We stayed in one of the cottages at De Hoop for three nights, riding our bikes early in the morning, and generally trying to stay out of the heat for the rest of the day. Didn’t really work, as the heat woke up pretty early in the morning, too!
The reserve has easy riding routes – pretty flat and not technical – until you take the soft sand and the heat into account. The route gets pretty difficult when you get lost, the track becomes beach sand, you ride further than expected, and the temperatures hit 37°C.
We saw some pretty tame and unconcerned Bontebok, Zebra, Eland and Ostriches, but the real delight came into play with the birdlife: when you take the time to look, and with the assistance of a guide on a bird walk, there is an impressive list of species to be seen. The bonus was that on the way to the reserve, we spotted some really lovely Blue Cranes, and a pair of Secretary Birds.
