Book a stay at Sanbona, one of the Western Cape's premier game reserves

Escape to the Little Karoo and immerse yourself in a landscape where wildlife and flora leave you truly captivated. Just a three-hour drive from Cape Town, along the scenic Route 62, Sanbona Wildlife Reserve is one of the Western Cape’s premier wildlife destinations.  

Sanbona, a malaria-free private game reserve, nestles in 58,000ha of towering mountains and wide-open plains. The reserve’s vegetation is split into three separate biomes - Fynbos biome and Succulent Karoo and Thicket. The first two are globally recognised biodiversity hotspots and conserving them is therefore critical.

Animal species, which were known to have once roamed freely among the San people, have been reintroduced - large free-roaming and self-sustaining herbivores such as elephant, rhino, buffalo and giraffe, and predators including lion, cheetah and hyena.

These, along with birds, reptiles, diverse landscapes, geology, San rock paintings, fossils and the fragile beauty of the vegetation, are all part of Sanbona Wildlife Reserve’s allure.

Boasting three luxury lodges and an adventurous tented camp, Sanbona promises something for everyone.  

Dwyka Tented Lodge, with its identity rooted in the style of an African safari encampment, is surrounded by cliffs dating back millions of years. Nine luxury suites, each one part-tent, part-cabana, look out over the riverbed to the towering rock-face above.

Tilney Manor is more serene. A flat-roofed Cape Georgian-style homestead, Tilney looks out over the Renosterveld to the Kleinberg mountain range. Simply built in the 19th century, it now offers six suites clustered about a swimming pool with a terrace offering magnificent views.

Gondwana Family Lodge has been built in a rural vernacular style. Its 12 suites laid out over two storeys are suitable for families with children.

For those who want the real bush experience nothing beats Explorer Camp, an authentic tented encampment laid out among the Schotia thickets in a dried-up riverbed.

The Sanbona Kids on Safari programme allows for many hours of exploration and fun: from treasure hunts, short night and day bush walks in a fenced area, insect catching and frogging, and a visit to the Skull Garden are just some of the activities on offer, there’s all this and more to experience on a family safari.

The spirit of Sanbona lies not only in its commitment to rehabilitate the fragile ecosystems of the Little Karoo, but also ensures endangered wildlife and flora can be enjoyed for future generations. Being owned and operated on a not-for-profit basis means that your visit contributes to all current and future conservation efforts.

So, go lose yourself in the middle of nowhere, in a place where time stands still and nature takes centre stage.

Visit www.sanbona.co.za for more information.

This article was paid for by Sanbona Wildlife Reserve.