Cheetah Trails and Garden Route

On arrival at Port Elizabeth Airport guests will be met and transferred to Samara.

Samara is uniquely situated at the meeting point of five of South Africa’s nine vegetation biomes: Grasslands, Nama Karoo, Savanna, Thicket and Forest. This diversity of vegetation creates a multitude of habitats for species that are specially adapted to the Karoo’s arid environment. Explore each of these biomes during your safari at Samara with our experienced guides, who will bring each biome to life during bush walks and game drives.

Eight Karoo Suites are standalone cottages a short distance from the main Karoo Lodge homestead. Ideal for couples, each spacious suite contains a four-poster bed, fireplace, air-conditioning and luxury en-suite bathroom with large separate bath and shower and two washbasins, and an outdoor shower. Private covered patios with outdoor seating look out over a waterhole, providing the ideal location for morning coffee or a nightcap under the stars.

Depending on arrival time, enjoy lunch before your afternoon game drive with an experienced guide and tracker.

Overnight accommodation | Samara Karoo Reserve | Karoo Suite | Fully Inclusive + Activities

Enjoy your included scheduled game activities.

As well as game drives, Guests can participate in some of the various included activities:

Cheetah Tracking Experience
One of the highlights of a stay at Samara is the opportunity to track wild cheetah on foot. Thanks to a number of relaxed individuals, starting with our famous Sibella, we have been able to offer unrivalled wild cheetah viewing to many years of Samara guests.

Several of Samara’s cheetahs have radio collars for research and monitoring purposes to inform our conservation management. These collars also enable them to be tracked more easily. This is essential given the type of terrain they live in – from hunting in the thicket adjoining the rivers to giving birth on steep mountain slopes. Depending on the vegetation, your guide will also teach you to track the old-fashioned way – point out the signs of a cheetah’s presence, from tracks to dung to scratch marks on a tree trunk.

Bush Walks
Let our experienced guides walk you through our four 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 of 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.

On the last morning enjoy a Spek Boom Planting Experience

Overnight accommodation | Samara Karoo Reserve | Karoo Suite | Fully Inclusive + Activities

Enjoy a morning game drive before breakfast. Afterward, you will be met and transferred from Samara to the Garden Route to Sedgefield where you can enjoy the next couple of days of pure relaxation.

Situated in the Greater Knysna Area, above the quaint town of Sedgefield, along South Africa’s Garden Route, this eco paradise awaits, offering sweeping views over beaches, mountains, lagoons and a fynbos wonderland. The setting is unexpected and truly spectacular. The town of Sedgefield lies far below in adjacent to the lake. But Fynbos is up on a headland above the town situated near the Garden Route in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Immerse yourself in scenery to revive both mind and soul. Sedgefield has a tortoise as its emblem to remind visitors the joy of “slow travel”. So meander alont our nature trails, lie and watch the clouds or sit with binoculars. Close to but off our own property, discovery lovely fossil dunes and beaches, kayak on the Swartvlei and Sedgefield lagoons, visit the neighbouring protea farm. In summer at low tide, snorkelling in the rockpools can be a treat.

Three luxury suites with king or twin beds, offer superb views over he fynbos towards the Indian Ocean. Each has an on suite bathroom with generous shower and an outside terrace opening onto the garden.

Various activities are on offer at Fynbos on Sea

Guided activities included:
• Guided Nature Walk
• Guided Marine Beach Walk
• Guided Nature Drive
• Guided Kayaking on the River
• Barge Trip on the Swartvlei and up the Hoogekraal River
• Sundowner Drive
• Protea Farm Tour on the Property
• Saturday morning market excursion to the Wild Oats Market in Sedgefield.

Overnight accommodation | Simbavati Fynbos on Sea | Luxury Suite | Fully Inclusive (excluding drinks) + Activities

Enjoy your included activities.

Two daily activities or one full day excursion, self-guided walks and mountain bike trails, use of mountain bikes, beach kits in room (comprising of an umbrella, beach chairs, two beach towels and a beach game), transfers to and from the beach and WiFi. (Activity options include guided walks, guided mountain bike trails, protea farm visit, guided beach and marine walks, guided kayaking, river cruise, farm drive in open vehicle.

All activities are subject to availability and weather dependent. (Paragliding is excluded)

Overnight accommodation | Simbavati Fynbos on Sea | Luxury Suite | Fully Inclusive (excluding drinks) + Activities

Enjoy breakfast, then you will be transferred to George Airport for the onward flight