One of very few Big 5 game reserves near Cape Town, Inverdoorn is among the best safari destinations close to the Mother City of South Africa. It is also one of the closest, at only 2.5 hours from Cape Town city. This makes it an ideal wildlife safari destination for travelers visiting Cape Town only, especially families with young children.
Although not cheap, Inverdoorn offers some of the most affordable Big 5 safaris in the Cape Town area. This well-priced, luxury safari destination close to Cape Town is a rare find!
Inverdoorn Game Reserve covers about 10 000 hectares of wilderness in the Klein Karoo region. It is located near Ceres in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, close to Cape Town. Thus, Inverdoorn Game Reserve is a malaria-free safari destination. Another reason it's a good safari destination for families with small kids, or anyone who does not want to take anti-malaria medication.
This private game reserve hosts over 1200 wild animals with 28 different wildlife species 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 a small handful of Western Cape game reserves to host the famous Big 5 of Africa.
Of the Big 5 animals, rhinos, lions, elephants, and buffalos are commonly sighted in Inverdoorn, while leopards are less frequently seen. This is often the case with the Big 5 however as leopards are more solitary and shy big cats.
Other wildlife commonly seen on the 4x4 game drives in Inverdoorn include zebras, giraffes, hippos, wildebeest, and various antelope species such as gemsbok (oryx) and springbok. The game reserve also hosts cheetahs, bat-eared foxes, eland, kudus, impalas, and more.
Bird species found in Iverdoorn 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.
The Inverdoorn Game Reserve plays an important role in biodiversity conservation in the region and has reintroduced many endemic species to the area.
The game reserve is well-known for its successful cheetah conservation center where cheetahs are rehabilitated and bred. The cheetah center was established in 2001 holds a strict "no-touch" policy to prevent interaction with humans. Visits to the cheetah center at Inverdoorn can be pre-booked on selected safaris by arrangement.
Families with children are welcome to book safari stays at the 4-star lodges in Inverdoorn Game Reserve. Children under the age of 4 years are not allowed on game drives in Inverdoorn. There are babysitting services for children unable to join the game drives, at an additional cost.
Use the Google map to explore Inverdoorn Game Reserve.