Elephant Country Guesthouse
Perfect for a tranquil stay. Focusing on the outdoors, our luxurious, child-friendly Elephant Country Guesthouse is situated next to the Elephant Sanctuary at the Crags in Plettenberg Bay on the scenic Garden Route of South Africa. Guests of our accommodation are privileged as they can enjoy moving, interactive experiences with and sites of the resident five elephants next door whilst enjoying the magnificence of untouched nature in the comfort of affordable luxury surroundings.
Our Accommodation
The French Victorian décor with its rich colours offers the discerning guest a stylish, modern ambiance with breathtaking views over local vineyards and the majestic Tsitsikamma mountain range in the distance.
Fitted with the finer comforts of today, of course, like en-suite bathrooms, Wi-Fi, barista-like coffee stations in the five, individually decorated suites, you will be forgiven that you won’t waste time unpacking your bags but head straight to meet the local gentle giants.
The beautiful lounge areas with their winter fireplace open up to a terrace overlooking a lush garden with private nooks for relaxation. Apart from the incredible nature views from the garden, you can watch the 5 resident elephants in the bordering Elephant Sanctuary, an experience unique to our guesthouse.
As the sun begins to set, get ready for one of Africa’s best night skies to unfold. Without any light pollution, the stars will guide you to map out the night sky whilst listening to the sounds of silence. Then wake up whilst the elephants enjoy their breakfast next to the viewing terrace - you couldn’t ask for better company!
Acivities
The beauty of our Elephant Country Guest House lies not only in its stylish guest rooms with its rich colours and five-star hospitality. The real beauty shines from the heart of its conceptualisation. Our affordable luxury self-catering guesthouse was created to support and sustain five elephants who found themselves in the custody of wildlife visionary, Craig Saunders, founder and owner of three Elephant Sanctuaries throughout South Africa. Visit The Elephant Sanctuary in Plettenberg Bay and take a tour, where you can enjoy unforgettabel elephant experiences, e.g. walking trunk-in-hand with these gentle giants. Think of abundant wildlife experiences and birdsong echoing from every tree and you might just have found your ultimate holiday destination.
Indalu Game Lodge
Join us for a memorable vacation on the Garden Route at our stunning Indalu Game Reserve and lodge, located just 20km from Albertinia and 30km from Mossel Bay in the Western Cape, South Africa. Our game lodge is situated only a few kilometres from the magnificent coastline in one of the best adventure holiday destinations in the world. Jet in with a private craft to the Mossel Bay airfield or journey on from the George airport which is 70 km away, and you can reach the Cape Town International Airport on an easy 3.5 hours drive.
Safari Accommodation
For the discerning visitors who want to prolong their stay at Indalu, there are luxury chalets on the banks of the river with personalised service and a fully equipped central kitchen for self-catering and outside lapa area. Dinner and breakfast are available as optional extras.
Each chalet is equipped with 3/4 twin beds and a queen-size bed, with one bathroom that has a shower, basin and toilet.
Game Viewing
Day visitors welcome. Indalu, the Xhosa word for nature, is set between rolling hills and valleys and has been created as a sanctuary for a number of elephants where they roam free in their natural environment.
We offer guided tours with these gentle giants so you can get up close and personal with the animals. Touch, feed and interact with these majestic creatures in their natural habitat.
From the mist shrouding the bush at dawn until the blazing sunsets behind the distant mountains, the magic of Indalu will provide unforgettable memories.
Indalu Game Reserve
Situated just 20km from Albertinia and 30km from Mossel Bay, the stunning Indalu Game Reserve is set on the Garden Route in South Africa and in one of the best adventure holiday destinations in the world. The whole area oozes a relaxed atmosphere where the pace is slow and visitors can catch a glimpse of Africa, only a few kilometres away from the shores of the magnificent Southern Coast of the Western Cape.
Safaris & Adventures
The highly trained guides of Indalu have a vast knowledge of the African bushveld and take guests on close encounters with African wildlife. Experience game viewing in open vehicles, which gives you access to four of the Big 5 as well as ten different antelope species and various species of bird, including the beautiful fish eagle and Verreaux's eagle. Day visitors welcome.
Elephants never forget and at Indalu Game Reserve it is not only the elephants that have remarkable memories; the visitors leave with a treasure trove of unforgettable memories. We offer guided tours with the elephants. Touch, feed and interact with these majestic creatures in their natural habitat. This interactionwill open up a new world of understanding for these clever animals. Book your private tour today and come experience a once in a lifetime African adventure.
It is here that you can experience the African wilderness in the Garden Route and marvel at the diverse wildlife. From elephants, rhinos, buffalos, giraffes and zebras to antelopes, the game has an uninterrupted flow through 800 hectares of land. While you are enjoying the freedom of the unspoilt nature the wildlife is eternally present. At Indalu the team believes in living in harmony with a deep respect for all that is untamed and untouched.
For visitors who stay over, there is the experience of the night calls of the wild while enjoying evenings under the star-studded skies beside a dancing fire.
Our Accommodation
Join us for a memorable vacation at our game lodge. For the discerning visitors who want to prolong their stay at Indalu, there are luxury self-catering chalets on the banks of the river with personalised service and a fully equipped central kitchen as well as an outside Lapa area. Dinner and breakfast are available as optional extras.
This malaria-free area boasts a moderate climate. From the mist shrouding the bush at dawn until the blazing sunsets behind the distant mountains, the magic of Indalu will provide unforgettable memories.
Samara Karoo Reserve
Welcome to a unique BIG5 African safari experience 55 km from Graaff-Reinet in South Africa's Great Karoo semi-desert. Samara Karoo Reserve is an award-winning conservation journey in a heart-stoppingly beautiful setting. Born in 1997 of a desire to restore the Great Karoo to its former glory, this private game reserve has pioneered the rewilding of a landscape that had been turned over to agriculture for the best part of three centuries.
Assembling 11 farms totalling 67,000 acres, Samara’s founders vowed to restore the magic of this place, embarking on an ambitious programme of land restoration and wildlife reintroduction. Today, thousands of wild animals roam this born-again wilderness and Samara is working with local stakeholders to extend the conservation ethic to over 3 million acres. 26 guests at a time are invited to join Samara’s conservation journey and help to shape it for the future.
Whether you want to go on safari with the whole family or on foot, you are looking for a romantic retreat and want to sleep under the stars, have a bush picnic or would like to celebrate a special occasion or even experience the game reserve on a mountain bike, Samara is a BIG 5 game reserve where guests get their own private piece of Africa to play in.
Luxury Accommodation
Two intimate, five-star and owner-run lodges, with a true sense of place and sleeping 26 people, offer a quintessentially warm Karoo welcome, with myriad activities on offer to explore, entertain and educate. Whilst on safari at Samara you will bask in the exclusivity of being one of few people in a vast wilderness of the African bushveld.
The Karoo Lodge
Encircled by a natural amphitheatre of mountains, the lovingly renovated farmhouse sits in perfect harmony with its wild surrounds and lies on the first property bought by the Tompkins family when they started Samara in 1997. Combining modern day comforts with a rustic and welcoming feel, Karoo Lodge is the perfect place to relax and allow the tranquillity of the Karoo to envelop you – on the wide verandah in summer or by the cosy fire in winter. With 9 double rooms of varying sizes, it caters for individual travellers, couples and families.
The Manor House
Contemporary style meets Karoo living in the Manor House which can also be booked exclusively. This luxury villa offers a contemporary take on Karoo living, sleeping up to 8 guests in comfort and style. The villa opens up into two living areas and two smaller breakaway lounging alcoves. In summer large glass doors are cast wide open to the patio, with a large infinity pool, and in the winter months you can unwind by the fireplace where a crackling fire burns. Dining takes places in a well-appointed dining room adjacent to the comfortable bar area. There is also a small breakfast room next to the kitchen, which can double up as a study.
When the weather is fair, candlelit dinners are set up on the verandah, on the lawn under the purple-flowered Jacaranda tree or out in the bush beneath a star-studded sky. A Karoo-style boma, fashioned out of an old water reservoir, is the perfect place for pre-dinner drinks around the fire.
Reconnecting with Nature
Regenerating South Africa's Great Karoo region through rewilding and responsible tourism - In staying at Samara, every guest plays a role in safeguarding the landscape in perpetuity. Yet for those who visit, Samara’s magic extends beyond its conservation importance. To immerse oneself in this soulful landscape of infinite horizons is to experience a recalibration of the frantic modern mindset and a deep reconnection with nature.
Our aim is for every guest to leave Samara Karoo Reserve empowered by the healing energy of nature, having reconnected with what's truly important.
The Elephant Sanctuary
Here, in Hartebeespoortdam at The Elephant Sanctuary, visitors are taken on a journey into the world of the African elephant and are guided through an unforgettable, interactive experience with these magnificent creatures. During our hands-on, educational elephant interactions you will be able to touch, feed and get to know these gentle giants.
The Elephant Sanctuary in South Africa has three elephant sanctuaries across three provinces. It started in 1999 and grew from five elephants to a total of twelve African elephants (Loxodonta Africana). These elephants have been domesticated through positive reinforcement animal management principles, and as a result, provide us with the unique opportunity to interact with them.
Experiences, tours and programs are offered daily. The close encounter with our elephants is truly one of a kind. When meeting them you will discover that each one has a different character, personality and temperament.
We also offer you the incredible opportunity to walk hand-in-trunk with the elephants while you will be able to understand the height at which an elephant stands and experience their environment from an elephant's perspective.
The Elephant Sanctuary Plettenberg Bay
Situated near Plettenberg Bay, we offer at our child-friendly Elephant Sanctuary in The Crags an interactive African elephant experience on the Garden Route. Enjoy hands-on educational elephant interactions which provide you with a far more intimate experience with these pachyderm than just watching them. Our dedicated staff is committed to the use of positive reinforcement elephant training methods and as a result, we have relaxed elephants who enjoy interacting with our guests.
Elephant Tour
We offer various tours depending on the duration and intensity of experience you desire. You will be guided on foot through The Elephant Sanctuary. Our guides will provide in-depth information as well as insight into African elephants and you will be introduced to our elephants in the forest area. It is here where you will be able to touch and interact with these gentle giants. You will also see the special relationship that the elephant handlers share with their elephants and become a part of it.
Walk trunk-in-hand with the elephants and see the elephant night shelter where our elephants sleep. You will also learn about elephant anatomy and we give you the opportunity to feed them. On some hot or rainy days, you may even see the elephants taking a bath / swimming.
Brushing the elephants down is offered during the Elephant Brush Down Experience Tour.
Enjoy afterwards a refreshing drink and visit our curio shop. Remember to wear flat walking shoes, sun hats and most important - Don't forget to bring your camera.
Accommodation
We also offer luxurious accommodation at our child-friendly Elephant Country Guesthouse where you can even watch the elephants from the viewing terrace.
