A story of remarkable renewal
Xigera is our love letter to the magic of the African bush.
Xigera Safari Lodge
Okavango Delta, Botswana
Transformed by Africa's life-enhancing beauty
The story of Xigera Safari Lodge is one of renewal. Of rebirth and family legacy, and of the pioneering spirit that drives us to seek out Africa’s wild spaces. The same spirit that inspired this remarkable reimagining, perhaps a complete reinvention, of an Okavango Delta safari.
This is Xigera (pronounced ‘kee-jera’), named for the Pied Kingfisher that makes its home amid the watery channels of Botswana’s Moremi Game Reserve.
Every aspect is handcrafted to beguile our guests’ senses and stir their souls – from the evocative interiors to one-of-a-kind encounters.
But Xigera is equally a line in the sand. A raising of the bar. A bold statement in the realm of luxury safaris, and an Okavango Delta safari experience like no other.
Missionvale Chardonnay
Sauvignon Blanc
Winemaking heritage
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. Where tradition meets innovation Bouchard Finlayson is both a family affair, and a place of collaboration. A labour of love that sees the marriage of Old World winemaking heritage with New World innovation.
The estate was established in South Africa’s Hemel-en-Aarde valley in 1989, a ground-breaking partnership between acclaimed Burgundian winemaker Paul Bouchard and trailblazing local winemaker Peter Finlayson. With a shared passion for Pinot Noir, they transformed the valley’s virgin soil into vineyard, and laid the foundations for the cellar of Bouchard Finlayson. In 2000 the Tollman family purchased the estate, realising a long-held dream to own a vineyard in Africa.
Tradition meets innovation
A piece of heaven
The Bouchard Finlayson estate stretches across 125 hectares of the Hemel-en-Aarde valley. However, only 25 hectares is cultivated under vine with the remainder set aside as a conservancy to protect the indigenous ‘fynbos’ vegetation endemic to the Western Cape.
WWF-SA Conservation Champion
Bouchard Finlayson is proud to be a WWF-SA Conservation Champion. Conservation Champion wine farms pursue long-term conservation commitments and spearhead innovations in water and energy sufficiency.
