Gondwana Game Reserve has unveiled its new Eco Camp for guests looking for a true wildlife experience. The Eco Camp will officially open in October.
“We want the Eco Camp to provide people with the opportunity to experience a game reserve outside of the traditional safari-type set up, not just as a guest but as a participant,” said Owner of Gondwana, Mark Rutherford.
“The Eco Camp itinerary is based on creating a meaningful conservation experience for individuals of any age. From the tented camp itself through to participatory meals and activities, everyone has a chance to get their hands dirty while learning new skills, and hopefully, having a lot of fun as well”, said Rutherford.
Gondwana is an 11 000 hectare private game reserve on the Garden Route, and it is the only fynbos reserve in the world where the Big Five roam freely.
The six-day / five-night conservation experience allows guests to participate in wildlife and veld management, learn important bush skills and interpretation, as well as volunteer with the local community.
A typical day at the Gondwana Eco Camp would start with a 6am wake-up, followed by breakfast, a morning activity like cheetah tracking and then a conservation project, like surveying vegetation.
This would be followed by lunch, before heading out on another eco excursion. At around 4pm guests would set off on an evening game monitoring drive for about two hours, then return to camp to freshen up before a hearty fireside dinner.
The day would conclude with an evening talk and some prep for the next day’s activities, then some well-deserved rest in the cozy tents.
As the reserve is home to the free-roaming Big Five, as well as 16 antelope species and 17 carnivore species, it is very likely that guests will tick off many wildlife sightings from their wish-list.
The tented camp is located centrally in the reserve, nestled into a beautiful valley blanketed in Fynbos. As the lighting is limited around the camp, it is fenced off to prevent dangerous game from moving through, so there should be no concern about danger.