Lalibela Private Game Reserve

Eastern Cape , South Africa

Lalibela Game Reserve is a big five, malaria- free reserve in the Eastern Cape close to the friendly, and sometimes windy, city of Port Elizabeth. There is an amazingly diverse range of habitat types (five biomes) including patches of acacia woodland, savannah grassland, riverine forest, acacia woodland and fynbos. The thickly vegetated valleys are gorgeous with breath-taking indigenous yellow wood trees and vibrant bird life. Large areas of the reserve are dominated by open grassland, testament to the fact that this is a fairly new reserve still recovering from previous farming land uses and many exotic trees and plants still persist, although measures are being taken to eradicate these invasive species and restore Lalibela to what it once looked like. Unfortunately one does not completely feel like he or she is in an African wilderness area as the N2 highway runs along the southern border of the reserve and this can be seen and traffic heard at certain points during the course of a game drive. You are likely to notice various camps and farm buildings as well as some alien black wattle tree plantations which detract slightly from the natural beauty of the property.

Game viewing in open 4x4’s is typically brilliant as experienced guides traverse the 7500 hectare reserve in search of the abundant wildlife and famous five. For those who enjoy being out in the open, walking trails are offered on the adjacent reserve as well as fishing and horse riding on other nearby properties. Lalibela Game Reserve is one of the older additions to the Eastern Capes’ reserve canon and is a perfect safari stopover if you find yourself in the Eastern Cape region.

Lodges and camps:

• Kichaka
• Idwala Game Lodge