The family-owned and run Kariega Game Reserve is a hidden jewel of eco-tourism, conservation, and incredible wildlife sightings. 

Departing Cape Town International Airport for our early Sunday morning flight with Airlink to Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) International Airport holds an air of excitement. Not only because we are flying with our favorite airline, but also because we’ll be exploring a destination that is perhaps not as popular as South Africa’s famed Kruger National Park but should get all the attention that it rightly deserves. The accessibility is easy – daily flights from all major South African cities with Airlink, followed by a scenic road trip to your destination. Did I mention it’s malaria-free?

The lounge and dining areas have exquisite views from every corner. Photo courtesy of Kariega Game Reserve
The lounge and dining areas have exquisite views from every corner. Photo courtesy of Kariega Game Reserve

Arriving at Settlers Drift on a Sunday morning in time for breakfast, my daughter and I catch our collective breaths as the views from the elevated vantage point of the dining area are simply breathtaking. In fact, vistas from the main lounge area are equally astounding, and standing on the deck with my decaffeinated latte in hand, I see a giraffe in the distance. Breakfast is delicious, and being the most important meal of the day, we are sated and ready to see where we will be spending the next three nights.

The sparkling pool at Settlers Drift. Photo courtesy of Kariega Game Reserve
The sparkling pool at Settlers Drift. Photo courtesy of Kariega Game Reserve

We are staying in tented suite 2, a short walk from the main area along a wooden walkway. The lodge is fenced in to keep big game species and predators out, so guests can move around freely any time of the day or night should they wish to take a dip in the sparkling pool. During the day, those who enjoy the warmth of the African sun on their skins can do so poolside on the comfortable sun loungers. A friendly staff member is never far away to bring you a drink or offer you something to snack on in the course of your afternoon interlude.

Luxury tented suites are surrounded by imposing euphorbia trees. Photo courtesy of Kariega Game Reserve
Luxury tented suites are surrounded by imposing euphorbia trees. Photo courtesy of Kariega Game Reserve

With only nine tented suites sized at 1185 sq ft each, guests are ensured privacy and exclusivity. The tented suites are spacious and luxurious, with an open-plan space comprising a lounge, a bedroom, a fireplace, a bathroom with a soaking tub, double vanities, an indoor shower, and a flush loo. Sitting outside on our private verandah, we lavish the fresh bush air with the melodious sound of a bird serenading us. Surrounded by imposing euphorbia trees and dazzling plumbago shrubs adding a splash of color to the outdoors with their blue flowers, simply slide open the floor-to-ceiling doors and it feels like you’re floating in paradise! 

Intricate brickwork at the entrance to Settlers Drift. Photo courtesy of Kariega Game Reserve
Intricate brickwork at the entrance to Settlers Drift. Photo courtesy of Kariega Game Reserve

The lodge was designed and built to maximize the many facets that give it the wow factor – like the entrance to the main lodge and its intricate brickwork. Stepping into the main area, the wooden floors, couches, and cushions have deliberately been kept in muted tones so as to not detract from the formidable greens that jump at you at every turn when you look outside. Even in the suites, splotches of brightness underscore the aspect of what true luxury is all about – being out in nature and the gloriousness of what Settlers Drift has to offer. 

A giraffe standing tall with her calf alongside her. Photo by Heléne Ramackers
A giraffe standing tall with her calf alongside her. Photo by Heléne Ramackers

The history of how Kariega Game Reserve came to be is fascinating. When the late Colin Rushmere first set eyes on a prime piece of land in the area, he purchased it and built twenty log cabin homes. Colin’s daughter, Lindy Sutherland recounts the story over coffee at Settlers Drift: “Dad was a conservationist. He really got excited when he made your dreams come true. The dream of Kariega started from a place of wanting to bring both the wild animals back, and in turn, create employment and a new kind of economy in the Eastern Cape. He was a businessman at heart – he had to find the model that could fund the conservation and the community reinvestment and that was eco-tourism.”

A young lioness with golden eyes. Photo by Heléne Ramackers
A young lioness with golden eyes. Photo by Heléne Ramackers

Lindy continues: “Take your mind back 35 years when the whole of the Eastern Cape was farmland. Dad bought the first farm in 1989, where Main Lodge is at present. It was only 1,480 acres, much smaller than the 28,400 acres we have today, with a total of 21 farms knitted together over three-and-a-half decades and five different lodges that cater to a variety of clientele. What an extraordinary accomplishment – Dad created a robust commercial product that can withstand the ups and downs of financial crisis.”

A cute elephant calf showing off. Photo by Heléne Ramackers
A cute elephant calf showing off. Photo by Heléne Ramackers

As CEO of the Kariega Foundation, Lindy speaks passionately about getting the youth enthusiastic about the potential of becoming involved in conservation. “The Kariega Foundation leverages every other aspect of this commercial product in terms of fundraising, raising partnerships, and donations in order to reinvest into the conservation and community elements of what we do. Our philosophy is that these landscapes are a national heritage. We are very big on education and youth development, which is founded on social-emotional learning. You have to prepare human beings in order to harness opportunities.”

A giraffe silhouette at sunset. Photo by Heléne Ramackers
A giraffe silhouette at sunset. Photo by Heléne Ramackers

Leaving our chat to fully comprehend what the Rushmere family has created, the time has come for our afternoon game drive. Guide Gladman is ready to show us the magic that is found on Kariega Game Reserve, and the sightings for the duration of our stay do not disappoint. Giraffes seem to be ever-present; two notable moments are of a mom with a tiny baby and giraffe silhouettes at sunset. We spot a leopard tortoise going about his business, a lone elephant bull with dried mud on his face and leaves sticking out of his mouth, a zebra with a foal who stays close to mom, a common buzzard at the top of a tree, and a highlight is casting eyes on a lion coalition of two brothers early one morning. Their sister eventually joins them, and they are clearly on the lookout for something to eat, as the glisten in her golden eyes alludes to the fact that she really feels at home at Kariega Game Reserve, just like we do.

 

How To Get There | Shield Tours was started in 2000 and is headed up by the friendly and hospitable Igna Tregoning. Offering personalized service from airport to lodge and lodge to lodge transfers, guests can rely on their 25 years of experience. Guests can also enjoy day tours to nearby attractions in the Eastern Cape, as well as overnight tours to the Garden Route. E-mail Igna igna@shieldtours.co.za or call her at +27 (0) 84 508 0361.