Gondwana’s Eco Camp & Pioneer Trail

The award-winning Gondwana Private Game Reserve recently re-launched its beloved Eco Camp experience. The new and improved Eco Camp offers the same off-the-grid, hands-on safari experience without the three or 5-day itinerary.  This allows guests to check in any day of the week to unwind and recharge in nature.

Gondwana Private Game Reserve is situated in what is arguably the Western Cape’s most breathtaking scenery. Gondwana Eco Camp nestles within the remote folds of the Reserve’s undulating, Fynbos-adorned landscape. 

Make a difference

Gondwana not only invites guests to enjoy a one-of-a-kind Cape Safari experience but also to roll up their sleeves and get involved in the Reserve’s conservation work.  “Today’s traveller appreciates a more holistic experience,” explains Wendy Rutherfoord, who founded and developed Gondwana Game Reserve with her husband Mark from cattle and sheep farms nearly 20 years ago.  “We all need some luxury and papering on holiday to de-stress from the pace of our daily lives, but guests also relish understanding and experiencing the greater context of a wildlife ecosystem and the synergy between tourism and conservation.”

Gondwana Private Game Reserve is a conservation-centric organization with extraordinary resources and passion dedicated to protecting its endangered flora and fauna.  The Eco Camp guests help to collect essential data to guide the Reserve’s management plan.    

The conservation activities obviously vary, and the information gathered feeds back into Gondwana’s Conservation Department. Activities include elephant dung sample analysis, checking leopard stealth cameras, water censuses, game counts, predator tracking, and helping to eradicate alien invasive plants, which is a great workout! Gondwana’s Eco Camp offers guests a tangible and authentic wildlife conservation experience, making it a safari holiday with a difference.

Gondwana Eco Camp Facilities Upgrade

The upgraded and expanded camp facilities provide more communal spaces. New thatch roofs provide all-weather comfort year-round, while the new bar near the pool is the perfect place to sip a G&T in an open-air space under thatch. 

The entire camp runs on solar power, sources its water sustainably from a nearby perennial spring, and is also a plastic-free zone. Eco Camp is an intimate and exclusive experience with only seven luxury bedroom tents set on raised platforms, each with a private bathroom and covered deck area. A wooden walkway over the riverbed links the accommodation to two new thatched recreational tents, which house the lounge, dining, and bar areas with a nearby pool and hammock relaxation area.

Oh, the food…

Enjoy wholesome safari-style cuisine and a variety of dining experiences, including African boma dinners under the stars with homemade venison, seafood, and vegetable potjies on the fire, hearty brunches out in the game reserve, as well as lovely fresh lunches served under the cool open-air thatched dining room. The full board package includes all your meals, morning and afternoon game drives, as well as a hands-on conservation experience after breakfast.

The Pioneer Trail

If you’re yearning for something that brings you even closer to nature, nothing beats Gondwana’s three-night slack-packing adventure. Apparently, there is no better way to experience nature and wildlife than on foot. The Pioneer trail takes you to three remote tented camp locations with two full days of hiking. The expert trail guides will intimately expose you to the Reserve’s unique biodiversity and ecosystems while you experience the Big Five and multiple antelope species on foot.

A dedicated camp team comprised of a cook, housekeeper, and two expert trail guides will host your group (maximum of eight guests) for the entirety of your stay. Your belongings are moved daily between the three luxury tented camps, allowing you to experience the dramatic Fynbos landscape with only a light day pack. 

The fully inclusive package includes luxury accommodation, a 2-day guided walking safari, game drives, and all your meals and beverages, including packed lunches for the trail. In fact, you need to “just bring your boots,” and the Pioneer Trail team will do the rest.

You choose

Whether you prefer an intimate, off-the-grid, luxury African safari while contributing to conservation, or a walking safari with a bit of luxury built-in, Gondwana promises a pristine natural setting, delicious homemade meals, and a truly transformative experience.

Visit www.gondwanagr.co.za to make your booking.