I first stayed at Gondwana Sport 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 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 Sport Reserve is the proper vacation spot. Situated a few 5-hour drive from Cape City, visitors can expertise the fun of a Huge 5 safari with out having to journey far.
Although I now not stay 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 non-public villa—full with your individual private Butler, Chef, and Subject Information!
Right here’s what it’s like staying at Ulubisi Home at Gondwana Sport Reserve!
About Gondwana Sport Reserve
Gondwana Sport 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 Backyard Route, this non-public 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 enduring “Huge 5” – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhinoceros. Along with these majestic creatures, you can too 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 Home takes luxurious to an entire new stage. 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 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 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—that means predators can’t entry this explicit space.
An important stage of security when bringing younger kids 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 subject 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 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 stunning meals, in addition to afternoon tea and snacks, on daily basis.
The whole expertise was so luxurious and personal, that I couldn’t consider a greater strategy to expertise safari as a household!
Personal Sport Drives
Probably the most particular points of staying at Ulubisi Home is having your individual non-public sport automobile and subject 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 automobile with different visitors.
At Ulubisi Home, you make your individual 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. In case you 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 numerous child animals, a cheetah with a kill, and had an unbelievable encounter with a male lion.
Sport Drives with Children
If you’re touring with youngsters, observe that kids 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 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 sport drive) with the newborn totally anticipating it to final 10 minutes earlier than we wanted to show again,
However, he completely LOVED it! We acquired 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 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 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 convey every part our child would wish for his keep (pool float, bottles, child monitor, and so on.) however you may attain out forward of your keep to arrange a cot and highchair.
One factor we knew we’d need to benefit from 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 kids 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 be sure the newborn and ourselves had been snug with the state of affairs. We had her watch the newborn for all sport drives (4 in complete) throughout our 2-night-stay and I’d do it another time in a heartbeat.
We acquired to expertise unbelievable 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 Sport 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 highway or air. Right here’s how one can attain Gondwana Sport Reserve from Cape City:
1. By Automotive:
- Period: The drive from Cape City to Gondwana Sport Reserve takes roughly 4.5 to five.5 hours, relying on visitors and the precise location of your place to begin in Cape City.
- Word: There are many relaxation stops and padstals (farm stands) alongside the drive so you should definitely cease regularly 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 Sport Reserve is George Airport (GRJ), which is roughly a 1.5 to 2-hour drive from the reserve.
- Flights: You may guide 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.
- Word: Whereas flying is a sooner choice, renting a automobile lets you discover the attractive Backyard Route area at your individual tempo.
Useful Tip:
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