Reserve Your Place

It’s an often-forgotten fact that the Eastern Cape possesses some of the country’s finest game reserves. The Kruger National Park north of the country may be the first name that comes to mind when wanting to book an animal-tinged vacation, but our gorgeous reserves near the coast have so much variety on offer that you’re able to try a different one every time you visit us at Green Fountain Farm Resort.

Lalibela Game Reserve is a prime example of how to immerse oneself in nature. Because it has no public roads running through it, all its animals roam freely, increasing your chances of spotting the Big 5. Shamwari Game Reserve offers just as much excitement. Besides its luxury spas (including a bush spa), there are two Born Free Big Cat Sanctuaries that promote the conservation of big cat species while protecting their habitat, encouraging a compassionate approach to animal welfare.

Pumba Private Game Reserve & Spa also places a great emphasis on respect for nature and has achieved the Green Leaf Initiative’s gold status for being environmentally responsible. Besides priding itself on the Big 5 (including white lion), it’s the breeding ground for over 250 bird species across its five different biomes – from grassland and savannah to thicket, fynbos and forest. This diversity of land makes Pumba a fascinating reserve for bush walks. The after-hours stargazing outings are another highlight.

Kwandwe Private Game Reserve is a massive 22 000 hectares, with both black and white rhino and cheetahs. Meaning ‘Place of the Blue Crane’ in Xhosa, Kwandwe is home to many of these beautiful national birds. Here, you’ll find the threatened Knysna woodpecker, black wildebeest, crowned eagle and black-footed cat. Thirty kilometres of the Great Fish River flow through this reserve, making for picturesque coffee stops atop the hill overlooking the flowing water. What’s more, there’s a resident historian at Kwandwe ready to tell fascinating tales of the past after showing you the San rock on the reserve.

Sibuya Game Reserve & Tented Camps is another rather aquatic location, with more navigable water than any other game reserve in South Africa. This ensures a prolific bird life of nearly 400 species! Its animals range from elephants to otters – all big fans of playing in this water. Although Sibuya’s reception lounge is at Kenton-on-Sea, it’s a 30-minute boat transfer to the reserve, which means that your sightings could include turtles, whales and dolphins, giving a whole new meaning to ‘game drive’.

Bushman Sands, in the heart of an old Victorian railway town, has a golf course for those looking to heat up their adrenaline before heading out on the daily two-hour game drives in open Land Rovers. A day at Bushmans isn’t complete without a sunset cruise on the reserve’s tranquil New Years Dam.

And that’s not all … Check out these other fabulous game reserves in the area:

Kwantu Private Game Reserve
Mansfield Private Reserve
Kariega Game Reserve
Nduna Lodge