I first stayed at Gondwana Sport Reserve in 2017, in certainly one of 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 friends on my all-female tours in South Africa right here!
For anybody touring to Cape City or planning to drive the Backyard Route who desires to expertise a safari, Gondwana Sport Reserve is the proper vacation spot. Positioned a couple of 5-hour drive from Cape City, friends can expertise the fun of a Large 5 safari with out having to journey far.
Although I now not reside 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 panoramic wildlife conservation space situated within the Western Cape of South Africa. Located within the coronary heart of the well-known Backyard Route, this non-public recreation reserve covers roughly 11,000 hectares (27,182 acres) of pristine wilderness and numerous ecosystems.
It’s a outstanding vacation spot for wildlife fanatics, nature lovers, and vacationers searching for a novel African safari expertise.
Gondwana is house to all kinds of wildlife, together with the enduring “Large 5” – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhinoceros. Along with these majestic creatures, you may as well 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 Sport Reserve gives a variety of lodging choices, catering to totally 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 Home under!
About Ulubisi Home
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. That is the place we spent our afternoons, lounging underneath the South African solar and taking within the beautiful surroundings.
The Ulubisi Home Expertise
Ulubisi Home is tucked away within the reserve’s 1000-hectare protected strolling space for endangered species—that means predators can not entry this explicit space.
A necessary degree of security when bringing younger kids to a recreation reserve!
The property additionally comes with a full employees 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 kids between three bedrooms.
Your butler helps to arrange and be of service your complete 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 unbelievable!
We loved three stunning meals, in addition to afternoon tea and snacks, day-after-day.
Your complete expertise was so luxurious and personal, that I couldn’t consider a greater strategy to expertise safari as a household!
Non-public Sport Drives
Probably the most particular facets of staying at Ulubisi House is having your personal non-public recreation automobile and discipline information. As a household with an toddler, this was unbelievable. Usually, you go on recreation drives at set hours (as soon as within the early morning and as soon as within the late afternoon) in a automobile with different friends.
At Ulubisi Home, you make your personal selections!
Whereas recreation 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. When you’ve got the choice, I’d extremely suggest requesting him!
We stayed 2 nights and went on 4 recreation drives throughout our keep. We noticed ALL sorts of wildlife together with plenty of child animals, a cheetah with a kill, and had an unbelievable encounter with a male lion.
Sport Drives with Children
In case you are touring with children, be aware that kids underneath 2 aren’t permitted on recreation drives, and youngsters underneath 6 aren’t permitted on recreation drives with different friends.
Meaning friends at Ulubisi House have the distinctive alternative to “bend” the principles. As a result of we had our personal non-public automobile, 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 are not any predators (aka lions).
We went out for about 45 minutes (earlier than our deliberate night recreation drive) with the newborn totally anticipating it to final 10 minutes earlier than we wanted 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 images that we are going to 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 friends have the distinctive alternative to take children on non-public recreation drives in an space that’s utterly shielded from predators.
Staying at Ulubisi Home with a Child
We opted to carry all the things our child would wish for his keep (pool float, bottles, child monitor, and many others.) however you possibly can attain out forward of your keep to arrange a cot and highchair.
One factor we knew we’d wish to benefit from is their babysitting service.
As a result of recreation drives are usually early morning (6 am-ish) and late afternoon (4 or 5 pm-ish), and might 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 it’s best to coordinate effectively prematurely.
Gondwana was extremely useful in organizing a babysitter for us. She arrived early so we might be certain the newborn and ourselves had been snug with the scenario. We had her watch the newborn for all recreation drives (4 in whole) throughout our 2-night-stay and I’d do it another time in a heartbeat.
We received to expertise unbelievable encounters with lions, elephants, and every kind of wildlife, whereas our baby was protected 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 highway 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 start line in Cape City.
- Notice: There are many relaxation stops and padstals (farm stands) alongside the drive so you should definitely cease ceaselessly to stretch and snack. Our favourite stops from Cape City to Gondwana are Peregrine Farm Stall and Ou Meul Bakkery (there are a couple 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 sooner possibility, renting a automotive lets you discover the attractive Backyard Route area at your personal tempo.
Useful Tip:
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