A quick 5 minute drive from Oudtshoorn, there you’ll find it: Buffelsdrift Game Lodge. From the outside, it’s nothing extraordinary but what you’ll find at the core is elegance and luxury. Offering luxury tented accommodation and with a 4.5* rating on TripAdvisor – having received rave reviews by their excited visitors over many years. It doesn’t stop with accommodation though as you can also enjoy spa treatments, African bush safaris, Meerkat safaris, walking with Elephants and Lion Feeding.
We had our eyes set firmly on the African Bush Safari. These are available for R515 per person and booking needs to be done in advance as only a limited number of people can join each tour.
Arriving 30 minutes, we made our way to the restaurant on a beautiful wooden deck overlooking the main watering hole. Here, the resident hippos relax and big fish and turtles hang around. On this occasion, they were quite far away and the hippos under-water as temperatures breached 35C.
Needing energy for the safari that was about to take place, we enjoyed a chicken & mayo sandwich that the kitchen staff quickly prepared for us. Looking at the menu, the restaurant specialises in authentic Karoo cuisine making use of fresh and local produce. From Bobotie, Venison Burgers, Slow Braised Lamb’s Neck, Steaks and Pork Neck, you’ll find all that your heart desires. Options for herbivores and a kiddies menu are also available. Prices aren’t steep either with mains ranging from R80 – R165.
We made our way to the meet-up point on the hour to hop onto the safari truck and off we went for our first safari in the Klein Karoo. It’s quite a bumpy ride, but boy is it fun. Everyone is on the lookout for animals and if the ranger doesn’t spot it, one of the guests will definitely give a shout. With each stop, the ranger will explain everything you ever wanted to know about the animal such as the differences between black and white rhinos, the changing colour patterns of giraffes and the unique stripes of Zebras – just a few things we learned on our safari.
At the half way mark, the tour comes to a halt on top of a large hill. Refreshments are served and we got to enjoy the spectacular views of the Swartberg Mountain range. After walking around, relaxing and taking photos, the safari continues and with everyone eager to spot more wild animals.
Time passes by when you are having fun: the two hours passed in a flash. The tour is hugely enjoyable and definitely recommended if you are planning a road trip in the Klein Karoo.
