14 nt South Africa City + Safari

Five Shy Meerkat Tours – Original Tours Since 2004
The most popular of our activities we offer are without a doubt the daily wild habituated meerkat tours. These tours that commence only at sunrise are dependent on fair weather, since these little creatures will not venture outside their burrows on cold and rainy days. (No tours on rainy days & Christmas day).

Meerkats are part of the so-called Shy 5 which also includes the bat-eared fox, the aardvark, porcupine and aardwolf.

The meerkat tours last between 2-3 hours and booking is essential. Upon arrival at the meerkat burrows, guests are treated to a hot cup of coffee, after which they are issued with a lightweight aluminium chair to sit in while observing the meerkats as they come out of the burrow into the sunshine and then go about their daily routine of foraging and frolicking. These habituated wild animals are never fed or handled by humans.

Tours are presented by JD Glinister, and his team. It is a fantastic experience & unique privilege to get this close to these little creatures in the wild.

Tours starts at sun rise.
Meeting point 9km outside Oudtshoorn on the R62 - entrance to the right.

Enjoy a complimentary 90 min cruise on "The Boat" at the St James. Skipper Alex Mvandaba will take guests upriver to the Belvidere and the White bridge section of the lagoon. This section is only really accessible by private boat as most of the other cruises are to the Heads and back. This area is steeped in history – in fact the early ships used to moor in front of the Belvidere area, rather than the current harbor area.

The Knysna Estuary is biologically the richest estuary in the Cape, and one of the largest. “A remarkable diversity of species is recorded here, the highest of any South African estuary. It is of course also home to the unique Knysna Seahorse, Hippocampus capensis.”

Family-owned and family-run, Samara offers an adventure for all ages. The Samara Team is passionate about educating the next generation of eco-warriors and opening their eyes to the wonders of the wild.

Samara’s malaria-free Big Five wilderness offers an exciting new world just waiting to be discovered. Upon arrival, kids are enrolled in the Samara Cubs Programme, jam-packed with fun activities and inspiring educational experiences, for all ages from toddlers to teens. Parents can opt to relax and unwind or join in, creating opportunities for the whole family to reconnect – with Nature and with each other.

Experienced staff will engage kids in age-appropriate activities, including track identification, painting like the Khoi-San people, walking stick carving, storytelling, T-shirt painting, Spekboom planting, orienteering and navigating. Using the bush as an outdoor classroom, kids will learn about the multitude of other creatures they share the planet with – from bugs and beetles to the "Funny Five".

Children aged 8 and older are welcome on scheduled game drives at Karoo Lodge, and a private vehicle is provided for families staying in a Karoo Family Suite for a minimum of 3 nights, subject to availability. Other guests may book a private vehicle at additional cost, subject to availability. Shorter "bumble" game drives and/or bush walks can also be organised for little children once the scheduled game drive has returned to the lodge.

A dedicated children’s menu is available to cater for individual preferences, including firm favourites like spaghetti bolognese and fun options like DIY pizzas. The emphasis is on healthy, nutritious and comfort food lovingly prepared in our Karoo Kitchen. Mealtimes are flexible and high chairs are available.

Samara's star bed offers an unforgettable romantic wilderness experience. Located in total seclusion in a riverside location, the mosquito net covered four-poster bed sits atop a raised platform with panoramic views of mountain and sky, designed for tranquil nights absorbing the serenity of the Great Karoo landscape.

The star bed experience starts just before sunset with a picnic dinner and sundowner. Guests will take in the spectacular view across the mountain landscape and watch as local wildlife descends to the river to drink. As the night sky develops, the star bed is in a prime position to admire the canopy of constellations that gathers overhead.

One of the highlights of a stay at Samara is the opportunity to track wild cheetah on foot. Thanks to a number of habituated individuals, starting with the famous Sibella, Samara has been able to offer unrivalled wild cheetah viewing on foot to many years of Samara guests. Cheetah tracking usually forms part of the morning or afternoon game drive and allows guests to witness the intimate lives of these endangered Big Cats – whether at rest, at play or on the hunt.

Consisting of 67,000 acres of born-again wilderness covering 5 vegetation biomes and a variety of topographies, Samara offers a diverse safari, both from a landscape and wildlife perspective. Home to the "Big Five" (lion, elephant, black rhino, buffalo and leopard), Samara offers twice-daily game drives to spot these charismatic creatures, as well as the multitude of other species that call the reserve home.

These include cheetah, giraffe and white rhino, as well as lesser-known desert-adapted species such as aardvark, bat-eared fox, meerkat, red hartebeest and springbok. The herds of black wildebeest, Cape mountain zebra and eland on the 'Samara Mara' – vast plateau grasslands rivalling the Serengeti for splendour – thrive amidst the spectacular scenery.

Birders are also catered for with over 225 species at Samara, including flocks of up to 200 endangered Blue Cranes in the winter months.

Samara is one of few private game reserves where walking forms an integral part of the safari experience. With fragile ecosystems and a "tread lightly" policy, the preferred form of off-roading is on one's own two feet.

And what a way to explore the bush! Let Samara's experienced guides walk you through the five vegetation biomes, pointing out the signs of the wild invisible from the vehicle. Marvel at busy termites as they go about their daily business, listen out for the call of the Honeyguide leading you to wild honey and feel your senses heighten in every way as you navigate the sort of landscape our prehistoric ancestors dwelled in long ago.

Every tree, every rock and every track has a story to tell. Breathe in the silence and space so foreign to our everyday urban lives and feel yourself reconnecting to Nature. No one can fail to be moved by the sound of trickling water in a stream, the gentle whistling of the wind rustling the leaves, the sense of suspense and awe at walking to within metres of endangered cheetah and rhino.

If the conditions are right, you’ll get the opportunity to track these iconic animals on foot. What a privilege to enter their space and witness these animals living wild and free. An unforgettable and humbling experience awaits.

At Samara, the wealth of stunning landscapes positively begs to be the setting for a delicious meal, whether it be a well-earned breakfast buffet, light lunch in the shade of a shepherd tree or dinner under the stars. Aside from the beautiful locations, gourmet picnic food has a certain je-ne-sais-quoi that just epitomises holiday mode.

As well as dining on your lodge verandah or in the outdoors "boma" with a campfire at its centre, there are a myriad other dining options to enjoy at Samara. From a picnic lunch in the riverbed at the height of summer with cool water flowing past your toes, to the iconic mountain picnic experience on the Samara Mara, you’ll struggle to go back to dining in urban eateries.

Samara's fly camping experience is an immersive adventure encompassing a guided afternoon bush walk and a sleep-out in one of Africa's most exquisite landscapes.

In safari days of yore, explorers setting up camp in big game country had to make do with little more than a fly sheet to protect them from the elements and the wildlife. Fly camping takes its name from this tradition, and although today’s camps are typically more substantial, there’s an undeniable thrill to going back to basics. Samara’s fly camping excursion pays homage to these origins and takes full advantage of the reserve’s vastness and diversity, offering an experience that is simple yet spectacular.

Every Samara guest helps the reserve to achieve its conservation vision simply by staying in one of its lodges. For those who want to delve a little deeper, to understand how a game reserve truly operates behind the scenes, Samara offers hands-on conservation sessions and personalised tours of its rewilding projects.

The Conservation Journey is a 5-night experience offering a thoughtfully-crafted itinerary that enables participants to develop a meaningful understanding of Samara’s conservation efforts, without compromising on 5-star comforts.

Activities include daily hands-on conservation sessions, subject to reserve needs at the time. This can include wildlife monitoring, camera trapping, land rehabilitation, Spekboom planting, research assistance, ecosystem management and community projects.

Become part of Africa as you experience our Big 5 Safari Adventure on malaria free Amakhala Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape of South Africa..

Included in your stay are morning and evening game drives leaving from your lodge. You will be guided by informative, professional rangers through Amakhala Game Reserve in open Land Rovers. Here you can return to nature and explore the abundant wildlife, the diverse vegetation and the dramatic landscape of the Eastern Cape.

Amakhala Horse Trails offers a unique perspective of the bush: elevated on horseback, riders can enjoy incredible views of the surrounding landscape while gliding easily and quietly across terrain often inaccessible by vehicle. The unobtrusive nature of a horseback safari also allows for incredible animal sightings – riders can get as close as 10 to 15 metres from wildlife such as eland, wildebeest, zebra, hartebeest and giraffe. The trails provide an opportunity to explore 1700 hectares of African bush on horseback, including the chance to canter across open plains, take a slow trot to appreciate the views or walk quietly along secluded river lines..

Amakhala Horse Trails caters for small groups of up to 6 intermediate to experienced riders. Experienced younger riders between 10 and 15 years old may also join, if accompanied by a parent or guardian. Horseback safaris typically last between two to three hours, and the speed of the trail ride is adjusted to the riders’ level of experience. This allows plenty of time for wildlife viewing and finding the perfect spot to rest the horses and enjoy refreshments and snacks.

Big 5 Wilderness Walk
Walking trails with a FGASA accredited Professional Trails Guide as well as a Specialist Birding Guide (SKS Birding Thicket Biome) offers guests the opportunity to get off the beaten track and follow the myriad of elephant and rhino trails that crisscross this ancient landscape. Lucky walkers might even get the opportunity to track and view some of these African leviathans. No less important and even more interesting are the countless small creatures and their tracks and signs that may be encountered on foot.

DURATION:2 to 3 hours
TIME: NB: Arrangements to be made with the lodge prior to arrival
PRICE: R 800 per person
MINIMUM AGE: 16
NUMBER OF PEOPLE: minimum 2 / maximum 8