Morukuru Ocean House
South Africa, DE HOOP NATURE RESERVE (Western Cape) 4 Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms Sleeps 8 to 12
Whales. Fynbos. Pristine beaches. Escape to paradise.
Maximum 8 adults and 4 children
LOCATION
Morukuru Ocean House is situated in one of Africa’s most beautiful coastal reserves: the 36 000-ha De Hoop Nature Reserve. De Hoop offers 51km of pristine white beaches and dunes lapped by a warm Indian Ocean, limestone cliffs, rock pools, wetlands, coastal fynbos and home to more than 260 species of birds. Ocean House also offers a bird’s eye view of the continent’s greatest whale nursery, as Southern Right whales migrate to the shallow coastal basins off the Overberg Coast for the calving and nursing season from mid-July to November. In short, Morukuru Ocean House offers access to some of the continent’s most undiscovered gems, able to satisfy visitors craving exclusivity, yet providing some of the most productive wildlife interactions in Southern Africa.
CLIMATE
A typical Mediterranean climate prevails in the region; summers are warm and winters mild. The annual rainfall is about 380 mm and August is usually the wettest month. Sea mists also occur. The most frequent summer winds are east, west and southeast, while westerly and south-westerly winds prevail in winter.
MORUKURU OCEAN HOUSE
WILDLIFE
De Hoop Nature Reserve is reckoned to be the ultimate place in South Africa to see southern right whales. July to end of September is best for whale-watching, but you stand a very good chance of a sighting from June to early November. Rare or endangered animal species in the reserve include the Marine Big 5 as well as the Bontebok and Cape Mountain Zebra. Other animals you may see are Eland, the Cape clawless otter, baboons, rock dassies and the occasional rooikat (caracal) and Cape leopard. The reserve is particularly known for its bird population, many of which - such as the endangered African Black Oystercatcher - breed within the reserve. The flora and fauna are impressive too – the fynbos floral kingdom dominates with 1500 species of plants in the reserve alone – also 86 species of mammal, 260 or more different birds, 14 amphibian and 50 reptile species.
MALARIA
De Hoop Nature Reserve is malaria free. No malaria medication is necessary for your stay at Morukuru Ocean House but we do advise the use of insect repellant during your stay.
FOOD AND WINES
Our chefs are meticulously trained and can provide a wide array of catering options from traditional, formal and nouvelle cuisine to utterly relaxed and casual snacks on demand and everything in between. We encourage our guests to eat al fresco as much as our beautiful African weather allows and believe that every meal is an occasion. Guests are also able to personally select wines from our wine cellar to accompany and compliment their meals.
ACTIVITIES
A stay at the Morukuru Ocean House is all about RECONNECTING. Family. Friends. Nature. You.
You will be enjoying the Morukuru Freedom Concept: No schedules. No sharing with other guests and doing
whatever you want, whenever you want. During your stay you can choose to enjoy any of the following
complimentary activities, completely tailored to your requirements:
- Guided marine walks (1-3 hours), allowing you an insight in the amazing marine life in the rock pools in the immediate vicinity of Ocean House. Great for kids as well as the parents!
- Various guided fynbos walks and hikes (1-3 hours), showing the incredible diversity and beauty of the fynbos vegetation that is found in De Hoop Nature Reserve.
- Guided Mountain biking (1-3 hours), offering you an overview of the diversity of the area around Ocean House. Different routes are possible.
- Guided 4x4 fynbos nature drives, which allow you to explore areas of De Hoop Nature Reserve which are
situated a little further from Ocean House. These nature drives also offer a good opportunity to see some of
the local wildlife in the park.
- Land based whale watching from the house and the surrounding dunes (June-October)
- Sundowners on the sand dunes, overlooking the Indian Ocean with possibly a glimpse of a pod of dolphins
- Sand boarding on the white sand dunes
- Various beachgames like volleyball, cricket and croquet
- Snorkelling in the rock pools (Morukuru Ocean House has masks, snorkels and fins for all sizes!)
- Kids activities like kite making and flying them
- Star gazing, using the telescope at Ocean House
- Tennis (at De Opstal, approximately 30 minutes from Morukuru Ocean House)
- All activities can be combined with a tasteful picknick lunch
- And if you just feel like relaxing, we can offer a nice picknick down on the beach where you can spend a few hours lazing around, swimming and enjoying the views
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SUSTAINALBE ENERGY
Sustainable energy is the sustainable provision of energy that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Technologies that promote sustainable energy include renewable energy sources, such as hydroelectricity, solar energy, wind energy, wave power, geothermal energy, artificial photosynthesis, and tidal power, and also technologies designed to improve energy efficiency. Morukuru Ocean House has been built under the highest care and supports the environment.
Due to factors beyond our control, prices and conditions are subject to change without notice.