Fynbos thrives and flowers bloom all year at this malaria-free game reserve in Western Cape, South Africa. Gondwana Game Reserve covers 11 000 hectares of what was once livestock farming land. A dream has now been realised with indigenous wildlife being re-introduced including free-ranging predators. Gondwana Game Reserve is a private game park in South Africa’s Western Cape, covering a massive 11,000 hectares (26,000 acres).
This Garden Route game reserve in Western Cape, South Africa, has a remote feel yet it is close to the busy coastal town of Mossel Bay. Gondwana is located northwest of Mossel Bay about four and a half hours driving distance from Cape Town. Instead, I researched private game reserves within driving distance from Cape Town and came across Gondwana Game Reserve, a stunning safari resort only four hours away from the city and conveniently situated along the popular Garden Route.
Let’s tackle the literal elephant in the room, shall we? How young is too young for a kid to go on safari? Going on safari is a spectacle for anyone with a set of eyes and a pulse. While a family safari holiday is a total dream for any kid who likes animals and big roaring trucks (otherwise known as ALL children), finding a safari lodge that allows kids under 12 can be a serious challenge.
Wildlife Encounters at Gondwana
Gondwana Game Reserve is home of the Big Five game and has an abundance of other wildlife. Guests here can see Elephant, Black Desert Rhino, Lion, Buffalo and maybe the shy Leopard amongst more than 1 000 head of game relocated to this malaria-free game reserve in the Western Cape. During our visit to Gondwana Game Reserve, we got the chance to witness incredible animals like lions, giraffes and elephants in their natural habitat. Gondwana is the only free roaming Big 5 private wildlife reserve in the Southern Cape, so you’re not limited in the incredible wildlife you can see here.
They even have male and female rhinos, which is as good of a sighting as it gets on safari given their dwindling population numbers. It hosts everything one pictures in a dream safari holiday, with sightings of the Big 5 (lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalos) as well as groups of zebras (known as a “dazzle”) or parades of elephants marching through the bush. Many species of antelope, including eland, gemsbok, red hartebeest, bontebok and springbok can be found on the reserve, following their reintroduction to the area, which was formerly farmland.
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Safari in Gondwana Game Reserve, South Africa
Bird life is prolific due to the abundance of flora, avian residents include the Cape sugar bird and orange breasted sunbird. Butterfly and insect species are quite specific to this habitat.
Accommodation and Amenities
Regardless of destination, the thing that keeps mothers and fathers awake at night during their trip planning is, what will the sleeping arrangements be?! Because nothing says family trip like everyone sleeping on top of one another…which also means no one actually sleeps. Gondwana Game Reserve offers a variety of accommodation options, the most family friendly being their 3 and 4 bedroom Fynbos Villas that are next level comfort. In fact, our 3-bedroom villa was bigger than our house! At 2,400 square feet, we all got our own rooms and could split time between the fully equipped kitchen, dining room, living room and wrap around deck.
Rollaway beds and baby cots are one version of family-friendly features that Gondwana offers, but SPACE from one another is a whole other key item on the family holiday wish list that Gondwana completely achieves. On the subject of space, not only did we feel it within the villa, but the Fynbos Villas are also spread far out from one another, giving a really private vibe.
Most guests at the hotel stay in the Kwena Lodges, which are dome-shaped luxury huts all situated in an arc around the main reception and infinity pool that look out over the reserve’s vast landscape. I stayed in the Kwena Lodges (pictured above) during my visit to Gondwana, and I loved these modern takes on the traditional Khoi-San dwellings which seamlessly integrated into the vast landscape. The accommodation (minus Ulubisi House) isn’t fenced off from the rest of the reserve, so animals can walk freely about, which is why guests are always escorted after dark hours by a member of Gondwana’s staff. We also had the chance to tour the Ulubisi House (pictured above) and the Bush and Fynbos Villas during our stay. I would highly recommend looking at these options if you’re traveling with a larger group.
The lodge features welcoming and comfortable private suites which overlook two waterholes across the valley and the mountains. The Reserve near Mossel Bay offers a functions venue and boutique conference centre at the Lehele Lodge. The Spa at the reserve offers an excellent spa treatment menu whereby they use exclusive and all-natural Africology products. The treatment room at this safari lodge is completely private and well-positioned so that guests can take in the scenic surroundings.
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Activities and Experiences
Here’s how a normal safari day goes pretty much anywhere in Africa: Get up early before sunrise to do a game drive that lasts a few hours, head back for breakfast, chill, eat, drink, nap at the lodge during the heat of the day, and then you head back out for an afternoon game drive for a few hours which usually includes sundowner cocktails, and then back to the lodge for dinner. Twice a day - at sunrise and late afternoon - guests are treated to game drives (included in your stay) led by an experienced guide who each take a small group of guests out on the reserve in search of wildlife.
What is especially advantageous about doing a safari at Gondwana rather than a public National Park (like Kruger) is that instead of sticking to the main roads on a self-drive safari, guides are able to off-road to harder to reach spots - plus they know where to find all the most incredible animals! At Gondwana, safari vehicles can go off road at any time (night or sunrise drives), and you can stay as long as you like at a wildlife sighting.
Beyond game drives, Gondwana offers hiking, fishing, mountain biking and a Junior Ranger program for kids under 12. In the Junior Ranger Program, our kids made bow and arrows to enact a real-life Hunger Games for us to watch and took walks to the elephant graveyard, which was a set of bones from various animals that had met their Mufasa fate.
Gondwana’s policy on kids between the ages of 2 to 6 is that they’re not allowed on a standard game drive with other guests, because if the kids freak out and get eaten, Gondwana wants to contain that trauma to the crazy parents who brought their kids within biting distance of dangerous animals (at least that’s my interpretation of the fine print). To accommodate, the lodge team can try to make a private vehicle available for families with young kids, which has a surcharge, however, this is only subject to availability and isn’t bookable in advance.
Conservation Efforts
Gondwana Game Reserve is managed by Gondwana Conservation Foundation (GCF). Gondwana Game Reserve is the only Fynbos reserve in the world. Gondwana Conservation Foundation (GCF) is a non-profit created by the reserve which is focused on the protection of threatened and endangered wildlife and flora and fauna in the region. As part of continued conservation efforts, wild South African cheetahs were relocated from a reserve in Karoo to the Gondwana Game Reserve.
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Some of their programs include anti-poaching efforts, re-wilding programs for certain animals that have been born in captivity and job creation for local communities.
Planning Your Visit
One of the most attractive parts about Gondwana Game Reserve is its enviable location being just a 4hr drive from Cape Town. While many other safari lodges come with a pricey semi-private plane ride into the depths of the African bush, you can strap the kiddos into their car seats and drive straight from the beaches of Cape Town, stopping only to pick up some South African wines in Franschhoek, and be at Gondwana by lunchtime. Or, if you’re like me and you fear long drives with your kids more than a pride of lions heading your way, then George Airport is just 45min away and has a ton of flights from Cape Town, Johannesburg and other cities all over Africa.
To take the Garden Route (with no stops) takes about six hours and will have you driving along stunning coastline for miles towards the most southern point of South Africa. I would recommend sticking to the coastal drive through Betty’s Bay, Kleinmond and Hermanus before you turn inland to finish the route to Gondwana. Travel on this road for 14.5kms - cross over the railway line and stay on the road.
Like babies, safaris can get expensive, fast! I’ve been on safaris that will be the backbone of my children’s college essay for why they need a scholarship. This is yet another area I was impressed with Gondwana Game Reserve. A family of 4 with young kids in the exact villa we stayed in could achieve a 3-day safari holiday with all meals and game drives included for less than $2,000 total. That’s what you’d pay PER DAY PER PERSON at some other places. So yea…Gondwana wins for price point in my book. You can choose full board, half board, basically you name the board, you can book it. And our favorite family travel thing to hear, “Kids stay free” applies to all kids 5 years old and younger. Kids 6-11-year old stay for 50% of the adult rate.
My top tip for any South African family holiday is to combine a variety of activities into one itinerary. A few days in Cape Town with kids is a ton of fun, and nothing goes better with whiney tots than some time in the South African winelands. And then add on a few days at Gondwana Game Reserve to get some safari in the books.
After talking more with the property, a minimum tip for good service would be about R100 for game drivers (from each guest) and the same for general staff, per day you stay.
Quick Facts about Gondwana Game Reserve
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Garden Route, Western Cape, South Africa |
| Size | 11,000 hectares (26,000 acres) |
| Wildlife | Big Five (Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Elephant, Buffalo) and more |
| Malaria-Free | Yes |
| Distance from Cape Town | Approximately 4 hours by car |
| Accommodation | Kwena Lodges, Fynbos Villas, Ulubisi House, Bush Villas |
| Activities | Game Drives, Hiking, Fishing, Mountain Biking, Junior Ranger Program |
| Conservation | Gondwana Conservation Foundation (GCF) |
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