In a nutshell
- A Garden Route safari is a great alternative if Kruger National Park isn’t on your South Africa road trip itinerary.
- There are many private game reserves where you can stay overnight and go on game drives. Our personal favorite is the Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve with the Belle Balance Bush Lodge.
- Several reserves also offer day safaris for visitors who aren’t staying on-site.
- We’ve rounded up our top 10 game lodges on the Garden Route — including what animals you’ll see, family options, and what’s included in the price.
Is a Safari on the Garden Route Worth It?
The Garden Route isn’t really one of the travel destinations in South Africa known for wildlife and game drives. For that, you’re better off heading to the northern part of the country — Kruger National Park being the obvious choice.
That said, you don’t have to skip a Garden Route safari entirely. Even without any of the really large national parks, you’ll find many private game reserves scattered along the route.
Many of these reserves are home to the Big 5 (lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards, and buffalo), as well as zebras, giraffes, and various antelope species.
If your South Africa itinerary doesn’t include Kruger, a Garden Route safari is a seriously great alternative. It gives you the chance to see animals in their natural habitat and get a feel for whether a bigger safari might be on the cards for a future trip. You can also do a safari near Cape Town if that works better for your schedule.
Even if you’re traveling the Garden Route with kids, a safari is an incredible experience. Many game reserves offer tours that welcome young children — which is often much harder to find in the larger national parks.
How Did We Choose the Safari Lodges on the Garden Route?
There’s an enormous selection of private game reserves along the Garden Route. We’ve picked out our top 10 game lodges for staying overnight on the Garden Route and are sharing them with you here.
When making our selection, we made sure there’s something in every price range. You’ll also find in our overview whether each lodge offers safaris to day visitors, and whether there are special options for children.
We’ve sorted the game lodges by their geographic location from west to east.
Garden Route Game Lodge
Where is the Garden Route Game Lodge located? The Garden Route Game Lodge is situated 44 km west of Mossel Bay at the start of the Garden Route as seen from Cape Town.
What animals are there? Big 5 (elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos, buffalo), giraffes, zebras, various antelope species.
Can you book just a safari without staying overnight? Yes, absolutely. Every day at 11 AM, a game drive departs for day visitors. You can find all the details on the lodge’s website.
Are there options for children? Overnight guests can bring children of any age on a game drive. You’ll either have a vehicle to yourselves or share one with other families. For children ages six and up, there are also special activities such as short bush walks or cheetah tracking with a ranger.
Accommodation: The Garden Route Game Lodge offers lovely bungalows with half board. Every stay includes two game drives.
Book the Garden Route Game Lodge online
Indalu Game Reserve
Where is the Indalu Game Reserve located? The reserve is 30 kilometers west of Mossel Bay.
What animals are there? Elephants, buffalo, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, ostriches, various antelope species.
Can you book just a safari without staying overnight? Yes, that’s possible. The safari takes place in the evening and departs from the main gate. More information is available on the reserve’s website.
Are there options for children? No, there are no special offerings for children here.
Accommodation: The chalets in the reserve are traditionally furnished and have their own kitchens. Rates are affordable compared to other game reserves on the Garden Route.
Gondwana Game Reserve
Where is the Gondwana Game Reserve located? The Gondwana Game Reserve is 25 kilometers northwest of Mossel Bay at the start of the Garden Route.
What animals are there? Big 5, zebras, hippos, various antelope species.
Can you book just a safari without staying overnight? No, unfortunately that’s not possible here.
Are there options for children? Definitely. There’s a Junior Ranger program where the whole family goes on game drives with their own guide, and the kids learn a huge amount about South African wildlife along the way.
Accommodation: You can choose between your own villa, a double room, or a tent. All options are beautifully appointed with that lovely mix of tradition and modern comfort.
Book the Gondwana Game Reserve
Botlierskop Game Reserve
Where is the Botlierskop Game Reserve located? The reserve is about 20 kilometers northeast of Mossel Bay.
What animals are there? Rhinos, lions, elephants, buffalo, cheetahs, giraffes, wildebeest, zebras, hippos.
Can you book just a safari without staying overnight? Yes, and it’s super easy to arrange. You can book online and choose between a daytime game drive and a sunset safari. We’d go for the sunset option — it’s really special.
Are there options for children? Yes, kids can really make the most of it here. There are fishing trips, a special spa program, and a Junior Ranger program. Children ages three and up can join the daytime safari, and from age six they can also join the sunset game drive.
Accommodation: At Botlierskop you can choose between lovely rooms with large panoramic windows or tents set right in the middle of the bush.
Book the Botlierskop Game Reserve
Buffelsdrift Game Lodge
Where is the Buffelsdrift Game Lodge located? The lodge is 70 kilometers north of George, near Oudtshoorn.
What animals are there? Elephants, lions, buffalo, meerkats, hippos, giraffes, zebras, springboks, cheetahs.
Can you book just a safari without staying overnight? Yes, day visitors can join a safari daily at 9 AM and again at 3 PM. You can find more information on the lodge’s website.
Are there options for children? No dedicated children’s program, but there is a 30-minute elephant encounter where you get up close to the elephants — which kids absolutely love.
Accommodation: Overnight guests stay in tents that are so spacious and beautifully furnished they look just like proper hotel rooms. Seriously impressive.
Book the Buffelsdrift Game Lodge
Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve
Where is the Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve located? The reserve is near Plettenberg Bay, roughly halfway between Mossel Bay and Port Elizabeth.
What animals are there? Elephants, buffalo, leopards, baboons, zebras, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, various antelope species.
Can you book just a safari without staying overnight? Yes, totally. You can book the two-hour game drive online right here — it’s quick and easy.
Are there options for children? Children of any age are welcome on game drives. If you want to join a horseback safari, dedicated babysitters are available to look after the little ones.
Accommodation: The rooms at the Belle Balance Bush Lodge have a seriously cool view. Book with half board and the safari is already included — great value.
Book the Belle Balance Bush Lodge
Addo Elephant Park
Where is the Addo Elephant Park located? The park is about 100 kilometers north of Port Elizabeth at the eastern end of the Garden Route. Addo Elephant Park is not a private game reserve — it’s an official national park.
What animals are there? Over 600 elephants, as well as the other Big 5 animals (though rhinos and leopards are rarely spotted), zebras, warthogs, meerkats, various antelope species.
Can you book just a safari without staying overnight? You can easily explore the park in your own car, or join organized tours that you can book here.
Are there options for children? During school vacation periods in July and December, there’s a dedicated holiday program for children. Children ages six and up can join the organized game drives. In your own car, you can of course bring kids of any age.
Accommodation: At the Gorah Elephant Camp, you stay in luxury tents right inside the national park — and if you’re lucky, you’ll spot animals from the camp itself. A great option just outside the park is the Stellenhof Guesthouse.
Read our detailed trip report about Addo National Park too:
Shamwari Reserve
Where is the Shamwari Reserve located? The reserve is just under 80 kilometers northeast of Port Elizabeth and is one of the finest, most luxurious game reserves in all of South Africa.
What animals are there? Big 5, giraffes, cheetahs.
Can you book just a safari without staying overnight? No, that’s not possible here.
Are there options for children? There’s a dedicated Adventure Center for kids with a climbing wall, zipline, treehouses, and slides. They can also take part in a children’s safari — a real highlight for families.
Accommodation: The rooms at the Riverdene Lodge are beautifully furnished and, with a sofa bed, are perfect for families. Game drives, meals, and drinks are all included in the price.
Amakhala Game Reserve
Where is the Amakhala Game Reserve located? The Amakhala Game Reserve is east of Port Elizabeth at the end of the Garden Route — about a 45-minute drive from the city.
What animals are there? Big 5, giraffes, zebras, cheetahs, white-tailed wildebeest, various antelope species.
Can you book just a safari without staying overnight? Yes, you can. Day safaris depart either from Leeuwenbosch Country House at 9 AM or from Hlosi Game Lodge at 10 AM. You’ll find all the details on the game reserve’s website.
Are there options for children? No dedicated kids’ excursions, but children under 12 stay and eat at the reserve free of charge — and they receive two game drives per night of stay. That’s a pretty great deal.
Accommodation: At the Woodbury Tented Camp, you stay in large, well-appointed tents. Meals, drinks, and two game drives per night are all included.
Lalibela Game Reserve
Where is the Lalibela Game Reserve located? The Lalibela Game Reserve is between Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown — about an hour’s drive from Port Elizabeth.
What animals are there? Big 5, antelopes, cheetahs, hyenas, caracals.
Can you book just a safari without staying overnight? No, unfortunately that’s not possible here.
Are there options for children? Absolutely. Children have their own dedicated supervisors who do crafts, play games, organize scavenger hunts, and teach them all sorts of things about the bush. From age two, kids can join family game drives.
Accommodation: Mark’s Camp is spacious, beautifully appointed, and two game drives per night of stay are included.
Our Experiences with a Garden Route Safari
On our last trip, we went on two safaris ourselves. We did a two-hour game drive at the Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve and spent two days at Addo Elephant Park.
For us, it was absolutely worth it. Since we were traveling with two young children, visiting the large national parks in northern South Africa wasn’t really an option. The safaris on the Garden Route turned out to be a truly wonderful alternative, and we’d recommend them without hesitation.
