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Claire recently visited Gondwana Game Reserve near Mossel Bay. She had an amazing time with her family, going on game drives and enjoying the beauty and luxury of this amazing reserve.
It was on a bright but chilly spring morning in September that we headed out of Cape Town for a much anticipated weekend at Gondwana Game Reserve near Mossel Bay. Living in Cape Town we are obviously spoilt with beaches and beautiful scenery all around - but it's a little harder to make a 'quick trip' to the bush - which is why Gondwana at a 4-hour drive from the city is ideal.
Turning off the N2 just before Mossel Bay, the excitement from our two girls was bubbling over. This was only their second encounter with a game reserve and 'wild animals', and at ages 9 and 7 they were full of anticipation. After turning in at the main gate, we spotted some zebra within minutes - we were off to a good start.
We were warmly greeted at reception by the very friendly Gondwana staff bearing mini mugs of hot chocolate and shown around the facilities of Kwena Lodge. Making the most of the beautiful views and landscape, there are indoor and outdoor dining areas, a bar and lounge (where afternoon tea is served) and a beautiful pool with sweeping views of the reserve beyond. Here at Kwena Lodge guests are accommodated in Khoi-San style dwellings with a modern and luxurious twist. These 'huts' are so cleverly designed that they almost blend into their surroundings - each one offering privacy and lovely 180 views.
As a family, we were to be accommodated in one of the Bush Villas and when we were ready our guide Christiaan drove us the few minutes to our home for the weekend. There were squeals of delight and 'claiming' of rooms as the girls ran ahead into the villa. With two suites downstairs and another upstairs there was more than enough space for the 4 of us! Both downstairs suites have gas fireplaces, large picture windows showcasing the views and spacious en-suite bathrooms with deep baths and walk-in showers. Four-posters beds under a canopy of mosquito netting give a real Out of Africa feel.
The double volume living areas are also super spacious with an open-plan kitchen, dining area and living room with fireplace, TV with DVD player and doors opening out onto a wraparound deck. The landscape at Gondwana is simply stunning - gently undulating hills are covered in fynbos - which in September was a mass of prettily flowering Erica's, as well as many Protea's in glorious bloom. The birdlife at Gondwana is prolific and we loved watching the brightly coloured sunbirds flit from bush to bush, and the swallows elegantly swooping to and fro. Christiaan warned us that seeing as Gondwana is a fenceless reserve we could expect to see animals wandering by - and judging by the dung in the road - some elephant had paid a visit recently!
The more we have travelled, the more we agree that it is almost always the staff and the people that you meet that make a trip memorable. At Gondwana, this was definitely the case! All of the staff were wonderfully friendly and went out of their way to make sure we had everything we needed - none more so than out guide Christiaan. Christiaan made the bush come alive - especially for our girls - and his knowledge and obvious passion for wildlife were very evident. He was incredibly patient, answered endless questions, told stories and stopped to point out all sorts of interesting things from birds to animal tracks and dung - a lot of dung! And then there was the 4x4'ing - through every muddy puddle and river (of course)! The kids loved it - but I got a feeling Christiaan was enjoying it just as much!
Gondwana is home to all of the Big Five and offers a 5-star game lodge experience with a morning and evening game drive each day as well as breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and a 3-course dinner. Children over the age of 6 are welcome on game drives, and for families with younger children, special game drives can be arranged. Also on offer for children between the ages of 6 and 12 is the Junior Range programme - complete with backpacks and a kid's guide booklet.
Our weekend away at Gondwana was superb - with just the right mix of excitement and relaxation. The 11 000-hectare reserve is surrounded by the Langeberg and Outeniqua Mountains making for a really picturesque setting and the natural fynbos habitat was simply beautiful. For couple, the huts at Kwena Lodge are unique and luxurious and for families and groups the Bush Villas provide all the space and comfort you could need. At the time of our stay, Gondwana was about to open their newly built tented eco camp for a hands on conservation experience. It sounds and looks fantastic!
Read on for our weekend travel diary ...
Friday evening
As we headed out on our first game drive in the late afternoon sun, we spotted impala, springbok, waterbuck, wildebeest and red hartebeest, a zebra with a nasty gash on his hind quarters and two hippo wallowing in a muddy dam. As the temperature started to drop we were handed toasty hot water bottles and fleecy blankets to ward off the chill. A little further along the track we came across two beautiful rhino grazing peacefully on the long sweet grasses. We all sat in silence as we appreciated these magnificent creatures - it was a particularly special moment for our girls who had just participated in a Rhino conservation project at their school for World Rhino Day.
A stop-off in a sheltered spot with a view allowed us a chance to stretch our legs and enjoy a mug of hot chocolate (for the kids) and a G&T (for the adults) along with some tasty nibbles which Christiaan magically produced from the back of the game vehicle. The girls helped set-up the table, spread the tablecloth and sort out the goodies and we all took a moment to enjoy the stillness of the bush. As dusk fell we tucked ourselves in again and started meandering back towards the lodge. Christiaan was keen to try and spot one of the nocturnal cats - and sure enough, we quickly caught the glint of eyes in the spotlight. We were incredibly lucky to have spotted a small caracal. As we watched it suddenly pounced and then quickly darted off, having caught his dinner!
Arriving back at the lodge just after 7pm we were all famished and definitely ready for dinner. The dining area with its round boma inspired fireplaces was warm and welcoming and we happily tucked into a three course meal which was not only delicious - but also beautifully presented. The girls were more than happy with their children's menu which offered them a selection of main courses and dessert. Warm and well-fed, we tumbled into our beds later that evening (toasty warm from the electric blankets) for a good nights' sleep before our early morning wake up call the following day.
Saturday
Saturday morning dawned a perfect day - clear and still and well worth the early morning wake-up. Driving amongst the Fynbos in the crisp morning air, the air filled with birdsong it felt good to be alive! The mornings' mission (as decided by the kids) was to find the giraffe. Christiaan set out for the far side of the reserve and down some steep and bumpy tracks to a favourite giraffe 'hang-out' amongst the acacia trees. As we made our way down the track we came across three giraffe enjoying their breakfast on the hillside. We decided to make our morning stop off too and we enjoyed our coffee and muffins all the while watching the giraffe move gracefully from tree to tree.
Heading back to the lodge a few hours later, we enjoyed tucking into the hearty breakfast buffet while the girls made sure they marked off everything they had seen in their Junior Ranger booklets - that morning we had also seen eland, wildebeest, Cape Mountain Zebra and so much more. We had yet to spot the elephant, although we had seen dung everywhere, and the lion were also proving to be very elusive.
Gondwana caters wonderfully for children, and at 10am it was time for the Junior Rangers programme. A bunch of very excited and enthusiastic kids set off with their guide - while a bunch of very excited and enthusiastic parents revelled in the idea of a few hours of peace and quiet. Unfortunately I wasn't able to sneak in a treatment at the Africology Spa - but I happily settled down with my book - quite content to read and enjoy the glorious views from the comfort of my bed. What a treat! The girls arrived back at the villa a few hours later brimming over with new bush knowledge. They had done a bush walk, examined dung and tracks, picked fynbos and smelt and touched all sorts of unusual things. They were thrilled to have more 'ticks' in their ranger booklets and they had obviously learnt loads.
After a delicious outdoor lunch there was time to relax for a short while before afternoon tea - more food! But there were biscuits to be iced, and delicious cakes to be sampled ...
At 5pm it was time to set off on another game drive. Most of the men opted out of this one as it clashed with the kick-off of the Springboks first World Cup match against Japan ... Well, perhaps it's best not to dwell on that too much, but needless to say, they probably would have been better off on the game drive! Myself and the girls had a wonderful few hours out on the reserve - still not able to 'find' the lion, although we did spot some of their tracks on a sandy section of the road. Regardless, Christiaan was full of stories and fun facts and we enjoyed a lovely sundowner's stop-off and a magnificent sunset as we headed back to the lodge. After another wonderful dinner, (albeit with a slightly sombre mood after the rugby defeat) we headed back to our villa for another great nights' sleep.
Sunday Morning
Sunday morning was slightly cooler and a little overcast, but nevertheless beautiful. We were on an elephant hunt. We had seen mounds of dung all over the reserve, but no ellies. How could such enormous creatures be so difficult to spot? The previous week they had apparently come right up to the swimming pool at Kwena Lodge for a drink - but during our stay they were playing hide and seek. We headed down into the Nauga Valley - a spectacular section of the reserve where we crisscrossed rivers gently flowing from the rains the previous week. We came across another group of giraffe, this time even closer than the previous day, but all the while we were on the lookout for the elephant.
Stopping off alongside the river for our morning coffee, Christiaan introduced the girls to the soap bush. Picking a handful of leaves each they were then told to scrunch them up as much as possible- and then to dip their hands in the river. Some vigorous rubbing, and then voila, their hands were filled with green soapy bubbles. This was a huge hit and there was discussion of taking a branch home ... which we quickly put an end to!
Later on in the morning as we were heading back up the valley, we spotted a group of large 'boulders' on the hillside - which all of a sudden began to move. We had finally found the ellies! A group of four elephant, including a baby, made their way slowly across the hillside munching as they went. We were some distance away, but we were thrilled to have spotted them at last!
Back at the lodge, there was time for one last leisurely breakfast before we had to say our goodbyes and head back to Cape Town. Since we've been home, the talk of 'our weekend at Gondwana' has been non-stop - it will definitely be remembered as a highlight of 2015.
To find out more about Gondwana Game Reserve and to book a weekend away in Mossel Bay, click here.
