OUR BLOG

Yellow-billed Kite The seasonal migration of birds is a [...]

The new Val de Vie Evergreen Luxury Suites deliver [...]

A delightful pair of Cape Foxes have made Val de Vie Estate their home. Scientifically known as Vulpes chama

It’s impossible not to notice the mountain ranges that make up the backdrop of the views on Val de Vie Estate

Autumn heralds the progression towards winter as the Earth turns in its orbit around the sun. This shift brings about shorter days and longer nights,

The Cape polecat (Ictonyx striatus), or African Striped Weasel/Zorilla, is a remarkable species found throughout sub-Saharan Africa

Change and adaptation are natural processes, and as the days get shorter and the nights longer and cooler

Val de Vie Estate is fortunate to have a healthy population of spotted eagle owls (Bubo africanus) that frequent the area

When looking for birds of prey, you need to venture further than the Estate's perimeter. The Paarl-Franschhoek Valley

The quill-covered creature you may have seen around the Estate is the Cape crested porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis)

Among the many bird species that call the Western Cape home is the small red-billed quelea (Quelea quelea)

The natural world has been around for a very long time. Every living organism is testament to individual survival

The national animal of South Africa, and the namesake of our country’s rugby team, the scientific name for the springbok

For plants, smell is a vital form of communication. Each scent is a combination of complex chemicals

The Cape grey mongoose (Herpestes pulverulentus) is a small mammal indigenous to Southern Africa

The orchid family is possibly, after the daisies, one of the most prolific plant families on Earth with around 30,000 species known

The Cape clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) is the second-largest freshwater otter species and is called the groot otter in Afrikaans

With the heat of summer rising and the lower than expected winter rainfall,l it is important that water

On the second Saturday of the month, Simon Allen, the Val de Vie Estate Environmental Officer, hosts a walk for our residents

While working on the irrigation system, Val de Vie Estate's Irrigation Manager, Kobus van Abbo

South Africa, particularly the Western Cape, has the highest number of Testudines (formerly Chelonia) on Earth.

We are all familiar with the mounds in our gardens or on the Estate caused by moles and mole rats