Overview

It’s the simple idea of offering all our guests the breakaway they deserve.

Buffelsdrift Game Lodge, your gateway to the untamed beauty of the Klein Karoo.

Nestled just 6.5 kilometers outside of Oudtshoorn, the Ostrich capital of the world, Buffelsdrift Game Lodge offers a unique and understated elegance in luxury tented-accommodation, making it the perfect escape for those seeking a true African experience. With the majestic Swartberg Mountains as a backdrop and a waterhole at your doorstep, you’ll be immersed in the untamed beauty of South Africa. The lodge features a range of luxurious tented accommodations, including Waterhole tents with private decks for wildlife viewing and Family tents for group getaways.

 

Buffelsdrift Game Lodge provides a tranquil atmosphere, complete with a private swimming pool for relaxation under the Karoo sun.

But the real magic lies in its wildlife experiences. From thrilling Bush Safaris to Night Drives and Meerkat Safaris, you can get up close to Africa’s incredible creatures. Observe elephants, witness the power of lions, and marvel at free-roaming cheetahs. For those seeking a romantic setting, a charming wedding chapel overlooking a natural waterhole awaits. Conveniently located just a 5-hour drive from Cape Town and an hour from George Airport, Buffelsdrift Game Lodge is the perfect destination for adventure, relaxation, or a romantic escape in the heart of the Klein Karoo.

 

Seizing every moment

We want to make sure that every single moment during your stay will be enjoyable and memorable. Explore all the opportunities we offer you to discover at Buffelsdrift Game Lodge.

 

Book this wonderful lodge for your holiday or all the weekend gateways!

 

Amazing stuff awaits your way all in one place!

  • Lion Feeding Experience
  • Cheetah Experience
  • African Bush Safaris
  • Elephant Experience
  • Meerkat Safaris
  • Night Drive
  • Good food all the luxury

What else? Allow us to serve you in the best possible.

 

Western Cape other holiday & weekend gateways OPTIONS, for all your best experience.

View details here

 

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  • Location

     

    Buffelsdrift Game Lodge is situated in the heart of the Klein Karoo which is part of the world famous Garden Route, Western Cape in South Africa. We are located 6.5 km just outside of Oudtshoorn, the Ostrich capital of the world. The lodge is situated only 300 meters from the tar road leading to the Cango Caves.

     

  • Accommodation

    Luxury Waterhole Tents

     

    Two adults 
    0 to 3 yrs stay free,
    4 – 12 yrs. pay 50% sharing rate

     

    Experience contemporary “bushveld” comfort in one of our Luxury Waterhole tents. These tents are perfect for those who enjoy “living on the edge”, as they each feature a private sundeck, right at the edge of our main waterhole, ideal for you to soak up the sun, relax and enjoy the splendor that unfolds. Enjoy sundowners on the deck whilst viewing our free-roaming animals in the water and surrounding banks.

     

    √ King Size or Twin beds

    √ Fully en-suite bathrooms

    √ Private outdoor hot water shower

    √ Dual air-conditioning

    √ Digital safe

    √ Hairdryer

    √ Telephone

    √ Tea and Coffee facilities

    √ Fan

    Luxury Family Tents

     

    Max 5 people

    Up to 4 adults,

    children aged 0 to 3 yrs. stay free of charge,

    4 – 12 yrs. pay 50% of the sharing rate.

     

    Each of the Luxury Family tents have a spacious main bedroom and a second bedroom with an interleading, shared en-suite bathroom. These units can accommodate a family of up to 5 people. The family tents provide an elevated view of the surroundings and Swartberg Mountains and is within walking distance of the 5 hectare waterhole. True Karoo fynbos and bushveld surround these tents, creating an authentic bushveld experience. You may even be able to see wildlife around your tent, so keep your eyes peeled.

    √ King Size or Twin beds

    √ Fully en-suite bathrooms

    √ Private outdoor hot water shower

    √ Digital safe

    √ Dual air-conditioning

    √ Hairdryer

    √ Telephone

    √ Tea and Coffee facilities

    Luxury Horizon View

     

     

    2 adults 

    0 to 3 yrs. Stay free

    4 – 12 yrs. pay 50% sharing rate

     

    These luxury tents are et only a few meters away from the waterhole and provide an elevated view of the surroundings. They also have great views over the whole lodge area and are surrounded by true Karoo fynbos.

    √ King Size or Twin beds

    √ Fully en-suite bathrooms

    √ Private outdoor hot water shower

    √ Dual air-conditioning

    √ Digital safe

    √ Hairdryer

    √ Telephone

    √ Tea and Coffee facilities

     

  • Fast Facts

    Fast Facts

    Rating
    4
    Type
    Lodge
    No. Rooms
    34
    Check-In Time14:00
    Check-Out Time11:00
    Spoken Languages
    Afrikaans, Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese
    Special Interests
    Adventure, Birding, Flora, Gourmet, Leisure, Nature, Relaxation, Star Gazing, Wildlife

  • Authentic Karoo Cuisine

     

    Specializing in authentic Karoo cuisine, the Buffelsdrift Restaurant offers guests a delicious a la carte menu of homemade foods and local fresh produce. As accompaniment, our wine selection consists of some of the best award-winning wines on Route 62, South Africa’s longest wine route.

     

     

     

  • Activities

     

    Free-roaming Cheetah Experience

     

     

    In April 2020, we introduced our South African cheetahs to our guests. After two years of being on the Reserve and being a part of our family, our cheetahs are now adapted and have relaxed in their new environment. We are aiming to create a platform to educate tourists about this predator in its natural environment.

     

    Activity Pricing & Information

    √ Price: R1 425.00 pp

    √ Outfit: Long Tracksuit

    √ Age Limit: Min age of 12 yrs/Min height of 1.2m

     

    Additional Information

    √ Duration of Activity: 3 – 4 Hours
    √ Meeting Point: Look-out Lounge @ 08:00

     

    What to Bring

    √ Sunblock
    √ Hiking shoes (no sandals 0r flip flops)
    √ Preferably long trousers
    √ Hat
    √ Small Backpack
    √ Water
    √ Binoculars / Camera
    √ Appropriate medication for personal medical conditions

     

    Night Drive

     

     

    About the Activity

    At Buffelsdrift Game Lodge we offer night drives not only to our residents but to the public as well. A night drive is a safari that happens at night with the help of powerful spotlights to see the different animals. The two-hour night drive offers guest an opportunity to spot the elusive “Shy five” of Buffelsdrift Game Lodge – caracal, genet, porcupine, aardvark and aardwolf.

     

    The open game drive safari vehicle offers to witness other wildlife species such as hippo’s grazing, Giraffes, Buffalo, Cape Mountain Zebra, Sable, Eland and much more. About midway through the night drive, there is a refreshment break where you can enjoy the renowned Klein Karoo night skies. The advantage of a night drive is that it provides access to nocturnal species that are rarely seen during the day and there is a greater probability of seeing them hunt at night.

     

    Pricing

    √ Adults: R745.00 pp
    √ Children: (4-12 years) R375.00 pp
    √ Children: (0-3 years) Free of charge
    √ Date & Time 1 October to 31 March – 20:00
    1 April to 30 September – 19:00

     

    Additional Information

    Maximum number of 10 guests per night drive. Blankets are provided. Hot beverages will be served on refreshment break

     

    Additional Information

    Duration of Activity: 2 Hours

     

    African Bush Safaris

    About the Activity

    Here at Buffelsdrift Game Lodge, we offer Bush Safaris not only to our residents but to the public as well.

     

    “We call it Bush Safaris, as our guides are trained to not only educate our guests on our wide variety of animals, but also about our bird and plant species..” – Andries van Schalkwyk | Director

     

    During our bush safaris (Game drives), you can expect to experience true Karoo vegetation from our open game viewing vehicles. Our wide range of animals includes Hippo, Giraffe, Eland, Zebra, Buffalo, Springbok, and much more.  The duration of our bush safaris is ± 2 hours.  About midway through the safari, there is a refreshment break at one of our scenic lookout points.  These offer 360° panoramic views of the area as well as the Swartberg Mountains.

     

    Pricing

    √ Adults: R745.00 pp

    √ Children: (4-12 years) R375.00 pp

    √ Children: (0-3 years) Free of charge

     

    Date & Time

    √ 1 October to 31 March:

    √ 07:00 and 17:00 In house guests

    √ 09:00 and 15:00 Day Visitors

    1 April to 30 September:

    √ 09:00 and 15:00 In house guests and Day Visitors

     

    Additional Information

    √ Duration of Activity: 2 Hours

    Elephant Experience

     

     

    About our Elephants

    At a directors meeting on 29 April 2022 a decision was taken, that with immediate effect, too no longer offer Elephant Walks as an Activity.

     

    None of our elephants have been taken from the wild for captivity. The three elephants were orphaned when the adults were poached. Our elephants come from circumstances that if we did not intervene, they would not be alive today. We did not choose this life for them, but we rather chose to give them the best possible life within our means with the best possible love and care. All our elephant excursions have a most informative educational approach.

     

    We are fortunate that they ended up here at Buffelsdrift Game Lodge as they are true gentle giants and have great personalities. Elephants are very affectionate and caring animals.

     

    √ Adults: R495.00 pp

    √ Children: (4-12 years) R245.00 pp

    √ Children: (0-3 years) Free of charge

    √ Duration of Activity: 30 min

     

    About the Activity

    An early booking for an Elephant Experience is essential as our elephants are very popular. Clients should arrive 15 minutes prior to activity. Activity will automatically be cancelled if clients arrive 15 minutes after booked time and will have to wait for the next time slot. You are welcome to ask our elephant guides as many questions as you like.

     

    Hourly from 09:00 to 15:00 depending on availability. You may take as many photos as you like while our qualified and skilled elephant guides share their knowledge with you of these gentle giants.

     

    Elephant Observation and Experience

    About the Activity

    View our elephants while roaming free in their natural environment during the early morning or late afternoon, while our qualified and skilled elephant guides share their knowledge with you of these gentle giants. When the observation is complete it is optional for you to do the experience afterwards and you may then take as many photos as you like.

     

    √ Adults: R970.00 pp

    √ Children: (4-12 years) R485.00 pp

    √ Duration of Activity: 45 min

    √ Daily – 08:00 & 16:00 depending on availability

     

    Meerkat Safaris

     

     

    About the Activity

    Join us daily at dawn to witness these incredible wild habituated creatures emerging out of their burrows, just in time to soak up the sun before they head about their daily activities.

     

    Meerkats are also referred to as the Suricate or in German as the Erdmännchen and are known to be part of the Mongoose family. They are small species of foraging mammals that’s usually found inhabiting the harsh conditions of the open and arid, semi-desert plains in Southern Africa.

     

    Meerkats are known for their upright stance and their sociable behaviour. Buffelsdrift Game Lodge is situated in the heart of the Klein Karoo and offers the ideal environment and vegetation for Meerkats to thrive.

    The Meerkat Safaris at Buffelsdrift Game Lodge will bring you up close to these amazing animals.  A trained ranger will meet our guests in the Lookout Lounge, where they will enjoy a warm cup of coffee and rusks, before heading to the Safari vehicle by which they will be taken to the Meerkat burrows. On the way to the burrows guests are usually lucky to spot some of the 22 species of animals on the reserve. As there are dangerous animals like Buffalo and Hippo on the reserve, the guests remain on the vehicle while waiting for the Meerkats to emerge at the break of dawn.  The ranger will educate the guests on all the interesting facts and behaviour throughout the experience.

     

    Please note

    Weather permitting. On sunny mornings our meerkats wake up on time, but conditions such as rain and cold overcast mornings can delay the meerkats to emerge from their burrows for the morning. Meerkats prefer clear sunny mornings. Thus, in the event of above mentioned weather conditions, there is a possibility that we will not see the meerkats or that the meerkat safari can be cancelled.

     

    Currently Buffelsdrift Game Lodge has embarked on an extensive Meerkat research program. Volunteers at Buffelsdrift Game Lodge will be utilized to help the ranger with data collection and behaviour observations. For more information, visit our Volunteer Program.

     

    General Guidelines

    These are wild habituated Meerkats and will not be touched or handled by humans, including the ranger. The distance from the Meerkats and the guests will at all times be determined by the ranger and respected by the guests. Maximum of 16 guests per vehicle. Maximum of 2 vehicles per day. No children under the age of eight years.

     

    Lion Feeding Experience

     

     

    After two years of intensive research and preparation, we received three young lions in January 2017. The decision to move the three lions was based on the fact that the area on the Game Farm where they were born was very small and the area at Buffelsdrift Game Lodge was large and would be more suited.

     

    These cubs were born in captivity and can therefore never be released into the wild. The cubs, approximately 9 months old, two females and one male were relocated with the help of a local vet and the legal authorities, Cape Nature. The cubs were welcomed on Wednesday 4 January at their massive special erected camp at Buffelsdrift Game Lodge.

     

    A portion of the funds accumulated from this project is used for conservation purposes and the support of a local school in our community.

     

    About the Activity

    Guests will be transported in a game vehicle to the 5ha lion enclosure where they will see our lions (Shumba, Tonga and Safia) close-up from the elevated view point. A trained game ranger will feed the lions while guests view them. It is advisable to have a camera at hand. Furthermore, the game ranger will fully inform the guests regarding important aspects of lions in general.

     

    √ Adults: R745.00 pp

    √ Children: (4-12 years) R375.00 pp

    √ Children: (0-3 years) Free of charge

    √ Duration of Activity: 1-2 Hours

     

    General Guidelines

    These are wild Lions and will not be touched or handled by humans, including the rangers.

     

    Maximum of 20 guests per Lion experience. Book in advance to avoid disappointment.

     

    Duration of the Lion viewing experience may vary depending on their behaviour (± 1-2 hours

     

  • Day Packages in the heart of the Klein Karoo

    Buffelsdrift- A unique South African Bushveld experience in the heart of the Klein Karoo within the Garden Route, only 5 hours drive from Cape Town, Western Cape.


     

    Day Packages

     

     

    Buffelsdrift- A unique South African Bushveld experience in the heart of the Klein Karoo within the Garden Route, only 5 hours drive from Cape Town, Western Cape.

     

    Bush Safari Package

     

    Morning Package

    √ Bush Safari @ 09:00 – 11:00
    √ Elephant Experience @ 11:00
    Light Lunch Included

     

    Afternoon Package
    √ Bush Safari @ 15:00 – 17:00
    √ Elephant Experience @ 14:00
    Light Lunch Included

     

    Pricing

    √ Adults: R1270.00 pp

    √ 4-12 years old R785.00 pc

    √ 0-3 years: free of charge

    Validity: Valid until 30 September 2025

     

    Lion Feeding Package

     

    Morning Package
    √ Lion Feeding @ 09:30 – 10:30
    √ Elephant Experience @ 11:00
    Light Lunch Included

     

    Afternoon Package
    √ Lion Feeding @ 15:00 – 16:00
    √ Elephant Experience @ 14:00
    Light Lunch Included

     

    Pricing
    √ Adults: R1270.00 pp
    √ 4-12 years old R785.00 pc
    √ 0-3 years: free of charge
    Validity: Valid until 30 September 2025

     

  • Rates 2025

     

    Luxury Waterhole Tents

    Picture for 'Luxury Waterhole Tents' column
    Experience true “African” style waterhole accommodation in Oudtshoorn
    From 11 980
    Per person / R9 360 pps

    Luxury Horizon View

    Picture for 'Luxury Horizon View' column
    The luxury tents are set only a few metres away from the waterhole and provide an elevated view of the surroundings.
    From R 10 040
    Per person / R7 450 pps

    Luxury Family Tents

    Picture for 'Luxury Family Tents' column
    The family tents provide an elevated view of the surroundings and Swartberg Mountains
    From R 7 450
    Per person

Tour Map

Google Map for Buffelsdrift Game Lodge, Western Cape, South Africa.

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