Staying at Ulubisi Home at Gondwana Sport Reserve • The Blonde Overseas
I first stayed at Gondwana Sport Reserve in 2017, in one among their Kwena Huts, after 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 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 needs to expertise a safari, Gondwana Sport Reserve is the proper vacation spot. Positioned a few 5-hour drive from Cape City, friends can expertise the joys of a Huge 5 safari with out having to journey far.
Although I not reside in South Africa, we return yearly. Most just lately, we introduced our 8-month-old son “dwelling” 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 Discipline Information!
Right here’s what it’s like staying at Ulubisi House at Gondwana Game Reserve!
About Gondwana Sport Reserve
Gondwana Game Reserve is a panoramic wildlife conservation space positioned 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 outstanding vacation spot for wildlife lovers, nature lovers, and vacationers looking for a novel African safari expertise.
Gondwana is dwelling to all kinds of wildlife, together with the enduring “Huge 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 Sport Reserve supplies 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 House takes luxurious to an entire new stage. The structure seamlessly blends trendy 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 fascinating 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 below 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—that means predators can not entry this explicit space.
A vital 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 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, day-after-day.
All the expertise was so luxurious and personal, that I couldn’t consider a greater strategy to expertise safari as a household!
Non-public Sport Drives
Some of the particular features of staying at Ulubisi House is having your individual personal sport car and discipline information. As a household with an toddler, this was unbelievable. Sometimes, 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 friends.
At Ulubisi Home, you make your individual selections!
Whereas sport drives are finest 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 suggest 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 Youngsters
If you’re touring with youngsters, be aware that youngsters below 2 aren’t permitted on sport drives, and youngsters below 6 aren’t permitted on sport drives with different friends.
Which means friends at Ulubisi House have the distinctive alternative to “bend” the principles. As a result of we had our personal personal car, 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 infant totally anticipating it to final 10 minutes earlier than we wanted to show again,
However, he completely LOVED it! We bought 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 friends have the distinctive alternative to take youngsters on personal sport drives in an space that’s fully shielded from predators.
Staying at Ulubisi Home with a Child
We opted to convey the whole lot our child would want for his keep (pool float, bottles, child monitor, and so forth.) however you possibly can 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 usually 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 you need to coordinate properly upfront.
Gondwana was extremely useful in organizing a babysitter for us. She arrived early so we might ensure the infant and ourselves had been comfy with the scenario. We had her watch the infant for all sport drives (4 in whole) throughout our 2-night-stay and I’d do it over again in a heartbeat.
We bought 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 Game 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 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 start line in Cape City.
- Observe: There are many relaxation stops and padstals (farm stands) alongside the drive so be sure you cease regularly 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:
- 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 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 gorgeous Backyard Route area at your individual tempo.
Useful Tip:
The Final Information to Occurring an African Safari
The place is one of the best place to go? When is the prime time to identify animals? What ought to I pack? Right here is the last word information to happening safari in Africa!
Learn Extra!
What to Pack for an African Safari
A cute safari fashion means comfy layers that can preserve you heat. Right here’s my final safari packing record, plus what to anticipate on an African safari!
Learn Extra!
