Fun New Things to Do at Buffelsdrift!

The Karoo, especially the protected corner which Buffelsdrift Game Lodge has created, is jammed packed with action and excitement. What can you do when you’re not on safari or lounging in the luxury tented accommodation units? Let’s take a look!

Take a walk on the wild side.

Coming from November 2021, we’ve got an exciting new activity you’re sure to enjoy. Our Heritage Nature Walk winds through the cheetah farm, and you’ll even be able to soak in the bushman cave paintings unearthed on a neighbouring farm. The trail itself is +-5km long, so set aside 5-6 hours to make sure you don’t rush and miss the exquisite natural beauty around you.

Leave a footprint

Do you want to make an impression on this beautiful continent? Then the seed ball project is for you. We’ve created a unique seed ball packed with indigenous seeds that are critical to the biome of the reserve. Guests will be able to choose where to spread their seed ball during other Buffelsdrift activities, under advice from our rangers.

Walk with elephants

Our three guest-habituated elephants, Bulelo, Malaika and Jabari, were once rescued orphans with sad tales. Today they are happy, healthy members of our elephant conservation team! Together with their keeper and caretaker, who bottle-fed them from rescue, you can meet these gentle giants for yourself.

Go small

Take a break from the Big 5 and meet Africa’s iconic meerkat. This tough and fierce member of the mongoose family makes for a fascinating safari, and it’s great for kids too. See them emerge at dawn from their burrows to soak up the sun’s rays, or spot them about their business foraging, fighting, and learning.

Feast

The Klein Karoo produces many fine wines. It’s also a foodie haven. Start off in the delicious restaurant at Buffelsdrift, and then continue on to the Oudtshoorn Art, Cheese, Chocolate and Liqueur route if you dare! There’s plenty of culinary spoils to enjoy.

Take a hike

With so much delicious food in the Buffelsdrift Restaurant, you’ll probably want to squeeze in a hike through beautiful Swartberg Pass. Not only will it burn a few calories, but the views will take your breath away!

Meet the King

While the lion is the king of the veldt, not the jungle, it’s a predator every visitor wants to spot. 3 young lions were moved to Buffelsdrift in 2017, as their property of origin was too small to accommodate them correctly. Captive-born, they can never truly be wild-released, but they live happy and stimulated lives as close to nature as possible on the reserve. Funds from our lion experience help fund conservation projects and entities that support animals to be free roaming in Africa, as well as support local schools.

Earn your spots

Another iconic African predator is the cheetah. While our cheetahs have been on the reserve for a few years, we opened them ‘to the public’, as it were, in 2020. Our hope is that our free-roaming cheetah project will help sustain this endangered predator in South Africa. Track the cheetahs on this once-in-a-lifetime experience, and learn more about this fascinating species. Do note that, unlike our elephant experiences, the predators are wild animals and cannot be handled. You will, however, have the opportunity to see these spectacular predators as nature intended, as well as help ensure their conservation for future generations.

Relax in the spa

Who wouldn’t want a pampering experience to round off a day in the bush? Our luxury spa offers the very best of African beauty to help you relax and unwind.

Stargaze

The Karoo has some of the best stargazing in the world, with very little artificial light to interfere. Admire the beauties of the Milky Way and let your soul rest and recover while the sounds of the nighttime bush embrace you.The bush is a riot of fun and action, and there’s plenty to do on an African game lodge like Buffelsdrift Game Lodge. Come prepared for the adventure of a lifetime!