South Africa
| country: | South Africa |
| location: | Limpopo Valley, South Africa wildlife reserves |
| price: | From R1000 per person per night, twin share plus VAT of 14%. N.B. We are closed over the Christmas period. Unfortunately we do not take children under 12 |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to South Africa
Welcome to this South Africa Wildlife Reserve with a difference! Here we offer the discerning, socially responsible traveller a diverse array of informative activities, giving first-hand experience of the bushveld and our ground-breaking efforts to conserve it. Sustainable Development and Restoration Ecology are the order of the day here and we invite you to come and see for yourselves how we are working to ensure generations to come can enjoy the diverse Flora and Fauna as much as we do. No home comforts are sacrificed by our guests, who stay in luxury en-suite tents, and enjoy delicious home-cooked meals. With qualified and experienced staff on hand, we can tailor activities to your own interests and ensure that your stay at this wildlife reserve is both enjoyable and educational.
Our Lodge is located on a rise next to a dry riverbed, amongst the thorn tree bushveld typical of the area. Six luxury tents, each with its own en-suite bathroom, accomodate a maximum of 12 guests in considerable comfort at this South Africa Wildlife Reserve.
The tents are secluded from each other, and furnished with twin beds, electric fans in summer, heaters and electric blankets in winter, shower and toilet, and even a telephone. The private balcony of each tent overlooks waterholes where a variety of birds and animals come to drink, especially at dawn and dusk.
Lanterns light the pathways from tents to the main lodge, a gracious thatched African style building where meals are taken and guests relax in the lounge, or gather around the bar for a drink before dinner. The lapa, next to the swimming pool, is a favourite place to sit by the fire and talk about the day´s events, and the view from the cocktail deck towards Madia Pala Mountain at sunset is hard to beat.
Early morning game drives begin at the lodge with coffee and rusks at daybreak. Illustrated lectures by our ecologist are conducted in the lodge during the heat of the day.
The blossoms and fruits on the indigenous trees surrounding the lodge and the birdbath with its tinkling fountain atractt a variety of colourful and active birdlife.
Meals are a highlight of the day, featuring South African cuisine and international favourites. On returning from a morning game drive or walk, guests and staff enjoy a substantial brunch, which sees them through until afternoon tea. Dinner, accompanied by Cape wines, is the time to tell tall stories about the day´s encounters while enjoying the company of other guests and staff. Our guests quickly get into the spirit and become members of the family. They are welcome to join us on our daily rounds and take part in conservation in action at this South Africa Wildlife Reserve.
Self-catering
This self catering camp is located about 5km from our main lodge. It is entirely self-sufficient with a fully equiped kitchen and its own private swimming pool. All linen is provided. The accomodation is in three units, each with two single beds.
Two of the units are located in the main boma area near the pool, kitchen, outside dining area and elevated observation platform. One of these units has its own en-suite shower and toilet. The second unit has no en-suite bathroom but there is a shower and seperate toilet opposite.
The third unit (known as the "luxury cottage" ) is situated about 50m away from the main area. It is considerabely larger than the other two rooms, with two single beds, and has its own ensuite bathroom with bath, seperate shower and seperate toilet , and its own private deck.
Camping
The Camp is situated on the banks of the Mogalakwena River, amid sweeping lawns under established shady trees. It has 5 campsites for tents or caravans. Just 25km from Alldays on the Swartwater road (R572), the camp is easily accessible from the tar road. It is the perfect stopover for tours to Botswana via the picturesque Platjan border post on the Limpopo River, about 30 minutes drive from the camp. It is secure inside the fenced area of the wildlife reserve, with an attendant on site.
Facilities include:
Cheetah Rehabilitation and Predator Project
Our South Africa Wildlife Reserve reserve was chosen as the home for the first wild cheetah to be placed by the De Wildt Wild Cheetah Management Project in a “cheetah hotspot”, the Limpopo Valley, an area where cheetahs are actively persecuted by land owners. It was also the first cheetah to be placed in what is regarded, by cheetah standards, as a small reserve. However, at 4,500 hectares our wildlife reserve is deemed to have sufficient prey species to support a breeding pair of cheetahs. The successful results from our project mean that more of these endangered species will be able to be placed in reserves formerly considered unsuitable for cheetahs.
Guests are given the unique opportunity to become as involved as they wish in our predator research projects, depending on what activities are going on at the time of their visit - it could be monitoring camera traps, watching baiting sites, tracking animals through the bush, and occasionally darting and collaring several predator species - cheetah, brown hyaenas (rarer cousins of the spotted hyaena), caracal and leopard. Accompanying our resident ecologist on foot through the bush and using telemetry, guests have the thrill of following the collared predators on a regular and frequent basis, monitoring their behaviour and movements. The data gained will be used for academic research.
This South Africa wildlife reserve is situated in the Limpopo Valley of South Africa, close to the border with Botswana. Our nearest town is Alldays.The Mogalakwena River, a tributary of the Limpopo, meanders for 11 km through the reserve, and Madia Pala Mountain and Kremetartkop hill dominate the landscape. More than 40 species of mammals, from giraffe to dwarf mongoose, and 240 species of birds, from the Kori Bustard to the tiny African Pygmy Kingfisher, have been recorded so far on the reserve.
From Johannesburg International Airport, the gateway to Africa, guests take a short flight to Pietersburg (recently renamed Polokwane) where they will be met by our staff. A two and a half hour drive along a good paved road by minibus, past villages, farms and game ranches completes the journey. The last few kilometres of unmade road, with glimpses of guinea fowl, warthogs and impala, prepares you for the experience of the African bush.
Our Lodge is located on a rise next to a dry riverbed, amongst the thorn tree bushveld typical of the area. Six luxury tents, each with its own en-suite bathroom, accomodate a maximum of 12 guests in considerable comfort at this South Africa Wildlife Reserve.The tents are secluded from each other, and furnished with twin beds, electric fans in summer, heaters and electric blankets in winter, shower and toilet, and even a telephone. The private balcony of each tent overlooks waterholes where a variety of birds and animals come to drink, especially at dawn and dusk.
Lanterns light the pathways from tents to the main lodge, a gracious thatched African style building where meals are taken and guests relax in the lounge, or gather around the bar for a drink before dinner. The lapa, next to the swimming pool, is a favourite place to sit by the fire and talk about the day´s events, and the view from the cocktail deck towards Madia Pala Mountain at sunset is hard to beat. Early morning game drives begin at the lodge with coffee and rusks at daybreak. Illustrated lectures by our ecologist are conducted in the lodge during the heat of the day.
The blossoms and fruits on the indigenous trees surrounding the lodge and the birdbath with its tinkling fountain atractt a variety of colourful and active birdlife.
Meals are a highlight of the day, featuring South African cuisine and international favourites. On returning from a morning game drive or walk, guests and staff enjoy a substantial brunch, which sees them through until afternoon tea. Dinner, accompanied by Cape wines, is the time to tell tall stories about the day´s encounters while enjoying the company of other guests and staff. Our guests quickly get into the spirit and become members of the family. They are welcome to join us on our daily rounds and take part in conservation in action at this South Africa Wildlife Reserve.
Self-catering
This self catering camp is located about 5km from our main lodge. It is entirely self-sufficient with a fully equiped kitchen and its own private swimming pool. All linen is provided. The accomodation is in three units, each with two single beds. Two of the units are located in the main boma area near the pool, kitchen, outside dining area and elevated observation platform. One of these units has its own en-suite shower and toilet. The second unit has no en-suite bathroom but there is a shower and seperate toilet opposite.
The third unit (known as the "luxury cottage" ) is situated about 50m away from the main area. It is considerabely larger than the other two rooms, with two single beds, and has its own ensuite bathroom with bath, seperate shower and seperate toilet , and its own private deck.
Camping The Camp is situated on the banks of the Mogalakwena River, amid sweeping lawns under established shady trees. It has 5 campsites for tents or caravans. Just 25km from Alldays on the Swartwater road (R572), the camp is easily accessible from the tar road. It is the perfect stopover for tours to Botswana via the picturesque Platjan border post on the Limpopo River, about 30 minutes drive from the camp. It is secure inside the fenced area of the wildlife reserve, with an attendant on site.
Facilities include:
- clean ablutions with hot water, showers and flushing toilets
- a communal kitchen area and lapa
- individual braais
- power available
- safe drinking water
- large swimming pool overlooking the Mogalakwena River
- firewood available for purchase
Cheetah Rehabilitation and Predator Project
Our South Africa Wildlife Reserve reserve was chosen as the home for the first wild cheetah to be placed by the De Wildt Wild Cheetah Management Project in a “cheetah hotspot”, the Limpopo Valley, an area where cheetahs are actively persecuted by land owners. It was also the first cheetah to be placed in what is regarded, by cheetah standards, as a small reserve. However, at 4,500 hectares our wildlife reserve is deemed to have sufficient prey species to support a breeding pair of cheetahs. The successful results from our project mean that more of these endangered species will be able to be placed in reserves formerly considered unsuitable for cheetahs.Guests are given the unique opportunity to become as involved as they wish in our predator research projects, depending on what activities are going on at the time of their visit - it could be monitoring camera traps, watching baiting sites, tracking animals through the bush, and occasionally darting and collaring several predator species - cheetah, brown hyaenas (rarer cousins of the spotted hyaena), caracal and leopard. Accompanying our resident ecologist on foot through the bush and using telemetry, guests have the thrill of following the collared predators on a regular and frequent basis, monitoring their behaviour and movements. The data gained will be used for academic research.
how to find us
This South Africa wildlife reserve is situated in the Limpopo Valley of South Africa, close to the border with Botswana. Our nearest town is Alldays.The Mogalakwena River, a tributary of the Limpopo, meanders for 11 km through the reserve, and Madia Pala Mountain and Kremetartkop hill dominate the landscape. More than 40 species of mammals, from giraffe to dwarf mongoose, and 240 species of birds, from the Kori Bustard to the tiny African Pygmy Kingfisher, have been recorded so far on the reserve.
From Johannesburg International Airport, the gateway to Africa, guests take a short flight to Pietersburg (recently renamed Polokwane) where they will be met by our staff. A two and a half hour drive along a good paved road by minibus, past villages, farms and game ranches completes the journey. The last few kilometres of unmade road, with glimpses of guinea fowl, warthogs and impala, prepares you for the experience of the African bush.
traveller reviews for South Africa
The tented accomodation is great - like a chalet with canvas walls in the bedroom area; loads of hot water in the en-suite bathroom, plenty of wardrobe space, wonderfully comfortable beds, great view from the deck over the waterhole. (more)
how this holiday makes a difference
 The whole purpose for the establishment of this wildlife reserve is to demonstrate that it is economically justified and possible to turn the clock back and recover from the unintentional sins of the past.It is certain that we will make mistakes but it is equally certain that we are making great strides in the drive to recover from our predecessor's mistakes. Ours is not an emotional appeal to "save the environment" that makes us feel good, but an action-driven conservation effort where real people are doing their bit and where guests are an important element if success is to be achieved. We don't want their charity.  We want them to leave knowing that they not only had a wonderful holiday, but that their visit has helped the environment we all love.Our employees and their families are benefiting from our project, and as we become more and more successful, not only will we be employing more local people, but perhaps the sown seed of environmental reclamation will proliferate to the benefit of all. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
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