The owner of Samara, Sarah Tompkins came to see me some 12 years ago when I was working for Africa Geographic Magazine, and I heard about her idea to develop a safari experience in the Eastern Cape’s Camdeboo area. I had in fact travelled that area with Portfolio Collection, and had fallen in love with the Great Karoo and its endless space and room for dreaming, and was intrigued. So it was exciting to finally visit this 27 000 ha reserve, poised to possibly link the Mountain Zebra National Park and the Camdeboo National Park. A vision towards which they are actively working.
 |
Samara’s Aardvark program is a blast for kids! It caters for kids of all ages. We had travelled from nearby Nieu Bethesda on a road of wondrous curves, that of course our kids thought were boring. So when we came to the lodge, surrounded by green grass, a tennis court, croquet, a pool, a private kids boma and friendly staff – we knew we would be ok. The lodge felt like a home with its wrap around verandas making long shadows, giant oak trees, and walk ways leading to plush villas that boasted everything you would need – right down to a yoga mat. While the kids donned their robes, tied themselves in knots on the mat and tested the mozzie spray on eachother, we dressed up warm for our evening game drive, excited to explore the area.
 |
Our stay was terribly short, and we never got to the top of the wonderful hilltops for a picnic, didn’t do one of their walking safaris or count all 200 of their bird species, we missed the bushmen paintings, never saw an Aardvark, didn’t meet Sibella the legendary cheetah, but we did have gorgeous ice-cold game drives surrounded by groups of Eland warming themselves in the early warm sun, and saw the endangered Cape Mountain Zebra. Mostly we lapped up the big skies, the dry air, the elegant candlelight dinners at the fire, and long lazy breakfasts on the veranda. Family travel is all about time together, isn’t it? Time is what you get in abundance in this beautiful place of sky and light, and your day is entirely yours.
 |
What our kids loved best:
- Croquet on the lawn between game drives
- Hot chocolate and muffins from a cold morning drive watching giraffe
- The kids boma, and tennis court
- Star naming and stories
- Painting their own bushmen paintings.
- Planting spekboom.
 |
(All images property of Dave Rogers. Used with permission)
Stay at Samara
Samara Private Game Reserve is unique. Nowhere else in South Africa can you experience the vast mountain plateaus with views across 280 square kilometers of wilderness. This hauntingly beautiful area invites time to stand still in a malaria-free environment. One of the largest reserves in the country allows you to be part of Samara''s conservation efforts and help preserve global biodiversity in this unique environment and children of all ages are welcome.
Choose from Samara Karoo Lodge, Samara Manor House and Samara Mountain Retreat.
About the blogger
Jenni Saunders is a travel professional who consults to the tourism industry on marketing, communications and on the development of kids’ programmes in the hospitality industry, in particular in the safari sector. She and her photographer husband David Rogers have travelled with their two boys since the children were born, and these lucky youngsters have been all over Africa on journeys that tend to become adventures. Jenni is passionate about children, Africa and travel – and that place where all three meet. www.travelseeds.co.za