2014 ended with a bang for us, with a fantastic Big Five safari research trip in the Eastern Cape. This region is often overlooked as a Big Five safari destination, but there are a few gems that make it an incredible wildlife experience. Between November and April, the weather is perfect. Most of the reserves are easily accessed, either by self drive from the Garden Route or by flight connection into Port Elizabeth. The added bonus? The Eastern Cape safari is malaria free.
The Eastern Cape safari
An absolute insider tip
First up was Kwandwe. It is undoubtedly one of the top safari experiences in South Africa even when up against the private reserves of Kruger. It may not be quite on par in terms of the concentration of wildlife but, what it lacks in numbers, it more than makes up for with the authenticity of its wilderness and the level of guiding on offer (which is second to none in our humble opinion).
One of the most crucial aspects of any lodge, in our mind, is the location. And when it comes to location, you can’t really get much better than the Great Fish River Lodge. Overlooking the banks of the river you can relax with a gin and tonic in hand while, from the comfort of the lodge, watch zebra having a leisurely stroll. Ryan, the head ranger, and his team looked after us incredibly well, made us feel very at home and inspired us with their knowledge and passion for the bush. He positioned us for the perfect shot of a leopard, told us stories of his encounters with lion on foot and led us to the magical viewing of zebra chasing cheetah.
Much more than your average safari location
Malaria free
I have been dreaming of visiting Gorah Elephant Camp since I first laid eyes on a picture of it. It was actually the first lodge we put up on Timbuktu. That famous image of an elephant strolling through the camp – I had always wanted to find out if that was actually a freak occurrence caught on camera or whether this really is a normal encounter.
Ian, the owner, was there to show us around and tell us the extraordinary story of how it all started. My words won’t do it justice, but as he was explaining his special relationship with the resident herd of elephant, having stayed alone with them for months at a time while the safari lodge was being established, it all came alive. Suddenly there was a huge smile on his face and, as we turned, sure enough, as if on perfect cue, there was one of the herd. Casually loping past the water hole, rubbing off an itch against the bark of the tree and having a nose around the tents. Quite remarkable!
As the pictures suggest, Gorah really is a trip back in time. This is not your average safari location. It is much more than that. Yes it is in a beautiful reserve, yes it is home to the Big Five, yes you can go on game drives. But it is also somewhere you can forget all that and just enjoy the atmosphere of the lodge. It’s grand building, outdoor sofas overlooking the waterhole with warthogs playing in front of you, and its candle-lit dining room wouldn’t be out of place in a scene from a Jane Austen novel.
A great stop for people self driving
A quick wildlife fix
Our final stop was the Amakhala Game Reserve. Traditionally individually fenced farm land which has been united with the common goal of creating a larger wilderness area, Amakhala is a great stop for people self driving along the Garden Route and wanting to get a quick wildlife fix. You certainly won’t get a truly wild experience here, in comparison to Kwandwe for example, but the price tag is reflective of that. You also have to be careful which camp you select as a few of the properties are fairly close to the N2 highway which can detract from your bush experience. Woodbury Tented Camp is one of our favourites on the reserve. Elevated above the basin with a wooden deck that allows you to enjoy your morning coffee in front of the resident giraffe, Woodbury Tented camp is a very personal and unpretentious bush camp with a friendly atmosphere.
