolo. She will walk you along the lanes of her village, introduce you to the nursery school children, the local crafters, a Sangoma (traditional healer) named Thoko who will read your bones if you wish. The Mapusha Weaving Cooperative will be the starting and ending point of the tour. You will have a chance to spend time with the women, watch them do the craft they have practiced for 34 years and probably be treated to their rendition of the national anthem and other traditional songs.
Take a boat ride on the Blyde Dam and hear the story of the ancient rocks, see the nesting fish eagles, the pod of hippos, stop at the Visitors center and hike around the lake.
Go for a game drive at dusk at a private game reserve known for its research on leopard, lion and cheetah followed by dinner by firelight in the boma.
Take an early morning bush walk with an expert on all facets of this land – the plants, the insects, the rocks and trees.
Go to Kruger Park for several days of intensive animal viewing.
Visit the Fungwa Public School in Acornhoek, spend time with my adopted 5th grade class, help them practice their English and eat a helping of the most famous barbecue chicken in Limpopo.
Raft down the Oliphants River.

Take a day trip to the small town of Graskopf where there is shopping galore for all sorts of African goods and a wonderful pancake restaurant for lunch.

Not forgetting to simply spend as much time as you like being in the bush, sitting on your deck quiet, receptive, observing, listening, walking... These activities will give you the sense of my tours. I want you to get the richest and most intimate experience of the land, the animals and the rural people of this country.Our lodging will be in a private lodge on the banks of the Blyde River surrounded by bush with zebra, buck and giraffe. We will prepare many of our meals at the lodge and sit by a fire at night enjoying the sounds and the stars of the African nights.

We will conclude our Living the Lowveld tour at a very special nature reserve in Nelspruit and visit a family of twenty-five headed by an Afrikaans women who ten years ago began taking in babies affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic.