Have you ever been on a game drive or taken your kids to the bush? To be honest, it’s always been on our bucket list but it always just felt a little out of reach – I mean Kruger is quite a drive from Cape Town and anything closer is for the tourists? Well, I have good news! We are reminiscing about the most incredible weekend away at Garden Route Game Lodge in Albertinia, a short 3.5 hour drive from Cape Town and is just perfect for a family bush adventure.
We felt utterly spoilt from the moment we arrived and our kids were whisked away for the supervised Junior Ranger afternoon activity, giving us a moment to unpack, put up our feet and jump into the pool for a quick swim. Overall it was a jam-packed weekend for us as the itinerary includes a daily two hour sunrise and sunset game drive plus there is the heated family pool to enjoy, a Reptile Centre with crocs and every snake you can imagine to visit and the Skull Garden to explore with the kids. The Junior Ranger activities are all included and our kids enjoyed a sand art activity and a bird watching activity on the two days that we were there.
The best part of a game drive at Garden Route Game Lodge is that you’re guaranteed close up sighting of some of these animals: lion, white rhino, giraffe, elephant, buffalo, cheetah and an abundance of antelope and smaller mammals plus our kids’ favourite – ostriches – who seemed to enjoy pecking the Landrover which was very entertaining. The sunrise game drive starts with coffee (hot choc for the kids) and rusks at the Serengeti Restaurant and the sunset game drive includes a drinks and refreshment stop with a view. The game drive is the perfect balance of driving and stopping to keep the kids (and adults) interested and if you book a weekend stay, you’ll get four game drives and a good chance of seeing the big five. We spotted four of the big five but the highlight was seeing a cheetah hunt an ostrich.
Breakfast and a three course dinner are included in the booking rate and we sat at the same table for the weekend. All Covid protocols were in place with sanitiser and temp checks on entry and the tables were set far apart from each other. The kids loved ordering their own meals and we gave them a bit of freedom to choose what they wanted – one morning breakfast was pork sausages with a side of bacon, followed by Belgian waffles, cream and mini astros and the next it was croissants with Nutella. There is a small play area adjacent to the restaurant and our kids enjoyed playing there after their meals, while Ryan and I took our time to enjoy our meals and sip our coffee.
I love that more local destinations have pivoted to attract South African travelers during lockdown, making this a more accessible weekend trip for Cape Town families. Although we were hosted in the Sunset Ridge Luxury Suite with our own plunge pool, there are packages from R1815 per person sharing per night for lodge accommodation on the Family Fun Break package, and children stay free! You can see more about the package here or just keep reading to see what is included:
- Two nights’ luxury accommodation
- Dinner and breakfast daily
- Special children’s menu provided
- Sunrise and sunset safaris daily where families are either accommodated on their own open Landrover or with another family
- Complimentary sundowner drink and snacks included on each evening game drive
- Exciting outdoor activities for children in our supervised Kids Bushwise Activity program
- Children’s activities include : guided tour of Reptile Encounters,Skull Garden, bird walk and visit to bird hide, bush walk with ranger, fishing in the dam, rock art painting and night walk with torches to discover nocturnal creatures
- Children under 12 stay free of charge
- Complimentary wifi and welcome drink
- All lodge facilities
Rates for Lodge Room:
- R1815 per person sharing per night between 11 January 2021 – 30 April 2021
- R1515 per person sharing per night between 1 May 2021 – 30 September 2021
Rates for Sunset Ridge Luxury Family Suite:
- R2605 per person sharing per night between 11 January 2021 – 30 April 2021
- R2430 per person sharing per night between 1 May 2021 – 30 September 2021
Rates for Sunset Ridge Luxury Family Suite with plunge pool:
- R3000 per person sharing per night between 11 January 2021 – 30 April 2021
- R2800 per person sharing per night between 1 May 2021 – 30 September 2021
Thank you Garden Route Game Lodge for some unforgettable family memories in one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. The kids said it was “The best holiday EVER’ and have all taken photos and video clips to school for show and tell this week!
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*Our family was hosted by Garden Route Game Lodge for the weekend.