Be a beekeeper for a day in the Bay

If you’ve ever had a dream of being a beekeeper or had a keen interest in bees or simply just enjoy the sweetness of the gold liquid it produces, you can now get a “behind the honey” experience at the Apiarist Farm Shoppe, situated in Nelson Mandela Bay.

“Bring the family, leave the phone and just enjoy the sights and sounds of nature,” is what beekeeper, Xander, says about his bee tours which officially launched a few days ago.

 

 

The mission at the Apiarist Farm Shoppe - and the heart behind the bee tours - is to cultivate family unity with the thrills of outdoor adventure living and honey bee inquisitiveness.

During the tours, visitors will suit up for their bee adventure and head into the field to have an up, close and personal experience with the honeybees, and, if they’re lucky they might even spot the queen bee. In the field – where they’ll be geared with a smoke bellow and other beekeeping equipment – they’ll start the harvesting process to get a better understanding of what goes into getting honey and afterwards, the group will head to the extraction room, where everyone will get an opportunity to extract some honey that will be their reward to keep (and take home) after all the hard work.

 

 

The aim of the bee tours is to create an atmosphere to attain a better understanding of the origin of this produce and to establish a deeper connection with each other as a family – hence the maximum group size is limited to 6 people - through engaging in activities in a relaxed atmosphere.

The bee tours are great for children aged 5 and up and the most difficult part of the bee tour is to resist licking the honey off your fingers the whole time (often also called the most delicious part of the bee tour). 

The tour costs R375 per person, includes a drink and a lekker big jar of honey, the duration is 2-3 hours and it takes place on Mondays and Fridays at 9am and 12pm, and selective Saturdays at 9am (excluding public holidays and during the shutdown period). Booking is required (click here) and it is subject to weather conditions and availability due to the fact that it is a working farm. For bigger groups there is also the option of enjoying the outdoor boma classroom. 

The Apiarist Farm Shoppe also sells beekeeping equipment if you want to take your experience from the tour a step further, and there is various kinds of honey – all 100% raw, 100% organic, 100% pure - available as well as honey on tap if you have your own container, or bottled honey. The Apiarist Farm Shop is also a coffee shop and visitors can indulge in freshly brewed coffee, from Nelson Mandela Bay’s local roasters Mastertons Coffee & Tea Specialists, rusks are also available, as well as gifts and wood products. Apiarist Farm Shoppe is situated on Draaifontein Road, click here for a map.
 

 

Other hands-on experiences in Nelson Mandela Bay

If you are after experiences that will get your hands dirty and where you can get involved, why not try one of the following as well?

• Visit the penguin rehabilitation centre, SANCCOB, where you can volunteer.
• Feed the farm animals at Holmeleigh Farm Yard.
• Experience a factory tour at Volkswagen.

With a Nelson Mandela Bay Pass you can get some of these activities for free (or at a discount). Click here to find out more.