I first stayed at Gondwana Recreation Reserve in 2017, in one in all 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 deliver 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 fun of a Large 5 safari with out having to journey far.
Although I not dwell in South Africa, we return yearly. Most 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 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 sport reserve covers roughly 11,000 hectares (27,182 acres) of pristine wilderness and various ecosystems.
It’s a outstanding vacation spot for wildlife fans, nature lovers, and vacationers in search of 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, 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 supplies a spread 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 an entire 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 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 underneath 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.
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 area 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 whole 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, each day.
The complete expertise was so luxurious and personal, that I couldn’t consider a greater method to expertise safari as a household!
Non-public Recreation Drives
One of the crucial particular features of staying at Ulubisi Home is having your personal non-public 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 personal selections!
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. You probably 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.
Recreation Drives with Youngsters
If you’re touring with youngsters, notice that kids underneath 2 aren’t permitted on sport drives, and youngsters underneath 6 aren’t permitted on sport drives with different visitors.
Meaning visitors at Ulubisi Home have the distinctive alternative to “bend” the principles. As a result of we had our personal non-public 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 child totally 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 images 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 visitors have the distinctive alternative to take youngsters on non-public sport drives in an space that’s fully shielded from predators.
Staying at Ulubisi Home with a Child
We opted to deliver every thing 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 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 nicely upfront.
Gondwana was extremely useful in organizing a babysitter for us. She arrived early so we may be certain the child and ourselves have been snug with the scenario. We had her watch the child for all sport drives (4 in whole) throughout our 2-night-stay and I’d do it yet again in a heartbeat.
We obtained to expertise unbelievable encounters with lions, elephants, and all types of wildlife, whereas our infant was protected and cared for at Ulubisi Home.
Getting There
Attending to Gondwana Recreation 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 Recreation Reserve from Cape City:
1. By Automobile:
- Period: The drive from Cape City to Gondwana Recreation Reserve takes roughly 4.5 to five.5 hours, relying on site 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 be sure you cease incessantly to stretch and snack. Our favourite stops from Cape City to Gondwana are Peregrine Farm Stall and Ou Meul Bakkery (there are just a few 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 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.
- Observe: Whereas flying is a sooner possibility, renting a automobile permits you to discover the attractive Backyard Route area at your personal tempo.
Useful Tip:
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