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Au revoir Romane!

Au-revoir-romane-website

Dear customers and industry partners, welcome to our latest blog post. “Time flies when you’re having fun” they say and I certainly can’t fault whoever came up with that pearl. African Hoopoe have been on  the move of late and it seems like yesterday that I sat down to write the last Blog, despite so much having happened in between.

African  Hoopoe Tours  have  recently returned from  Namibia, where once again  we have  been in consultation with various parties to assist us in developing exciting packages for our local and overseas customers. We share  the vision of Gerhard van der Merwe, prominent Swakopmund businessman and owner  of Atlantic Villa  Guesthouse, who  is striving to promote Swakopmund as a focal point from  which to easily explore the many wonderful attractions that  make Namibia such  an intruiging country to visit. His investment in Atlantic Villa Guesthouse, a first rate  accomodation and conferencing facility and more  recently in a local  air charter company is testament to his committment and  we are extremely excited about the opportunities that  this  represents for our clients.

Swakopmund is a vibrant city  with  much to offer, apart from its stunning Germanic architecture and  world renowned hospitality, Swakopmund is also  within close  proximity to some of the  world’s most awe inspiring scenery. There  are also a host  of exciting excursions on offer, from  4×4  trips  in the dunes, to sandboarding, quad biking, harbour cruises and  more. With  its temperate climate, Swakopmund offers a unique opportunity for our Northern Hemisphere customers to escape winter and experience a holiday of a lifetime. Etosha Game Reserve, Sossusvlei and Fish River  Canyon are also just a short charter flight away  for extended packages or longer stays.

Our intern  Romane Javelaud has recently left for Paris  and we thank her for her enthusiasm and commitment to the  African Hoopoe  brand during the time  she  spent with  us. She  has  no doubt left with  fond  memories of her travels and experiences, having recently visited the Okavango Delta, Botswana and Fish River Canyon. We wish  her well  until  we meet again.

From  Botswana to Baardskeerdersbos!,…after our  trip  North of the  border it was  straight to Port Elizabeth to meet  up with  a Canadian group  for a Garden Route  Tour. A rare  treat this time, was  to be able  to share  this  tour with my brother Andre, as we are so often in different parts of the country. Our  clients enjoyed a fantastic trip,  as did we.

As always there are several establishments and individuals that I would like  to acknowledge for their  impressive service over  the past  few weeks. Our Canadian group  were  particularly impressed with La Quartier Francais in Franschhoek. Harbour House in Hermanus was also absolutely fantastic, as was the service at the  Mount Nelson and  the ever consistent Knysna Quays. I would also  like  to thank Gerhard van der Merwe, owner of Atlantic Villa Guesthouse in Swakopmund for his hospitality and  insights into  the huge potential of the area.

African  Hoopoe Tours are proud to be aligned with  forward thinking industry leaders who compliment our vision and enable us to regularly provide our customers with  new  and exciting product offerings.

Please feel free to mail us with any queries relating to the above.

Happy Travels!

Marius du Plessis
and the
African Hoopoe Team!

A mature Hoopoe in flight

A mature Hoopoe in flight

Close shave

Close shave

The brothers du Plessis at the tip of Africa

The brothers du Plessis at the tip of Africa

About the Author
In 1996, Marius du Plessis made a career change and started working at a medium sized tour company in, Cape Town. He qualified as a tour guide and was soon on his way to becoming a top guide. A year later he joined a big tour operator specializing in day tours and charters. It had always been Marius’ dream to run his own business and in 2007 he purchased his first touring vehicle, a Mercedes Vito, while still guiding full time. Renting his vehicle to the movie industry he realised the potential, so in 2010 he went on his own, and African Hoopoe Tours and Charters was born. With the 2010 FIFA World Cup being hosted in Cape Town, timing could not have been better. From these humble beginnings African Hoopoe Tours have grown from strength to strength.

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