Gondwana Game Reserve

We stayed with our family in a fynbos villa which was beautiful. The staff were excellent and the villa was serviced more than once a day. The food was great and the game drives were exhilarating. We saw all the animals we wanted to see except for the extremely elusive leopard. It was a great stay and the teenagers in our group spent a lot of their time happily being off their phones learning about animals, birds and plants. WiFi at the lodge allowed them to keep in touch with their lives when we from game drives.

We booked Gondwana to celebrate a special birthday with our daughter and her family. It couldn't have been more special;the location, the villa, the "clubhouse", the staff, the food, the ambiance. Everything was more than excellent but the icing on the cake definitely was having Tracy as our game-guide. She was very knowledgeable and answered all our questions, had a fun personality, was able to spot where specific animals might be and a very good driver on the challenging terrain after the rains.. In all one of the most amazing experiences of our lives, grateful that we could spend this time with our family at such an exquisite resort.

Gondwana was a brilliant family experience. On arrival we got a great relaxed feeling and introduction to the place. The scenery as you drive in to Gate 1 really is epic, with views into the distance to the mountains, through lush green valleys stretching In every direction from the main road. We saw Zebra and Impala immediately on driving in to the main gate and knew from the scale of the place that we were going to have a great time. The reception, pool and restaurant area looks out over a valley and is super, super high quality (everything from the furnishing and cutlery to the items on sale in the shop) but has a relaxed, local feel. The food is brilliant and they get that everyone is tired and getting up early, so everything comes out pretty quickly. Now to the game drives. We have to.mention our guide 'Hennie'. He was knowledgeable, a ball of energy and his passion for wildlife and conservation shone through in every drive. He was great with everyone in the small group, including our 2 kids, and made sure that each trip out was varied with a different focus on Elephant, Giraffe, Rhino, Hippo, Eland, Birds, Buffalo, Zebra and plant life.. One of the highlights, no doubt, was tracking a Cheetah for 1hr trough a valley up to a ridge where it took an Impala in full flight. A real David Attenborough moment! Accommodation wise, we were in a 3 bed fynbos villa which has a real wow factor when you walk in and feels like you are in a high end hotel located in the savannah. It's difficult to know where to choose when looking at game reserves, so we'll make it simple. Choose Gondwana!

From the moment you arrive here, you are treated like royalty. The check-in is slick and informative and you are given a clear itinerary for your stay. The facilities are beautiful and the restaurant area is really stylish, which is good, because the food is totally excellent and it fits in well! We travelled with two teenagers and the staff made sure they were happy as well. The game drives were lovely and our guide (Collin) was informative and good fun. He really made the trips interesting and he had really good knowledge. We had a bush villa and it was well appointed and beautifully situated, there was a nightly turn-down service and a good choice of coffee, tea etc on hand. The booklet you get on check in with the species lists is very useful and our teens loved filling it in. An added bonus here is that you drive yourself to and from the main lodge, which gives you a chance for an extra game drive each way. We saw quite a lot just getting too and from the main lodge.

insane insane insane - everything was top! location, house staff, service, good … Very good