Over the December Holidays I was fortunate enough to experience Samara Private Game Reserve in The Malaria-Free Great Karoo in the company of my family.
The lodge at Samara is an updated homestead, combining a mix of colonial and Karoo-style decor. There is a long and wide veranda (or ‘stoep’ in Afrikaans) where you can relax on wood and wicker chairs under reed grass ceilings. The lodge has a very homely and relaxed feel and I was immediately comfortable in the surroundings.
Our Game Drives were in a word ‘awesome’, we were fortunate enough to see; white Rhino, Giraffee, Zebra and Cheetah. I have never seen such a variety of buck in any place before, to name just a few, we saw Kudu, Oryx and black Wilderbeest. The childrens programme for the kids was awesome and they were educated on everything from the speedy Cheetah to the smallest Meerkats. The activities at Samara were very exciting including morning and late afternoon game drives, cheetah tracking on foot, and star gazing in the evenings.
The cuisine was nothing short of spectacular with seperate food for the kids that they could choose in the afternoon before dinner; pizza, macaroni and cheese, perfect for the kids – The meals for adults were out of this world and the service excellent.
What an awesome relaxed holiday for the family with plently of quality time spent around the pool area and watching the animals around our room’s outside area.