A thrilling Big 5 Cape Town Safari to Inverdoorn Game Reserve, only 2.5 hours from the city of Cape Town, South Africa!
Explore the Big 5 Inverdoorn Game Reserve on exciting 4x4 game drives with professional guides on this excellent value-for-money budget Cape Town safari, without having to leave the malaria-free Western Cape Province of South Africa. Take advantage of one of the very few Big 5 safari destinations close to Cape Town - a rare find for budget-conscious travellers in search of wildlife adventure!
__large.jpg "Inverdoorn pool by Kostas Limitsios")
This exciting Big 5 Cape Town Safari kicks off in Cape Town where you are collected from your accommodation in the morning. You are picked up from your accommodation in the city centre area, known as the city bowl, between 07h00 and 09h00 (time to be confirmed via your guesthouse the night before departure). From Cape Town, the picturesque Mother City of South Africa, we drive northeast into the Karoo region of the Western Cape.
The drive only takes two-and-a-half to three hours, bringing us to Inverdoorn Game Lodge at about 12h30. Lunch is served outside under shady trees at the lodge, between 13h00 and 13h30. Lunch is a tasty buffet spread consisting of five starters, two main courses and two desserts. After lunch, check into your selected accommodation and settle in. Freshen up and take a rest in your comfortable room, or take a dip in the swimming pool.
Before we leave on our evening game drive we enjoy afternoon tea served at 16h00 (15h30 in winter). At 16h30 we embark on our first 4x4 game drive in Inverdoorn Game Reserve. A professional guide takes us in search of the Big Five and other wildlife found in Inverdoorn. The game drive is conducted in an open-sided 4x4 safari vehicle which is ideal for taking photographs of the animals and experiencing the bush with all your senses. During the game drive your experienced guide can tell you more about the flora and fauna of Inverdoorn and answer questions.
This evening after our wildlife viewing adventure, we enjoy aperitifs and dinner in the restaurant at 20h00 (19:30 in winter). After our hearty dinner, you can relax in the bar or outdoor boma under the stars, before retiring to your comfortable rooms.
Please note: Guests staying in the 5 Star Ambassador Suite will be treated to private game drives during their Cape Town Safari.
Wake up bright and early on day two of your Big 5 Cape Town Safari, starting the day with an early morning game drive. We head straight out into the bush to catch the sunrise and spot wildlife during the cool early morning hours.
Returning to the lodge we tuck into a full English breakfast, served at about 09h00. After breakfast, you are free to unwind at the lodge, take a nap or splash in the pool. Later, between 13h00 and 13h30, lunch is served out under the big trees on the lodge property. As on the previous day, lunch is a delectable buffet of five starters, two mains and two desserts. Lunch is followed by free time for a siesta or a dip in the pool.
Later, after having had afternoon tea at 16h00 (15h30 in winter), we set off on an afternoon game drive, departing at about 16h30 (16h00 in winter). Again, the expert guide points out wildlife and birds encountered on our 4x4 game drive in the Big Five game park. Regular wildlife sightings include zebras, giraffes, hippos, wildebeest and various other antelope species, including gemsbok (oryx) and springbok. Of the Big Five, rhinos, lions, elephants and buffalos are commonly sighted, while the more elusive leopards are less frequently seen. The game reserve is also home to a successful cheetah conservation centre and thus hosts plenty of cheetahs.
Back at the safari lodge, pre-dinner drinks are served followed by dinner in the restaurant at about 20h00 (19h30 in winter). Gaze up at the starry skies before falling asleep in the tranquil Karoo.
On day three of our Cape Town Safari, we get up early for our exhilarating sunrise game drive, setting off into the bush at about 06h00. Our professional guide helps us to search for any wildlife we may have missed thus far, especially the more elusive species. After our final 4x4 game drive in the Big Five reserve, we return to the lodge for a well-deserved English breakfast, served at 09h00.
At about 10h00 we check out of the lodge, departing for Cape Town by about 11h30. For guests staying in the 5 Star Ambassador Collection, a special cheetah viewing is included today. After checking out of your luxurious accommodation you can visit the cheetah conservation centre and spend an hour with the resident animals, finding out more about the conservation work being carried out here.
Then we drive back to Cape Town in the comfortable minibus, arriving back in the city between 14h30 and 15h00. At the end of our Budget Cape Town Safari, you will be dropped off at your accommodation in and around the city centre.
Inverdoorn Game Reserve covers about 10 000 hectares of wilderness in the Klein Karoo region, near Ceres. It is located in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, near Cape Town, thus the game reserve is a malaria-free safari destination. This private game reserve hosts over 1200 wild animals with 28 different wildlife species found here and about 165 bird species.
Inverdoorn reserve is renowned for its Big 5 safari animals - lion, rhino, elephant, buffalo and leopard. It is one of the very few Western Cape game reserves to host these famous African animals. Inverdoorn is also one of the closest Big 5 game reserves to Cape Town, making it a popular Cape Town safari destination. The Inverdoorn Game Reserve plays an important role in biodiversity conservation in the region and has reintroduced many endemic species to the area. Inverdoorn is well-known for its successful cheetah conservation centre where cheetahs are rehabilitated and bred. Other wild animals found in Inverdoorn Game Reserve include giraffes, hippos, bat-eared foxes, zebras, eland, gemsbok, kudus, impalas, springbok, wildebeest and other game species. Bird species recorded here include African fish eagle, black-breasted snake eagle, Cape vulture, Cape eagle owl, flamingo, secretary bird, sacred ibis, spotted eagle-owl, black stork, barn owl, giant kingfisher, jackal buzzard and ostrich.
On this Big 5 Cape Town Safari, you have the option of choosing from the accommodation options below. For the prices of the different safari options, view our full pricing information. The 4-star safari lodges offer the best budget safari options.
There are three charming safari lodges at Inverdoorn Game Reserve which are ideal for accommodating families. The stylish accommodation was designed for relaxation in keeping with the tranquillity of the surrounding Karoo landscape. The lodge rooms feature en-suite showers and air-conditioning which can cool or warm the room. There are communal lounges in two of the safari lodges with a cosy fireplace and a refreshment station. The lodges are in close proximity to the amenities which include a pool, a cactus garden, a lounge with satellite TV, two bars, an outdoor dining area, a telescope for stargazing and a curio shop stocked with interesting goods.
The seven luxury chalets look out over the delightful Karoo gardens, for which Inverdoorn Game Reserve is famous. Each chalet sleeps two adults, with three chalets having double beds and the other four being twin sharing. The chalets come with an en-suite shower and bathrobes are supplied. Each chalet has a cosy wood-burning fire for cold winter evenings and air-conditioning for hot summer nights. There are well-stocked mini bar fridges and coffee machines at the refreshment stations in each chalet. Sip a sundowner, whilst relaxing on the verandah and admiring the charming garden it overlooks.
5 Star Ambassador Collection
The four luxurious Ambassador chalets form part of the superior Ambassador Collection indulging guests in 5-star accommodation. The view from the private, spacious verandah embraces the vast, expansive Karoo landscape stretching to the far distant mountains. Enjoy a complimentary drink from the minibar whilst relaxing around the Ambassador private pool or enjoying the view from the roof-top terrace. Breakfast and lunch are served in the Ambassador boma, for a traditional South African experience. Choose from one of the two double-bedded chalets or the remaining two twin-bedded chalets, each with full en-suite facilities. The wood-burning fire will warm you on chilly evenings as you relax in front of the flat-screen TV which has satellite facilities. On summer nights there is air-conditioning to keep you cool. There are other touches, such as bathrobes and a refreshment station with a coffee machine, that ensure your stay at Inverdoorn Game Reserve is a memorable one.
The impressive Ambassador Suite, the crowning jewel of Inverdoorn Game Reserve, completes the 5-star Ambassador Collection. The free-standing, large suite, with outstanding views over the Karoo, has a king-size bed as its focal point in a 'no expense spared' beautifully fitted interior. Wallow in a free-standing bath or relax under a rain shower in the opulent bathroom, discreetly located behind sliding screens. Enjoy the privacy of your secluded, private rooftop terrace, evenings spent watching movies on your flat-screen TV with a drink from the fully stocked, bar and air-conditioning to keep guests cool in summer. A sumptuous refuge after a day in the bush.
This luxurious safari camp offers a tranquil and private South African safari experience in the heart of Inverdoorn Game Reserve, just 2.5 hours from Cape Town. Kuganha safari camp only accommodates up to six guests at a time providing an intimate and exclusive getaway inside this sought-after Big 5 game reserve. The tented safari camp features a private pool, a spa bungalow and spacious tented suites with their own patios and dining platforms. The luxurious tents are carefully positioned in the dense Acacia Karoo trees to maximise privacy and provide optimal views over the game-rich bush flanked by distant mountains. Each tent is set on a platform and tastefully furnished to create a unique and sumptuous retreat. At Kuganha Camp there is a dedicated 4x4 safari vehicle used exclusively for guests staying at the camp.
This tour does take children.
Please contact African Budget Safaris for further information.
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