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For a true African ‘Big Five safari’ look no further than Karongwe Game Reserve. Just 45 minutes from the world-famous Kruger National Park.
Positioned on 9000 hectares of land, overlooking the majestic Drakensberg mountain range, this Limpopo game reserve is one of the best locations to spot Africa’s most elusive large cat, the Leopard.
The Karongwe Portfolio features luxury accommodation of the highest standard in 5 different lodges, Kuname, Shiduli, Karongwe River Lodge, Chisomo and Becks Safari Lodge, all situated on the banks of the Makhutswi River.
Karongwe offers an unparalleled safari experience. Inspirational game drives and walking safaris are guided by superb rangers and trackers, many of whom are native to the land and intimately acquainted with its cultural traditions.
Aside from game drives and walking safaris, Karongwe offers a variety of activities to enhance your Africa experience from hot air ballooning to traditional cooking classes.
For a different perspective on the landscape, you can embark on a helicopter flight or hot air balloon ride. You can choose between a 40-minute helicopter ride taking you through the famous Olifant’s Gorge or a 70-minute flight over Blyde River Canyon.
For a slower-paced flying experience, you may prefer a scenic flight over the Lowveld section of the Blyde River, 15km West of Hoedspruit in a hot air balloon. If you’re lucky, during this 1-hour flight, you may spot plains game like giraffe and wildebeest.
You don’t have to fly to enjoy the skies. With Karongwe, you can learn about the sky whilst star gazing. Throughout the year you can see different constellations; in summer Orion and his dog, Sirius can be seen chasing Taurus and Pleiades across the sky. In winter Scorpio and Corvus, the crow is visible along with the ever-present Southern Cross, Magellanic Clouds and the Coal Sack. Bring your binoculars to stand the best chance of sighting planets!
After a day of game drives or walking safari’s, you deserve some R&R. Karongwe Portfolio Spa offers a variety of treatments from massages to body wraps. Each treatment is influenced by the surrounding nature to create a truly sensual experience and leave you feeling invigorated.
If you prefer a slightly more active route to relaxation try Ubuntu Yoga – a gentle African soulful, meditative yoga experience. The fee for this activity contributes to the Ubuntu Yoga Project at Nourish Eco Village (Nourish NPO) to help train promising local candidates and help them to earn their certification. Supporting the community is something which is very important to the Karongwe team.
With many activities directly aiding the local community, it is clearly evident that the local community is of great importance to Karongwe Portfolio.
You can leave your legacy by planting a fruit tree or indigenous tree thus positively contributing to the environment. Additionally, you can visit the local school or community, interact with the children at the grassroots level and gain a better understanding of how local people live. This is a very enriching experience.
Visiting the local community isn’t the only way to better understand life in the bush. Karongwe offers a traditional evening dinner and an interactive cooking experience. Food is integral to any culture and partaking in these activities will give you a new appreciation of the cultural diversity of South Africa.
Often on safari, children are an afterthought. That isn’t the case at Karongwe Portfolio. Karongwe Portfolio pride themselves in giving any child the best safari experience imaginable.
Through their ‘Little Paws Programme’ children can learn about wildlife, conservation, the environment and, most importantly, have fun. Activities include clay making tracks, face painting, tracker 101 course and gardening in the veggie garden.
Whilst you are on safari or having a massage, rest assured your kids are having the best day EVER.
To give future generations the opportunity to see wildlife in their natural habitat and the gorgeous landscapes we see today we must protect and conserve the environment.
Wherever you are, whoever you are you have a responsibility to protect the planet or at least your corner of it. Karongwe Portfolio recognizes this and offers visits to a wildlife rehabilitation centre where you can gain a better understanding of the dangers that our wildlife faces today. Whilst there you may see a range of baby animals as well as lion, leopard, honey badgers, wild dogs and any other creatures that are recuperating there.
You may also wish to visit one of South Africa’s leading private research and breeding facilities for species approaching extinction, The Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre. Here you will have the opportunity to see cheetah, lion, black-footed cats, wild cats and ground hornbills, among other rare species.
For a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience, you may want to join the Karongwe Private Game Reserve anti-poaching team on a 4-hour anti-poaching walk. This is not just a walk through the bush. You walk through the bush while being aware of not just the wild animals but also of the so-called “kill zones” possible “ambush zones” and “escape routes”. You become exposed to how real this war for conservation really is.
Karongwe Portfolio is set apart from similar properties by the extraordinary lengths they are willing to go to in order to ensure that your stay is a memorable experience.
Karongwe Portfolio provides countless activities in addition to the ones highlighted in this post. Including golf, horse riding, photography workshops, boat trips, gin tasting and more!
If you would like to know more about Karongwe Portfolio, get in touch with our team (they love it there).