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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
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.
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
