I first stayed at Gondwana Sport Reserve in 2017, in one in all 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.
A lot so, that we carry all of our visitors on my all-female tours in South Africa right here!
For anybody traveling to Cape Town or planning to drive the Garden Route who desires to expertise a safari, Gondwana Sport Reserve is the proper vacation spot. Situated a few 5-hour drive from Cape City, visitors can expertise the joys of a Big 5 safari with out having to journey far.
Although I not stay in South Africa, we return yearly. Most just lately, we introduced our 8-month-old son “house” with us and we couldn’t wait to take him on his first safari.
So, we stayed at Ulubisi Home, Gondwana’s luxurious non-public villa—full with your personal private Butler, Chef, and Subject Information!
Right here’s what it’s like staying at Ulubisi House at Gondwana Game Reserve!
About Gondwana Sport Reserve
Gondwana Game Reserve is a wide ranging wildlife conservation space situated within the Western Cape of South Africa. Located within the coronary heart of the well-known Garden Route, this non-public sport reserve covers roughly 11,000 hectares (27,182 acres) of pristine wilderness and various ecosystems.
It’s a exceptional vacation spot for wildlife lovers, nature lovers, and vacationers in search of a novel African safari expertise.
Gondwana is house to all kinds of wildlife, together with the long-lasting “Large 5” – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhinoceros. Along with these majestic creatures, you too can spot cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, varied antelope species, and an unimaginable array of birdlife.
The reserve’s dedication to conservation has helped restore these species to their pure habitats.
Gondwana Sport Reserve offers a variety of lodging choices, catering to totally different preferences and budgets. I’ve shared my expertise staying in their Kwena Huts and I’ll give all of the unimaginable particulars of our keep at Ulubisi Home under!
About Ulubisi Home
Ulubisi House takes luxurious to a complete new degree. The structure seamlessly blends fashionable sophistication with the uncooked fantastic 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. That is the place we spent our afternoons, lounging beneath the South African solar and taking within the gorgeous surroundings.
The Ulubisi Home Expertise
Ulubisi Home is tucked away within the reserve’s 1000-hectare protected strolling space for endangered species—which means predators can not entry this specific space.
A vital degree of security when bringing younger youngsters 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 discipline information and sleeps both 6 adults or 4 adults and 4 youngsters between three bedrooms.
Your butler helps to arrange and be of service your total keep. No matter you want, he’ll guarantee it’s taken care of. All meals and drinks are inclusive of your keep — and the meals was unimaginable!
We loved three stunning meals, in addition to afternoon tea and snacks, day-after-day.
The whole expertise was so luxurious and personal, that I couldn’t consider a greater solution to expertise safari as a household!
Non-public Sport Drives
One of the vital particular points of staying at Ulubisi House is having your personal non-public sport car and discipline information. As a household with an toddler, this was unimaginable. Usually, 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 visitors.
At Ulubisi Home, you make your personal selections!
Whereas sport drives are greatest throughout sure hours of the day, you’re not held to a schedule. Our unimaginable information, Felix, greeted us each morning and afternoon with a smile and introduced a lot pleasure to our expertise. When you have the choice, I’d extremely suggest 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 unimaginable encounter with a male lion.
Sport Drives with Children
In case you are touring with children, observe that youngsters beneath 2 aren’t permitted on sport drives, and youngsters beneath 6 aren’t permitted on sport drives with different visitors.
Which means visitors at Ulubisi House have the distinctive alternative to “bend” the foundations. As a result of we had our personal non-public car, we had been allowed to do a “baba drive” for our toddler at our leisure within the protected space of the reserve the place there aren’t any predators (aka lions).
We went out for about 45 minutes (earlier than our deliberate night sport drive) with the infant totally anticipating it to final 10 minutes earlier than we would have liked to show again,
However, he completely LOVED it! We received to see zebra and another VERY particular animals. And, we captured some completely heart-melting pictures that we’ll treasure for a lifetime.
Useful Tip:
And, most significantly, you can’t carry a crying child into the wild with out attracting the eye of predators like lions. Ulubisi Home visitors have the distinctive alternative to take children on non-public sport drives in an space that’s fully shielded from predators.
Staying at Ulubisi Home with a Child
We opted to carry the whole lot our child would want for his keep (pool float, bottles, child monitor, and so on.) however you possibly can attain out forward of your keep to arrange a cot and highchair.
One factor we knew we’d wish to reap the benefits of is their babysitting service.
As a result of 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 youngsters as they’re for us.
Babysitting is R150 per hour and you must coordinate nicely prematurely.
Gondwana was extremely useful in organizing a babysitter for us. She arrived early so we might make certain the infant and ourselves had been comfy with the scenario. We had her watch the infant for all sport drives (4 in whole) throughout our 2-night-stay and I’d do it once more in a heartbeat.
We received to expertise unimaginable encounters with lions, elephants, and all types of wildlife, whereas our infant was secure and cared for at Ulubisi Home.
Getting There
Attending to Gondwana Game Reserve from Cape City is a comparatively easy journey, and you’ve got a number of transportation choices. The reserve is located alongside the Backyard Route, making it accessible by street or air. Right here’s how one can attain Gondwana Sport Reserve from Cape City:
1. By Automobile:
- Period: The drive from Cape City to Gondwana Sport Reserve takes roughly 4.5 to five.5 hours, relying on site visitors and the precise location of your place to begin in Cape City.
- Notice: There are many relaxation stops and padstals (farm stands) alongside the drive so you should definitely cease continuously to stretch and snack. Our favourite stops from Cape City to Gondwana are Peregrine Farm Stall and Ou Meul Bakkery (there are a number of alongside the drive!).
2. By Air:
- Period: The closest airport to Gondwana Sport Reserve is George Airport (GRJ), which is roughly a 1.5 to 2-hour drive from the reserve.
- Flights: You possibly can e-book a home flight from Cape City Worldwide Airport (CPT) to George Airport (GRJ). A number of airways function flights on this route, together with South African Airways (SAA), Mango, and FlySafair.
- Notice: Whereas flying is a quicker choice, renting a automobile permits you to discover the gorgeous Backyard Route area at your personal tempo.
Useful Tip:
The Ultimate Guide to Going on an African Safari
The place is the very best place to go? When is the prime time to identify animals? What ought to I pack? Right here is the final word information to occurring safari in Africa!
What to Pack for an African Safari
A cute safari type means comfy layers that may maintain you heat. Right here’s my final safari packing record, plus what to anticipate on an African safari!
