Animals and their habitat

The vegetation surrounding at Wag ‘n Bietjie lodge is classified as thorn bushveld, and is an open savanna of mostly trees (Camel thorn tree) and grasses.

 

Plants within these veldtipe are the plant able to survive in this semi-arid climate, a diversity of animals are also able to thrive on the drought-resistant vegetation. Some of these are the abundant Armored Ground Crickets, the spritely Springbuck and the White backed Vulture that scavenges on animal carcasses. Birds are usually the first to be seen and easily identified like: blacksmith lapwing, melodious lark, cinnamon-breasted bunting, freckled nightjar, short-toed rock thrush, pygmy falcon and northern black korhaan.

 

A fascinating diversity of animals like Buffalo, sable, giraffe, gems buck, nyala, roan and waterbuck are well adapted to survive in these semi-arid climate and are dependent on the drought-resistant vegetation.

 

Interesting geological features of the landscape are the extremely hard rock type known as dolerite, forms the capping of the koppies around Wag ‘n Bietjie lodge. These were formed by outpourings of lava during ancient times.

 

In certain disturbed (and overgrazed) areas such as farmland along the road from Kimberley to Wag ‘n Bietjie and at the mine dumps, a number of invasive plants have established themselves and are influencing the natural (indigenous)vegetation. The main culprit and largest threat to our natural vegetation is the mesquite tree ( Prosopis glandulosa).

 

The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes – Marcel Proust

SAFARI WITH SOUL AWAITS YOU AT WAG ‘N BIETJIE LODGE

AUTHENTICAL MEMORIES

Is not something we have or don’t have!  It’s a practice, a conscious choice of how we want to live.  It is a collection of choices that we have to make every day.  It’s about the choice to be real and honest.  Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.

SAFARI WITH SOUL AWAITS YOU AT WAG ‘N BIETJIE LODGE

The vast and arid Northern Cape is a breathtaking landscape that is characterized by its plains with outcroppings of haphazard rock piles. Building your own authentical safari with our extraordinary landscape, hosting some of the most beautiful camel thorn trees and wide open fields.

We offer an unbeatable combination of game drives, walks with skilled trackers and exclusive accommodation in pristine natural surroundings.  Wag ‘n Bietjie is an excellent lodge to experience Africa’s earthy design.  We have a committed relationship to social responsibility programs like supporting injured and orphaned animals, building a school for parents less fortunate to send their kids to local schools and providing of meat to workers and their families.

Nature and its surroundings

For the nature lover, we have beautiful wide open semi-arid savanna fields where you will get lost in with its thorn bushveld, koppies, extraordinary sunsets that only you can describe and relive.  To walk along this landscape and taking a gorgeous panoramic photo of the wildlife and its surroundings.  The more authentic the safari, the more you will enjoy it.

Wag ‘n Bietjie is situated in the Northern Cape and with our known hospitality, we will indulge you with our breathtaking cuisines and traditional desserts.   Taking a seat on the comfortable porch enjoying the silence of the bushveld and a cocktail after a long day looking out on a water hole where waterbuck, nyala, warthog and kudu’s drink is always a special treat.

Wild at heart

While building authentically memories, visit the Wild Heart Rehab center where orphaned and injured animals are treated from all around the country and released into their native habit.
 

Memorable accommodation

 

No matter which season, a lounge with nice fireplace telling endless stories of the day or the need to cool off in the swimming pool, we will help you to keep building on the authentic memories.

“Only the curious have, if they live, a tale worth telling at all” (Alistair Reid)

 

Come and enjoy the freedom of the Northern Cape and its pristine moments and picturesque landscape. Make your journey an authentic one…here at Wag ‘n Bietjie lodge. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Authentic Africa Safari Experiences Can Still Be Found at Wag n Bietjie Lodge

There’s nothing like exceptional wildlife encounters on an authentic safari! It takes you to wild and inaccessible places.

At Wag ‘n Bietjie Lodge with its unique surroundings, wide open spaces of fields and animals roaming freely, is where clients receive a more intimate viewing experience. Awaken your senses and feeding your soul.

Sit back; relax while watching one of the most beautiful sunsets. Enjoy the scenery when the animals such as waterbuck, nyalas, warthog and even kudus come to drink water close by the lodge at the waterhole.

 

PLANTS AND BIRDS

 

While having a nice bush outing enjoy the unique bird and extraordinary plant life. Making it a challenge for the nature experts to identify the fauna and flora and having a great view while you’re at it.

 

HOSPITALITY AND ACTIVITIES

 

Here at Wag ‘n Bietjie we have a generous and friendly treatment for our visitors and guests providing traditional food and drinks while sitting around a nice bush fire. On request, let us arrange a exquisite romantic bush dinner. Take nice game drives with lovely sundowners or sit on the porch and enjoy a cocktail.

Animal lovers can see how a helping hand at the Wild Hearts Rehab centre changes injured or orphaned animals and see how they are re-introduced in their native habitat. Embrace the true connection with nature. At Wild Hearts Rehab center they believe education is an integral component of the anti-poaching effort. Whilst learning about nature, you will also be spoiled with our luxury accommodation and relaxation at the swimming pool or enjoying the lounge area with fire place for the colder nights.

 

TRAVEL EQUALS NEW BEGINNINGS

 

Make Wag ‘n Bietjie your new authentical experience!

 

“African adventure by day and star studded romance by night … let us take you there!”

The Donations of Wag ‘n Bietjie Lodge as part of Social responsibility

Donation

Simply means opening of hearts. Not a difficult word to understand. In some cases ultimately the best thing that can be given for those who do not have any. As a result we can give so much more back to our communities.

 

Education is a vital part of helping children build brighter futures. 

Owner Wiaan van der Linde opened a Pre-Primary School to give local children the opportunity to receive schooling in their preschool years and for children whose parents do not have the financial capacity to send their children elsewhere. No need to walk far and they have a much capable teacher at the school to teach the most important part of life’s stepping stones.

“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.   -John Dewey-

By helping and supporting schools on different levels academic, sports and culture events are a donation by itself. To contribute money to schools for fundraisings to make teaching much easier. More possibilities to buy equipment for children to grow mentally and physically. Transport for learners to participate in sports and various cultural activities.

Donating to wildlife

Animals need to be fed and looked after if injured. At the Wild Hearts Rehabilitation Centre Wiaan van der Linde is the main sponsor. Where the focus is on injured and orphaned animals and to be re-introduce in their national habitat.

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. -Winston Churchill

 

Meat parcels

Leftover meat that is still in good quality we send to the surrounding churches in Jacobsdal and Richie that takes the meat parcels to the less fortunate communities.

Just by donating small things in life, makes those things become big by itself. We are proud to be part of the small things.

The measure of a life, after all is not its Duration but its Donation -Corrie Ten Boom-

Choosing the Right Travel Partner

Sharing your travel experiences with someone can be very enriching, but be careful of who you choose to travel with.  Your travel partner might make or break your long earned for holiday!  Here are some factors to take into consideration when choosing a travel partner:

Consideration in your travel partner

When thinking about a travel partner, you might want to choose someone that you know are considerate.  That does not imply that the person must be a total pushover.  But only that he/she is able to think of others and not only of themselves.   One of the worst kind of travel partners is a selfish one.  It is almost a guarantee that you will leave your travel destination with some regrets about things you haven’t done.

So you want a travel partner that is able to sit down with you and negotiate your individual needs for the day, without making use of emotional blackmail or coercing.  It is also important that you know the person will be considerate to both fellow travellers and locals.  You, for instance, don’t want a travel companion that irritates everyone on the plane or at airport security when they are holding up the line.  As a conclusion, you want someone that naturally respects themselves and others.

A travel partner with the necessary interpersonal skills

It’s not something that one thinks of immediately as a prerequisite for a travel companion.  But have you ever thought about how awkward it could be when you are frequently embarrassed by your friends’ lack of social finesse?  This can include a number of behaviours and situations.  Some include eating inappropriate food or chewing loudly on an airplane or talking too loudly in inappropriate situations.

You need someone that are sensitive to social skills and nuances.  Some people just can’t keep their judgments or comments to themselves.  Or they feel it is their duty to comment on everything.  It’s not just about the way they talk about the country you are visiting, but also the way they talk about your fellow travellers.  Your chosen travel partner need the interpersonal skills to realize that people differ and therefore their needs and wants to differ.  This will result in them going about their holiday in a different manner, and that is okay.  No-one likes a pretentious traveller.

Have the same expectations about your trip

Having different expectations about your holiday could end up in a potential disaster!  One person might want to party every night and use the days to recuperate, whilst the other person would like to visit museums and different local attractions.  Some of the usual things people want from their holiday include relaxing and enjoying the beach; adventure activities like hiking and bungee jumping; exploring historical sites or getting to know the local people and joints.  Make sure you know what your potential fellow traveller expect from a holiday.

Your degree of flexibility

Some people are more flexible than others when it comes to their daily routine and planning.  A potential disaster is if you put a laid back ‘go-with-the-flow’ kind of guy, together with someone with obsessive compulsive characteristics!  If you tend to get anxious quickly, consider going on a more structured pre-arranged holiday.  This, however, will be frustrating to someone that likes to explore and do things on the spur of the moment.

The ability to laugh it off

The ability to laugh it off will be one of the best virtues of your travel companion, especially if things start to go wrong.  Very often, travellers misunderstand language, customs, and structures that lead to mistakes or even just to a person feeling ashamed.  Instead of dropping your head in shame, though, it is best to laugh it off.  That way you will make the trip more enjoyable to yourself and others.

Last thoughts

While you take the above-mentioned factors into account when choosing your travel partner, be sure to look at your own personality and behaviour as well.  You don’t want to be that one guy or girl nobody wants to travel with.

Common Travelling Mistakes

As a first-time traveller you may hear a lot of “what to do’s”, but rarely do you hear about the mistakes your friends made.  It would be a lot easier to travel if we also knew what those mistakes were and how to avoid them.  After all, those mistakes can lead to a lot of lost time, wasted money and above all, missed opportunities.  Isn’t one of the biggest reasons you travel after all for new experiences?  Here is a list of common things to avoid whilst travelling:

Do not eat near a tourist site

Although a major tourist site may be convenient, the restaurants there knows that you probably aren’t coming back.  Their focus is therefore on getting the most customers and not necessarily providing the best quality food.  A suggestion would be to rather travel four or five blocks away before you look for someplace to eat.  Asking at a hostel might also provide some great options.  In conclusion – its best to go to a place where you know that the food must be high quality, otherwise the locals won’t go back there.

Be money wise – Do not make use of traveller’s checks and do not exchange money at the airport

Using traveller’s checks are outdated and most banks don’t even accept them anymore.  It is best to use plastic as much as possible.  Especially if you make use of a bank card without fees.  In order to get the best exchange rates, make use of an ATM or credit card.  If you can, it’s best to never exchange cash.

Do not skip on travel insurance

It is always one of the most difficult expenses to make, but also one of the most important.  You cannot afford to travel without travel insurance.  It might just take one fall, one slip or an unexpected virus to spoil your whole holiday and whole savings account.

Above mentioned dos and don’ts won’t just save you time and money, but also add to the quality of your travels and some unforgettable memories.  Enjoy!

Source:

http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/not-to-do/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attraction of Wag n Bietjie Lodge

Wag n Bietjie Lodge is situated in the Northern Cape and it has lots to offer in terms of surrounding attractions. The overall attraction of the Northern Cape lies in its authentic beauty and contrast of wide open spaces of semi-dessert and lusciousness of vegetation after the rain.  It also has a wide variety of fauna and flora and it is perfect for photographic safaris.  The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and the Augrabies Falls are furthermore some of the best-known tourist attractions of the Northern Cape.  Wag n Bietjie Lodge is situated between Kimberley and Hope Town on the N12 and is, therefore, a perfect stopover for travelers between Cape Town and Johannesburg.  Except for the natural beauty of Wag n Bietjie Lodge, there is also a variety of other attractions to consider.

Wild Hearts Rehabilitation Centre

The Wild Hearts Rehabilitation Centre (www.wildhearts.co.za) focus on the rehabilitation of injured or orphaned animals and re-introduce them back into their native habitat.   The centre is home to a variety of game, from lions, a brown hyena, genet, caracal, serval, monkeys and baboons, and buffalo.  In addition, the centre is home to antelope like roan, sable and of course, also rhinos.  Most of the animals will be freed when they are healthy and ready.  There will be however a few animals that will be looked after at the Wild Hearts premises for life.

Attractions at the lodge

The lodge provides a sanctuary for people looking for a relaxing atmosphere away from the buzz of the city.  The waterhole in front of the lodge ensures that one does not have to travel anywhere to experience wildlife and tranquility.  In addition, the swimming pool, sundowners and game drives ensure a satisfying stay.

Pre-Primary School nearby Wag n Bietjie Lodge

The school gives the children of the area an opportunity to go to a school that can prepare them for primary school.  The school focus on the educational, emotional and social development of all the children and is free to the children in the vicinity. Wintershoek Pre-Primary School also provides two nourishing meals a day for the children attending.  The lodge has the privilege to provide the meals for the school.

Magersfontein Memorial Golf Estate Attraction

The Magersfontein Memorial Golf Estate is close to the lodge and offers an 18 hole golf course.  “The course will test the scratch golfer and challenge all who love the game. You will navigate through the myriad of waterways avoiding the springbuck and resident swans. Riveted bunkers are a feature with many holes mirroring the very best the world has to offer” (http://www.mmge.co.za).

Big Hole of Kimberley Attraction

The Big Hole of Kimberley is the largest hand-made hole in South Africa. The hole measures half a kilometer in width as has a surface area of 42 acres.  The Big Hole is also a world class tourism facility.  It offers tours, a diamond exhibition and unique insight into the diamond mining industry.  The restaurants, surrounded by the relics of Kimberley’s early days, contributes to the atmosphere of this attraction.

Conclusion

Whether you are looking for adventure, wildlife, history or tranquillity, it seems like you might have found your place.

Sources

http://www.7continentslist.com/interesting-facts-about-the-big-hole.php

http://www.experiencenortherncape.com/visitor/activities/big-hole-kimberley

Visit to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park with its red dunes, blue skies, and a variety of African wildlife is ideal for game viewing and photographic safaris. The park lies in the west of the southern African continent, also known as the Kalahari Desert.

The average rainfall in this semi-dessert is about 200 mm per year and the fauna and flora are therefore adapted to this low rainfall.  The park is furthermore a fusion of the former Kalahari Gemsbok National Park of South Africa and the neighbouring Gemsbok National Park in Botswana. This creates an enormous conservation area of over 3,6 million hectares and one of the very few of this magnitude in the world.

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a semi-desert wilderness of blonde grass, red dunes, and vast open spaces.  It is further characterized by sparse vegetation and camel thorn trees. Animals also tend to gather in the dry riverbeds and waterholes. One can enjoy the sight of herds of gemsbok, springbok, eland and blue wildebeest.  The black-mane lions watch the variety of animals closely.  Lions in the Kgalagadi have incredibly large home ranges. Other predators include Leopard, Cheetah, Brown and Spotted Hyena and birds of prey.

Accommodation and activities

Luxury game lodges, tented camps, and self-catering chalets are available. Twee Rivieren is the largest rest camp and administrative base. It has a swimming pool, information center and shop, public telephone and cell phone reception. The a la carte Restaurant serves breakfast and dinners. Further north, Nossob Rest camp is fairly basic, with seven types of self-catering chalets. In Kgalagadi’s southwest, Mata Mata Rest Camp is quite simple, but a great place for adventurous small families.

Activities in the park include game drives, hiking, 4×4 trails, eco trail, and swimming. A further highlight includes fantastic bird watching. This is an excellent area to view birds of prey, especially tawny and snake eagles.

The astounding beauty of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park will steal your heart.

Sources
https://www.sanparks.org/parks/kgalagadi/tourism/history.php
http://www.nature-reserve.co.za/kgalagadi-transfrontier-nature-preserve.html
http://www.southafrica.net/za/en/articles/overview/northern-cape
https://www.sanparks.org/parks/kgalagadi/conservation/ff/lion_article.php
https://www.expertafrica.com/south-africa/kgalagadi-transfrontier-park

Experience the Augrabies Falls in the Northern Cape

The Augrabies Waterfalls are situated 120 km west of Upington, in the province of the Northern Cape, South Africa.  The Khoi call the Augrabies Falls Aukoerebis, which means ‘the place of the Great Noise’.  Consequently, the ‘Great Noise’ refers to the Orange River thundering its way downwards for 60 meters in a spectacular waterfall.  You have to experience it for yourself in order to fully understand this meaning.  The contrast of the waterfall within the desert setting provides a moving and absorbing experience. This is particularly true when there has been plenty of rain and the Orange River is overflowing.  As a result, the waterfalls seems to increase in its splendour.

The waterfalls also form part of the Augrabies Falls National Park.  The Augrabies Falls National Park is one of six South African national parks in the Northern Cape.  In addition, it follows the course of the Orange River from just outside Kakamas to the Namibian border, spanning more than 800km² (http://www.southafrica.net).

Activities at the Augrabies Falls

The national park is home to a couple of rock formations, including the Moon Rock.  This is a large, but weathered granite dome that towers about 30m above the park.  It provides a fantastic all around view for those that are prepared to tackle the summit.  Other viewpoints include Oranjekom, Ararat, and Echo Corner.

Except for the spectacular sight of the Augrabies Waterfall, one can enjoy a variety of activities and adventures in the surrounding area:

  • Waterfall viewpoints that are walking distance the restaurants.
  • Game viewing at leisure using own vehicle.
  • Nights drives can be booked directly from the park.
  • Mountain bikes are also allowed inside the park provided cyclists remain on the official roads.
  • The Wilderness Road is 94km long and will take approximately 6 hours to complete in a 4×4 vehicle. There is a scenic picnic spot halfway along the road with ablution and braai facilities.
  • There are several panoramic viewpoints inside the park.  They all provide great views of the park, the gorge, and the Orange River. These points also provide great opportunities to spot the local birdlife.
  • Rafting and canoeing
  • Flyfishing

The best time to visit Augrabies is from March to May when the temperatures are slightly cooler and the river is at its maximum flow after summer rainfall up in the Lesotho catchment areas. The falls is a easy day-trip from Upington.

 

Sources:

http://www.southafrica.net/za/en/articles/entry/article-southafrica.net-augrabies-falls-northern-cape

https://www.roughguides.com/destinations/africa/south-africa/the-northern-cape/the-kalahari/augrabies-falls-national-park/