Photo Of A Dolphin

Garden Route Adventures: Castles, Polo, Whales and Dolphins
By Bronwen Roberts

Kurland: Polo Playing Luxury

Kurland is unquestionably, the most desirable location on the Garden Route, a 700 ha estate consisting of a small luxury hotel and a polo complex. Helicopters land on the lawn and bumping into international polo players is not uncommon. This family estate, established by Baroness Dianne Behr is minutes from the finest beaches of Natures Valley and Plettenberg Bay. It resides on Tatler magazine's 2004 and 2003 list of 101 Best Hotels in the World.

This luxury boutique hotel has just twelve rooms, so exclusivity is guaranteed. Ten of the rooms have adjoining loft rooms, which are specifically designed for children of all ages. Each room is unique, and spectacular, decorated to provide gracious comfort and ultimate luxury for the entire family.

Professionally trained ponies are provided to meet the needs of any level of player. Kurland also has an extensive network of soft roads through forests and pastures for leisure riding.

The polo complex comprises four boarded fields, a 50m x 100m polo arena, fully equipped stables and veterinary clinic, and a one kilometer sand exercise track and paddocks for up to 300 horses. Experienced grooms care for the horses and a vet and farrier are permanently on standby.

Mossel Bay: Whale, Dolphin & Seal Adventures

You can hire a yacht in the Mossel Bay harbour and watch whales, dolphins and seals at play from the deck. For close up views, take a 3-hour boat based whale-watching trip.

In season, (June to November), the 65 km Whale Route along the greater Mossel Bay coastline is fabulously suited to view whales. Four species are seen along this route. The Southern Right Whales are the most commonly sighted as they come into Mossel Bay to calve; there is also the Humpback?™s, Bryde's and Killer Whales that frequent this route.