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I first stayed at Gondwana Recreation Reserve in 2017, in one in every 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 deliver all of our friends on my all-female excursions in South Africa right here!
For anybody touring to Cape City or planning to drive the Backyard Route who needs to expertise a safari, Gondwana Recreation Reserve is the proper vacation spot. Positioned a couple of 5-hour drive from Cape City, friends can expertise the joys of a Massive 5 safari with out having to journey far.
Although I now not dwell in South Africa, we return yearly. Most just lately, we introduced our 8-month-old son “dwelling” 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 Area Information!
Right here’s what it’s like staying at Ulubisi Home at Gondwana Recreation Reserve!
About Gondwana Recreation Reserve
Gondwana Recreation 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 exceptional vacation spot for wildlife fans, nature lovers, and vacationers in search of a singular African safari expertise.
Gondwana is dwelling to all kinds of wildlife, together with the long-lasting “Massive 5” – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhinoceros. Along with these majestic creatures, you can too spot cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, numerous antelope species, and an unimaginable array of birdlife.
The reserve’s dedication to conservation has helped restore these species to their pure habitats.
Gondwana Recreation Reserve supplies a spread 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 unimaginable particulars of our keep at Ulubisi Home under!
About Ulubisi Home
Ulubisi Home takes luxurious to an entire 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 charming panorama.
The décor, impressed by native craftsmanship, added an genuine contact to the general ambiance.
My favourite half? The open-plan residing space opens up to an enormous infinity pool overlooking the rolling hills. That is the place we spent our afternoons, lounging below 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—which means predators can’t entry this specific space.
An important 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 prepare 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, every single day.
The whole expertise was so luxurious and personal, that I couldn’t consider a greater technique to expertise safari as a household!
Personal Recreation Drives
One of the vital particular features of staying at Ulubisi Home is having your personal non-public recreation automobile and discipline information. As a household with an toddler, this was unimaginable. Sometimes, 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 choices!
Whereas recreation 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. If in case you have 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 a lot of child animals, a cheetah with a kill, and had an unimaginable encounter with a male lion.
Recreation Drives with Children
If you’re touring with children, be aware that kids below 2 aren’t permitted on recreation drives, and youngsters below 6 aren’t permitted on recreation drives with different friends.
Which means friends at Ulubisi Home have the distinctive alternative to “bend” the foundations. 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 aren’t any predators (aka lions).
We went out for about 45 minutes (earlier than our deliberate night recreation drive) with the infant absolutely anticipating it to final 10 minutes earlier than we wanted to show again,
However, he completely LOVED it! We obtained to see zebra and another VERY particular animals. And, we captured some completely heart-melting photographs that we’ll treasure for a lifetime.
Useful Tip:
And, most significantly, you can’t deliver 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 deliver the whole lot our child would wish for his keep (pool float, bottles, child monitor, and many others.) however you may attain out forward of your keep to prepare a cot and highchair.
One factor we knew we’d need 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 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 it is best to coordinate nicely prematurely.
Gondwana was extremely useful in organizing a babysitter for us. She arrived early so we may be certain that the infant and ourselves had been comfy with the scenario. We had her watch the infant for all recreation drives (4 in complete) throughout our 2-night-stay and I’d do it once more in a heartbeat.
We obtained to expertise unimaginable encounters with lions, elephants, and every kind of wildlife, whereas our baby was secure and cared for at Ulubisi Home.
Getting There
Attending to Gondwana Recreation Reserve from Cape City is a comparatively simple 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 Recreation Reserve from Cape City:
1. By Automobile:
- Length: The drive from Cape City to Gondwana Recreation Reserve takes roughly 4.5 to five.5 hours, relying on visitors and the precise location of your start line in Cape City.
- Observe: There are many relaxation stops and padstals (farm stands) alongside the drive so you should definitely cease incessantly 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:
- Length: The closest airport to Gondwana Recreation Reserve is George Airport (GRJ), which is roughly a 1.5 to 2-hour drive from the reserve.
- Flights: You may ebook 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.
- Observe: Whereas flying is a sooner choice, renting a automobile means that you can discover the gorgeous Backyard Route area at your personal tempo.
Useful Tip:
The Final Information to Happening 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 last word information to happening safari in Africa!
What to Pack for an African Safari
A cute safari fashion means comfy layers that can maintain you heat. Right here’s my final safari packing listing, plus what to anticipate on an African safari!
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