Garden Route Game Lodge (South Africa)

...we decided to explore the Garden Route but also wanted the opportunity to see as much wildlife as possible without having to fly to Krugar or pay over the odds for the other Malaria Free Game lodges such as Shamwari. So when we found the website for this Game lodge it seemed to be the perfect solution.

The Game lodge is located on the N2 approx 350km from Cape Town i.e. about 3 or 4 hours drive. But a warm welcome awaits.
The ...
...then leads out to the lawn area which has loungers and a pool.

We chose to stay in a Private Chalet which meant that we got our own little round thatched hut to stay in. These are all spread out round a slope that looks down to a watering hole where if you are lucky you may see some of the animals. Each of the chalets has a large bed with mosquito net (although we didn't need to use this) and is decorated in animal print fabrics with ... more

For our honeymoon we decided to explore the Garden Route but also wanted the opportunity to see as much wildlife as possible without having to fly to Krugar or pay over the odds for the other Malaria Free Game lodges such as Shamwari. So when we found the website for this Game lodge it seemed to be the perfect solution.

The Game lodge is located on the N2 approx 350km from Cape Town i.e. about 3 or 4 hours drive. But a warm welcome awaits.
The reception area links through to the bar and lounge which then leads out to the lawn area which has loungers and a pool.

We chose to stay in a Private Chalet which meant that we got our own little round thatched hut to stay in. These are all spread out round a slope that looks down to a watering hole where if you are lucky you may see some of the animals. Each of the chalets has a large bed with mosquito net (although we didn't need to use this) and is decorated in animal print fabrics with lots of natural wood. A section of the room is walled off and contains an en-suite toilet, basin and shower. There is also a wardrobe, chest of drawers, bed-side tables and lamps and a desk with a tv on it. We were also greeted with a honeymoon bonus of a bottle of champagne and a basket full of fruit, cheese, chocolates and billtong.

Breakfast and the evening meal are both included in the rate you pay and are held in the African Boma located near the Bar. This is essentially a large round thatched building with a fire in the centre. Both meals are help yourself affairs with traditional food presented on open coals in African pots. There is lots of opportunity to try new foods, we tried Springbok and Kudu one night but there are also plenty of options for the less adventurous. Breakfast again is a buffet affair with omlettes also being made to order and homemade scones being our favourite treat!

Also included in the rate you pay are two game drives a day, morning and evening. These involve you being driven round the game area by one of the rangers and you are usually guaranteed to see most of the animals.

We were particularly lucky to get fantastic pictures of the lion family on our first evening drive. These are kept separate from the other animals in a special large enclosure that can be viewed from a platform above ground. On this evening we were treated to the entire family of 3 adults and 3 children sunning themselves and playing around a waterhole. Needless to say we filled the memory card of our camera up with pictures! We also participated in 3 other games drives during our 2 night stay and did not see the lions at such a close distance again.

However in addition to the Lions there are also Giraffes, Elephants, Springbok, Kudu, Wildebeest, Cape Buffalo, White Rhino, Zebra, numerous other antelope and birdlife. All of which we saw on every game drive. The rangers themselves give commetaries on the different animals and in addition the local plantlife and general knowledge of the lodge and it's history. They are extremely knowledgable and helpful but at the same time very safety conscious especially around hormonal elephants!

Other additional bonuses are that the Game lodge also has a Reptile house on site along with a Cheetah Breeding programme, and the opportunity to go Horse-back riding. These again are all included in the price.

The reptile house is great fun with various snakes behind glass and the odd surprise for me who had a 12 foot albino python placed over her shoulders! Amazing experience especially good for the children as there are all kinds of things like snake skins to feel. In the outside area of the reptile house there are giant and miniature tortoises and then large pens for the crocodiles.

We didn't have time to go horseback riding , however we did take part in the "Cheetah Walk" which was an unforgettable experience. There is a large enclosure which housed 2 adult male cheetahs and then in a smaller enclosure inside there was a female cheetah with 4 cubs. The rangers allowed us to walk into the enclosure with them to feed the cheetahs and then to get a glimpse of the "babies". Very nerve racking experience, especially when the Male cheetahs were getting excited about the Zebra legs they were being fed....... but I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

In the evenings the Bar is quite lively and also has a roaring fire for those chilly evenings returning from a game drive. The reception area also has a small shop that sells the Aloe Vera products that are produced locally and numerous animal products and souvenires.

We plan to go back there some day as the experience was amazing. It offers a very reasonably priced and conveniently located opportunity to experience the wildlife side of South Africa without straying too far from the winelands region. 

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