Glorious

A luxury safari experience at Gondwana Game Reserve is the perfect escape from the buzzing city,

writes Megan Baadjies

GOING on a game drive has always been on my bucket list – after bungee jumping, of course. When I got the opportunity to visit Gondwana Game Reserve, I expected to see the animal fight scenes from National Geographic channel playing out right in front of me.

It’s a four-hour drive from Cape Town to the private reserve, which is situated 25 minutes outside Mossel Bay along the beautiful Garden Route.

I arrived just in time for the afternoon drive, which starts at 4.30pm. This is the last of two game drives for each day, the early morning drive is at 6.30am.

The reception area is at least a 15-minute drive from the main gate.

A word of caution: keep your windows closed, don’t get out of your vehicle along the way and be prepared to get your car very dirty on these dusty roads.

Once at reception, my travel partner and I were welcomed by the very friendly staff and game rangers who served the guests iced tea on arrival.

With about 10 minutes to spare, we went to our room to freshen up, get warm clothes and off we went.

Gondwana stretches over 11 000 hectares and offers luxury safari accommodation on which the Big 5 (lion, buffalo, elephant, rhino and leopard), along with other wildlife, roam freely.

I must admit, the thought of coming face to face with a lion or elephant outside my hut scared me just a little.

My partner and I shared an open-top 4x4 with two other couples, who were tourists from Brazil and Malta.

Despite a slight chill, the skies were clear and our tour guide assured us we had a good chance of seeing at least two of the Big 5.

We were one of about six groups on the drive in different parts of the park. The rangers use hand-held radios to communicate and notify each other of any sightings.

About 20 minutes into our bumpy ride, our guide thought he saw a herd of elephants grazing in the distance.

A quick squiz through his binoculars confirmed his thoughts and a few minutes later, we were a few short metres away from a family of grazing elephants.

We were close enough to hear them rip chunks of grass from the ground. Turn to page 9

A pride of lions.

Take a long bath with scenic views of the reserve.

Guests can enjoy an outdoor picnic during their stay.