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 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 Sport Reserve is the right vacation spot. Situated 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 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 personal villa—full with your personal 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 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 outstanding vacation spot for wildlife lovers, nature lovers, and vacationers searching for a singular African safari expertise.
Gondwana is residence to all kinds of wildlife, together with the long-lasting “Huge 5” – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhinoceros. Along with these majestic creatures, it’s also possible to spot cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, varied antelope species, and an unimaginable 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 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 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 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 gorgeous 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 not entry this specific space.
A necessary stage of security when bringing younger kids to a sport reserve!
The property additionally comes with a full workers 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 kids between three bedrooms.
Your butler helps to arrange and be of service your complete 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, day-after-day.
The complete expertise was so luxurious and personal, that I couldn’t consider a greater option to expertise safari as a household!
Non-public Sport Drives
Probably the most particular features of staying at Ulubisi House is having your personal personal sport automobile and discipline information. As a household with an toddler, this was unimaginable. 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 automobile with different friends.
At Ulubisi Home, you make your personal selections!
Whereas sport drives are finest 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. When you’ve got 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 unimaginable encounter with a male lion.
Sport Drives with Youngsters
In case you are 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 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 have 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 received 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 fully protected against predators.
Staying at Ulubisi Home with a Child
We opted to deliver every little thing our child would want for his keep (pool float, bottles, child monitor, and so on.) however you possibly can attain out forward of your keep to arrange a cot and highchair.
One factor we knew we’d need to make the most of 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 it’s best to coordinate properly prematurely.
Gondwana was extremely useful in organizing a babysitter for us. She arrived early so we may be certain the newborn and ourselves have been snug with the state of affairs. We had her watch the newborn for all sport drives (4 in whole) throughout our 2-night-stay and I’d do it another time in a heartbeat.
We received to expertise unimaginable encounters with lions, elephants, and every kind of wildlife, whereas our infant was secure 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 Automobile:
- Length: 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 be sure you cease continuously 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 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.
- Word: Whereas flying is a quicker possibility, renting a automobile lets you discover the gorgeous Backyard Route area at your personal tempo.
Useful Tip:
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