Self Drive d’autore: Little & Great Karoo

From our two flagship estate restaurants, to the restaurants in our wine valley and into the towns of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, this is a culinary hotspot in South Africa, with a host of some of the country's finest restaurants and local favourites to discover.

On property restaurants:
Delaire Graff Restaurant (lunch and dinner)
Hōseki Restaurant (breakfast - included for lodge guests, lunch and dinner)

There are more than 160 wine estate to explore in the regions surrounding Delaire Graff Estate. From casual to elegant, modern to old and everything in between - discover wines to suit every palate during your time exploring the vineyards of the Cape.

Delaire Graff Wine Lounge offer an exceptional array of wines to savour during wine tastings, by the glass or by the bottle, as well as platters to enjoy.

Your journey to total relaxation and wellbeing begins at Delaire Graff Spa. Set in its own unique surroundings, we have five elegant Spa suites for guests to experience an altogether more rarefied calm, where skin perfection and treatments leave the body and mind glowing.

With treatments available for all ages, we craft our Spa experiences using the finest beauty products from Swiss Perfection, Aromatherapy Associates and Terres d’Afrique.

Delaire Graff Estate is home to the curated personal collection of Laurence Graff and includes exceptional pieces such as Tretchikoff's Chinese Girl, works by Lionel Smit, Dylan Lewis, William Kentridge, Cecil Skotnes, Deborah Bell and other important African artists. Wander through the Estate and enjoy the sculptures throughout the gardens as well as adorned interiors. This is a haven for art lovers.

In the areas around the estate, discover SMAC (Stellenbosch Modern and Contemporary Gallery), Dylan Lewis at the Oude Bank, Rupert Museum or a private visit to Lionel Smit’s Studio.

Delaire Graff Estate is home to four flagship stores in Africa; Graff Diamonds, 100% Capri Linen and Africa Nova.

Designed in the style of an intimate salon, Emperor marble and Indian rosewood welcomes guests into our exclusive Graff store. The ultimate indulgence for any visitor to the Cape Winelands, enticing collection pieces and iconic stones are on display, each handmade in London by Graff’s Master Craftsmen.

One of the world’s most exclusive boutiques, 100% Capri offers a luxury clothing and homeware range that evokes the essence of la dolce vita. Uniquely available in Africa at Delaire Graff Estate, the range is inspired by the stunning southern Italian island of Capri, where sun-drenched days are spent in covetable white linen.

Africa Nova offers a unique blend of art, craft and contemporary design. Best described as “New African” expect an urban, edgy and vibrant offering with echoes of the traditional forms of old Africa

Visit the heart of Stellenbosch and discover Southern Africa’s most scenically attractive and historically preserved town. Enjoy bespoke boutiques including the Deon Viljoen Gallery, Dorp Street Gallery and Quagga Books

Visit the neighbouring town (20 minutes’ drive) which known for its picturesque beauty, fine Cape wines, boutiques, galleries, Saturday market, hikes and trails as well as their exceptional restaurants.

There are a number of superb golf courses in the area, including the Erinval Golf Club, Pearl Valley Golf Estate and De Zalze Golf Club.

For horse lovers, we will happily can organise a memorable day riding in the Cape Winelands for all skill levels. For those who prefer to appreciate horses from the ground, the polo fields at Val de Vie are a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

A special opportunity to experience 100 years of motoring history with its unique collection of vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles and memorabilia on the L'Ormarins Wine Estate.

Enjoy sunrise or sunset drives on the reserve and get the chance to see most buck species and girrafes.

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.