Karoo AND SAFARI

9 days: May 14-23, 2024

$4,399 (per-person sharing); optional $499 single supplement for all 4 nights of Karoo farm lodging

This retreat features Ira Bekker, the Botanical Nomad, who will lead you into the Karoo to forage for raw materials for botanical dyeing and botanical printing on wool. You will stay in modernized and renovated, 3-star, farmstead cottages that were originally used as sheep kraals and coal and engine rooms on a working Dohne merino sheep farm with a rich history going back hundreds of years. You will be able to interact and enjoy farm life, including feeding lambs and kidding. After dinner, you will have the privilege to enjoy one of the best star-gazing opportunities in the country.

Workshop teacher and expert: Ira Bekker specializes in local color, which means that the dyes she works with are foraged from the land rather than imported in ready-to-use formats. She will take you on a walk through the Karoo landscape to meet the local plants, show you how to test foraged plants for color and then to make up a collection of dye baths to dye 10 mini skeins of local merino wool with local color. Included in the 3 days we will also learn botanical printing on wool (merino/mohair blend) and spin locally grown Alpaca fiber with 3D printed Turkish spindles.

What’s included:

• All accommodations
  • 4 days, 4 nights for the Botanical Nomad workshops on the 3-star Karoo farmstead
  • 5 days, 4 nights at a safari lodge
• All meals
• Happy hour meet and greet
• Luxury coach with experienced driver
• Medicinal plant walk on the Karoo farmstead
• 3 days of workshops:
  • Get inspired by the Botanical Nomad, Ira Bekker, who will lead you on a journey to forage for raw materials for botanical dyeing and botanical printing on wool
  • All workshop supplies included
  • Natural fiber spinning with a spindle
  • Foraging for raw materials
  • Botanical dyeing and botanical printing on wool

Optional, bonus activities (additional cost):

• Wine tasting festival
• Private wine and food pairing dinner
• Guided tours of Bushman Rock Art
• Fossil talks in a private museum
• Hiking
• Mountain biking
• Bird watching

Not included:

• You are responsible for flights to and from Port Elizabeth, South Africa
• Single supplement option not currently available for safari lodging

Important:

• Secure your spot on the retreat with a $500 down payment today. Contact us if you have questions or need assistance booking this adventure.
• Please review detailed information in the Terms and Conditions and the FAQs.

Eastern Cape (EC) Province of South Africa. The journey begins and ends in Gqeberha –formerly known as Port Elizabeth (PE). Most South Africans still refer to the town as Port Elizabeth.

South Africa has the opposite seasons and climate as the Northern Hemisphere. They celebrate Christmas during their summer break. Be sure to research ahead of time the weather forecast and pack accordingly.

Please review detailed information in the Terms and Conditions and the FAQs.

Photos of tour’s workshops, activities, and safari lodging.