I first stayed at Gondwana Game Reserve in 2017, in one among their Kwena Huts, after I moved to South Africa. It was my first African Safari and has held a particular place in my coronary heart ever since.
So a lot so, that we carry all of our company on my all-female excursions in South Africa right here!
For anybody touring to Cape Town or planning to drive the Garden Route who desires to expertise a safari, Gondwana Game Reserve is the right vacation spot. Located a couple of 5-hour drive from Cape Town, company can expertise the fun of a Big 5 safari with out having to journey far.
Though I now not dwell in South Africa, we return yearly. Most just lately, we introduced our 8-month-old son “home” with us and we couldn’t wait to take him on his first safari.
So, we stayed at Ulubisi House, Gondwana’s luxurious personal villa—full with your individual private Butler, Chef, and Field Guide!
Here’s what it’s like staying at Ulubisi House at Gondwana Game Reserve!
About Gondwana Game Reserve
Gondwana Game Reserve is a wide ranging wildlife conservation space situated within the Western Cape of South Africa. Situated within the coronary heart of the well-known Garden Route, this personal sport reserve covers roughly 11,000 hectares (27,182 acres) of pristine wilderness and numerous ecosystems.
It is a outstanding vacation spot for wildlife fans, nature lovers, and vacationers searching for a novel African safari expertise.
Gondwana is dwelling to all kinds of wildlife, together with the enduring “Big Five” – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhinoceros. In addition to those majestic creatures, you too can spot cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, numerous antelope species, and an unbelievable array of birdlife.
The reserve’s dedication to conservation has helped restore these species to their pure habitats.
Gondwana Game Reserve offers a variety of lodging choices, catering to completely different preferences and budgets. I’ve shared my expertise staying of their Kwena Huts and I’ll give all of the unbelievable particulars of our keep at Ulubisi House beneath!
About Ulubisi House
Ulubisi House takes luxurious to a complete new degree. The structure seamlessly blends trendy sophistication with the uncooked great thing about the African wilderness. My jaw dropped as I entered the villa, which featured panoramic views of the reserve’s fascinating panorama.
The décor, impressed by native craftsmanship, added an genuine contact to the general ambiance.
My favourite half? The open-plan dwelling space opens up to an enormous infinity pool overlooking the rolling hills. This is the place we spent our afternoons, lounging beneath the South African solar and taking within the beautiful surroundings.
The Ulubisi House Experience
Ulubisi House is tucked away within the reserve’s 1000-hectare protected strolling space for endangered species—that means predators can’t entry this specific space.
An important degree of security when bringing younger kids to a sport reserve!
The property additionally comes with a full workers and twice-daily housekeeping with turndowns. The villa options its personal butler, chef, and subject information and sleeps both 6 adults or 4 adults and 4 kids between three bedrooms.
Your butler helps to prepare and be of service your complete keep. Whatever you want, he’ll guarantee it’s taken care of. All meals and drinks are inclusive of your keep — and the meals was unbelievable!
We loved three stunning meals, in addition to afternoon tea and snacks, day-after-day.
The complete expertise was so luxurious and personal, that I couldn’t consider a greater option to expertise safari as a household!
Private Game Drives
One of essentially the most particular features of staying at Ulubisi House is having your individual personal sport car and subject information. As a household with an toddler, this was unbelievable. Typically, you go on sport drives at set hours (as soon as within the early morning and as soon as within the late afternoon) in a car with different company.
At Ulubisi House, you make your individual selections!
While sport drives are greatest throughout sure hours of the day, you’re not held to a schedule. Our unbelievable information, Felix, greeted us each morning and afternoon with a smile and introduced a lot pleasure to our expertise. If you will have the choice, I’d extremely advocate requesting him!
We stayed 2 nights and went on 4 sport drives throughout our keep. We noticed ALL sorts of wildlife together with a lot of child animals, a cheetah with a kill, and had an unbelievable encounter with a male lion.
Game Drives with Kids
If you’re touring with children, word that kids beneath 2 aren’t permitted on sport drives, and kids beneath 6 aren’t permitted on sport drives with different company.
That means company at Ulubisi House have the distinctive alternative to “bend” the principles. Because we had our personal personal car, we have been allowed to do a “baba drive” for our toddler at our leisure within the protected space of the reserve the place there are not any predators (aka lions).
We went out for about 45 minutes (earlier than our deliberate night sport drive) with the newborn absolutely anticipating it to final 10 minutes earlier than we would have liked to show again,
But, he completely LOVED it! We received to see zebra and another VERY particular animals. And, we captured some completely heart-melting photographs that we’ll treasure for a lifetime.
Helpful Tip:
And, most significantly, you can not carry a crying child into the wild with out attracting the eye of predators like lions. Ulubisi House company have the distinctive alternative to take children on personal sport drives in an space that’s utterly protected against predators.
Staying at Ulubisi House with a Baby
We opted to carry every little thing our child would wish for his keep (pool float, bottles, child monitor, and so forth.) however you may attain out forward of your keep to prepare a cot and highchair.
One factor we knew we’d wish to benefit from is their babysitting service.
Because sport drives are sometimes early morning (6 am-ish) and late afternoon (4 or 5 pm-ish), and may final 3+ hours, they’re simply not the identical life-changing expertise for younger kids as they’re for us.
Babysitting is R150 per hour and you need to coordinate effectively prematurely.
Gondwana was extremely useful in organizing a babysitter for us. She arrived early so we might be sure the newborn and ourselves have been comfy with the state of affairs. We had her watch the newborn for all sport drives (4 in complete) throughout our 2-night-stay and I’d do it over again in a heartbeat.
We received to expertise unbelievable encounters with lions, elephants, and every kind of wildlife, whereas our toddler was secure and cared for at Ulubisi House.
Getting There
Getting to Gondwana Game Reserve from Cape Town is a comparatively easy journey, and you’ve got a number of transportation choices. The reserve is located alongside the Garden Route, making it accessible by highway or air. Here’s how one can attain Gondwana Game Reserve from Cape Town:
1. By Car:
- Duration: The drive from Cape Town to Gondwana Game Reserve takes roughly 4.5 to five.5 hours, relying on visitors and the precise location of your start line in Cape Town.
- Note: There are a lot of relaxation stops and padstals (farm stands) alongside the drive so be sure you cease steadily to stretch and snack. Our favourite stops from Cape Town to Gondwana are Peregrine Farm Stall and Ou Meul Bakkery (there are just a few alongside the drive!).
2. By Air:
- Duration: The nearest airport to Gondwana Game Reserve is George Airport (GRJ), which is roughly a 1.5 to 2-hour drive from the reserve.
- Flights: You can guide a home flight from Cape Town International Airport (CPT) to George Airport (GRJ). Several airways function flights on this route, together with South African Airways (SAA), Mango, and FlySafair.
- Note: While flying is a sooner possibility, renting a automobile lets you discover the attractive Garden Route area at your individual tempo.
Helpful Tip:
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