Reviews of The Opstal
Wildlife sightings and reviews
22 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited The Opstal and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa

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"De Hoop Opstal review"
We loved having our own space and braii area, rather than eating at the restaurant. The cottage was well equipped and comfortable.Charmingly old fashioned.
You do need to be organised and take all your food with you ( there is nothing to buy on site except firewood)
We tried most of the guided activities, including going to see the endangered Cape Vulture colony, and also the interpretative marine walk . Both of which were excellent.
It's a remote, wild area of fynbos, wildlife, vast sand dunes, beautiful beaches and the brackish Vlei, all of which makes for great birding." See all these reviews: 8n in South Africa; 5n in Mozambique

Eland
10 sightings

Zebra
10 sightings
"De Hoop Opstal review"
The night sky was amazing and we saw whales in the ocean. The cottages themselves are a bit run down but clean and the food options for dinner limited to one restaurant with no children's menu and one price that was relatively expensive (c. R2000 for 3 adults plus 2 children).
It is important to plan a visit to de Hoop better than we did and bring provisions." See all these reviews: 12n in South Africa
Some rooms/cottages at De Hoop, like these travellers had, offer self-catering facilities and then it can be a good option to bring some supplies in with you. However please note that not all rooms offer self-catering, so please do check with us first if this is something that you'd be interested in.

Eland
2 sightings
"De Hoop Opstal review"
Activities were slightly hampered by the tide and weather.
Driving instructions were a bit confusing. We were also fortunate to arrive before the entrance gate shut for the night." See all these reviews: 15n in South Africa

Eland
Multiple sightings

Zebra
Multiple sightings
"Amazing views and wildlife"
It is another 7 kms to the coast which has fabulous beaches and when the tide is right, you can swim in rock pools. A really peaceful and interesting place to stay." See all these reviews: 7n in South Africa
"Amazing stay at de Hoop"
"De Hoop Opstal review"
The staff were very helpful and charming and our guide on the birding walk very knowledgeable and likable.
The restaurant was very congested but we understand another one is under construction." See all these reviews: 21n in South Africa
"Do Hoop Opstal"
"De Hoop Opstal review"
"Pitty it is not finished"
Of course we spent most of the day out in the reserve, so we put up with it rather than requesting a move - and our room (the Dassie Suite) was lovely with a fine view over the lagoon.
The food is of a high standard, although the service struggles a bit to keep up with the numbers. and on our last night the restaurant was overbooked and despite being on half board our table had been given to someone else.
We enjoyed the walks by the lagoon (but a clear map would have been helpful) and did see whales! Eland, bontebok, zebra and ostrich wander freely around the homestead complex; a bit special." See all these reviews: 13n in South Africa
"De Hoop Opstal review"
Staff were generally pleasant and helpful, with two exceptions. Firstly the receptionist who insisted we had to eat at 9pm as dinner was served in two sittings; as we discovered it is actually FROM 7 to 9 not AT 7 or 9. Secondly the waitress who told us we could sit anywhere but, when we chose a table, told us we couldn’t sit there as it was a table for four. When we pointed out that they didn’t have any tables for two she seemed totally confused! She then insisted on presenting our bill before we were ready, ignoring the fact that another staff member was in the process of fixing drinks! The bill was then presented again before we had asked for it even though we hadn’t finished and had just ordered coffee. TIA (This Is Africa)! The manager then took care of us, and we spent some time with him over coffee talking about the history of the place and the plans for future development which was really interesting.
While our room was close to the main building some are quite a distance away (800m plus) and, whilst they have self-catering facilities it seemed as if most people wanted to eat in the restaurant which was quite a walk in the dark so a torch is a necessity.
The reserve is lovely with a variety of habitats, ranging from beaches and dunes to fynbos. The wildlife seems very calm; we have never seen so many eland – and so close to the roads; they didn’t seem bothered at all.
We took an afternoon boat trip which was good value and entertaining with good bird sightings and even a Cape Cobra sunning itself on a rock – as long as it stays on its rock we have no objection!" See all these reviews: 17n in South Africa
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