Staying at Ulubisi Home at Gondwana Recreation Reserve • The Blonde Overseas
I first stayed at Gondwana Recreation Reserve in 2017, in considered one 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 deliver all of our friends on my all-female tours 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 right vacation spot. Situated a few 5-hour drive from Cape City, friends can expertise the fun of a Large 5 safari with out having to journey far.
Although I now not dwell in South Africa, we return yearly. Most lately, 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 Subject Information!
Right here’s what it’s like staying at Ulubisi House at Gondwana Game Reserve!
About Gondwana Recreation Reserve
Gondwana Game 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 personal sport reserve covers roughly 11,000 hectares (27,182 acres) of pristine wilderness and various ecosystems.
It’s a exceptional vacation spot for wildlife fans, nature lovers, and vacationers in search of a novel African safari expertise.
Gondwana is residence to all kinds of wildlife, together with the long-lasting “Large 5” – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhinoceros. Along with these majestic creatures, it’s also possible to 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 gives 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 unimaginable particulars of our keep at Ulubisi Home beneath!
About Ulubisi Home
Ulubisi House takes luxurious to an entire new stage. 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 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 beneath 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 explicit space.
An important stage 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 discipline information and sleeps both 6 adults or 4 adults and 4 youngsters 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 unimaginable!
We loved three lovely meals, in addition to afternoon tea and snacks, daily.
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 particular features of staying at Ulubisi House is having your individual personal sport automobile and discipline information. As a household with an toddler, this was unimaginable. 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 friends.
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 unimaginable 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 suggest requesting him!
We stayed 2 nights and went on 4 sport drives throughout our keep. We noticed ALL sorts of wildlife together with plenty of child animals, a cheetah with a kill, and had an unimaginable encounter with a male lion.
Recreation Drives with Children
In case you are touring with youngsters, be aware that youngsters beneath 2 aren’t permitted on sport drives, and kids beneath 6 aren’t permitted on sport drives with different friends.
Meaning friends at Ulubisi House have the distinctive alternative to “bend” the foundations. As a result of we had our personal personal 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 child absolutely anticipating it to final 10 minutes earlier than we would have liked 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 images that we’ll treasure for a lifetime.
Useful Tip:
And, most significantly, you can not 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 youngsters on personal sport drives in an space that’s utterly protected against predators.
Staying at Ulubisi Home with a Child
We opted to deliver all the things 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 arrange a cot and highchair.
One factor we knew we’d wish 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 may 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 it’s best to coordinate properly prematurely.
Gondwana was extremely useful in organizing a babysitter for us. She arrived early so we may make sure that the child and ourselves had been comfy 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 another time in a heartbeat.
We acquired to expertise unimaginable encounters with lions, elephants, and all types of wildlife, whereas our toddler was secure and cared for at Ulubisi Home.
Getting There
Attending to Gondwana Game 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 site visitors and the precise location of your place to begin in Cape City.
- Notice: There are many relaxation stops and padstals (farm stands) alongside the drive so be sure you 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:
- 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 possibly can 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.
- Notice: Whereas flying is a quicker possibility, renting a automobile permits you to discover the attractive Backyard Route area at your individual tempo.
Useful Tip:
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