A vineyard between heaven & earth

Cradled amid the hills of the Hemel-en-Aarde (Heaven and Earth) valley,
Bouchard Finlayson is widely acclaimed as one of South Africa’s leading boutique wine cellars.

With a terroir defined by both ancient soils and a cool maritime climate, the vineyards of Bouchard Finlayson are famous for producing award-winning
Pinot Noir, elegant Chardonnay and terroir-driven Sauvignon Blanc, while inspired blends showcase the depth of skill and innovation in our winemaking team.

The Bouchard Finlayson cellar is conveniently located a scenic 90 minutes’ drive from Cape Town, close to the world-famous whale-watching centre of Hermanus.

The green grass of summer

Summer, from October to March, is the ‘green season’ when dramatic afternoon thunderstorms soak the landscape, transforming the grassy plains into a verdant carpet of green.

The landscape is at it most scenic, though it can be extremely hot, with temperatures above 35°C. This is the best time for birding, with the arrival of summer migrant species.

A sense of time & place

Xigera Safari Lodge rests effortlessly in a remarkable corner of the Okavango Delta, amid the expansive wetlands of the Moremi Game Reserve. The area is clearly visible on satellite images as a hand-shaped emerald and sapphire smear of paint against the tawny canvas of northern Botswana.

The nearest major international airports are Johannesburg and Cape Town. Direct scheduled services land at Botswana’s Maun airport. From Maun, a scenic 25-minute flight by light aircraft will deliver you to the Xigera airstrip, a 10-minute drive from the lodge.

Unforgettable Africa

In an ancient land of water and wilderness, Xigera Safari Lodge occupies a spectacular location within a remote area of the world-famous Moremi Game Reserve, an area set aside to protect the Okavango’s most important wetland and island habitats. The Moremi Game Reserve was proclaimed in 1963 to protect the heart of the Okavango Delta. It takes its name from Chief Moremi III of the local Batawana tribe, and it was his widow whose concern over the impact of hunting led to the proclamation of the Moremi.