I first stayed at Gondwana Recreation Reserve in 2017, in one in every of their Kwena Huts, once 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 convey all of our visitors on my all-female excursions 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 Recreation Reserve is the proper vacation spot. Positioned a few 5-hour drive from Cape City, visitors can expertise the joys of a Massive 5 safari with out having to journey far.
Although I not reside in South Africa, we return yearly. Most not too long ago, we introduced our 8-month-old son “residence” with us and we couldn’t wait to take him on his first safari.
So, we stayed at Ulubisi Home, Gondwana’s luxurious personal villa—full with your individual private Butler, Chef, and Discipline 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 wide ranging wildlife conservation space positioned within the Western Cape of South Africa. Located within the coronary heart of the well-known Backyard Route, this personal sport reserve covers roughly 11,000 hectares (27,182 acres) of pristine wilderness and numerous ecosystems.
It’s a exceptional vacation spot for wildlife lovers, nature lovers, and vacationers looking for a singular African safari expertise.
Gondwana is residence to all kinds of wildlife, together with the long-lasting “Massive 5” – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhinoceros. Along with these majestic creatures, you may as well spot cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, varied antelope species, and an unbelievable array of birdlife.
The reserve’s dedication to conservation has helped restore these species to their pure habitats.
Gondwana Recreation Reserve gives 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 Home under!
About Ulubisi Home
Ulubisi Home takes luxurious to a complete new degree. The structure seamlessly blends fashionable 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 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—that means predators can’t entry this explicit space.
A necessary degree of security when bringing younger youngsters to a sport reserve!
The property additionally comes with a full employees and twice-daily housekeeping with turndowns. The villa options its personal butler, chef, and area information and sleeps both 6 adults or 4 adults and 4 youngsters 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 unbelievable!
We loved three lovely meals, in addition to afternoon tea and snacks, each day.
Your entire expertise was so luxurious and personal, that I couldn’t consider a greater option to expertise safari as a household!
Non-public Recreation Drives
Some of the particular points of staying at Ulubisi Home is having your individual personal sport car and area information. As a household with an toddler, this was unbelievable. 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 individual choices!
Whereas 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. In case 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 unbelievable encounter with a male lion.
Recreation Drives with Children
In case you are touring with children, observe that youngsters below 2 aren’t permitted on sport drives, and kids below 6 aren’t permitted on sport drives with different visitors.
Which means visitors at Ulubisi Home have the distinctive alternative to “bend” the principles. As a result of we had our personal personal 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 are not 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 obtained to see zebra and another VERY particular animals. And, we captured some completely heart-melting images that we’ll treasure for a lifetime.
Useful Tip:
And, most significantly, you can not convey 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 personal sport drives in an space that’s utterly shielded from predators.
Staying at Ulubisi Home with a Child
We opted to convey every thing our child would want for his keep (pool float, bottles, child monitor, and many others.) however you possibly can attain out forward of your keep to prepare 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 might 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 need to coordinate properly prematurely.
Gondwana was extremely useful in organizing a babysitter for us. She arrived early so we might be certain the infant and ourselves had been comfy with the scenario. We had her watch the infant for all sport drives (4 in complete) throughout our 2-night-stay and I’d do it over again in a heartbeat.
We obtained to expertise unbelievable 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 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 Automotive:
- Period: 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 place to begin in Cape City.
- Be aware: There are many relaxation stops and padstals (farm stands) alongside the drive so remember to cease steadily 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 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.
- Be aware: Whereas flying is a sooner possibility, renting a automotive lets you discover the gorgeous Backyard Route area at your individual tempo.
Useful Tip:
The Final Information to Happening an African Safari
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