Help me plan Overview
Easy to reach and family-friendly, Lalibela Game Reserve is one of the Eastern Cape 2019s best-kept secrets. The malaria-free sanctuary promises guests an authentic African Big 5 experience. While safaris are their speciality, Lalibela is just as committed to hospitality. Guests can look forward to an enchanting menu, ranging from local classics to more modern African-inspired nourishment.
Wildlife
Because there are no public roads running through the property, all animals, including predators, can be seen roaming freely. Lalibela’s experienced rangers are just as passionate about introducing guests to the timid blue duiker and South African springhare as they are to the magnificent leopard and African elephant. Catch a glimpse of them all, big and small, on an early morning or sunset game drive. More About the Wildlife
Best Time to Visit
Surrounded by bushveld, grassland and fynbos, Lalibela is naturally the perfect home for the Big 5 to roam. That said, you could still plan to get the most out of your game drives by visiting in April when weather conditions are said to be at their best and you’re most likely to see wildlife. More About the Best Time to Visit
Weather & Climate
As is typical for the Eastern Cape, summers are humid and wet, while winters are cold and arid. More About the Weather and Climate
Reviews
Feedback Company
Tripadvisor
Wildlife & Animals
Abundant
Common
Occasional
Rare
None
-
Elephant
Common -
Wild Dog
None -
Hyena
Common -
Cheetah
Common -
Leopard
Rare -
Lion
Common -
Black Rhino
Common -
White Rhino
Common -
Wildebeest
Common -
Zebra
Common -
Buffalo
Common -
Hippo
Common -
Giraffe
Common
Size relative to a 6-ft man: ![animal-size]()
IUCN Red List Status Vulnerable
- LC
- NT
- VU
- EN
- CR
- EW
- EX
Least Concern
Current Population Trend:
Best Time to Visit
May to September
Dry Season – Winter
- Animals gather around water sources, making them easier to spot
October to April
Wet Season – Summer
- The park won’t be very busy (except school holidays)
Weather & Climate
Climate Chart
Getting There
Airlines & Ticket Prices
To book your International and local flights, it is best to discuss options with our agents. They will be able to secure best tariffs and match it with your safari dates.
Click on Enquire Now for a free consultation.
View on Map
Accommodation
Your Budget
R0
R13751
Lalibela Inzolo Lodge
The camp is small, accommodating eight guests in five Meru-style tents. It’s located in an elevated position in the remote southern part of the reserve amid spectacular granite outcrops known locally as “koppies” and overlooks a large watering hole below the camp’s expansive viewing deck. The views over the bushveld are spectacular and daily guided walks and game drives allow guests to explore large tracts of bush in absolute exclusivity. The Meru-style tents are simple yet comfortable and well-appointed, offering an authentic safari experience. The tents are all equipped with beds offering a twin or king size configuration with lighting provided by solar power. Because we are located in a water-scarce region each tent is equipped with a shower rather than a bath, with hot water provided by gas geysers always available. Food is home-cooked, often over an open fire, using locally sourced fresh produce. The camp does not offer a luxury culinary experience as the menu is a set affair, but we do try and cater to individual preferences provided we have prior notice of dietary requirements at the time of booking. The camp has a large tented mess and lounge area with an honour bar system and a range of reference books. There is a charging station for camera batteries and phones. Unfortunately, wi-fi is not available due to the remote location.
Kichaka Private Game Lodge
Situated in a private game reserve in the malaria-free Eastern Cape, Kichaka is the perfect place to enjoy a Big Five safari experience in quiet luxury. Feel instantly at home – the lounge and dining areas are positioned to offer uninterrupted views across unspoilt bush. Large terraces provide a magnificent viewing deck to witness the passage of game to the banks of the adjacent waterhole. Relax and enjoy the scents and sounds of the African bush in 10 beautifully appointed and spacious suites, each with private deck, plunge pool and Wi-Fi connectivity. Experienced guides ensure fascinating game-viewing from open vehicles or on guided walks. Enjoy a relaxing massage in the safari-styled wellness-suite, outstanding cuisine complemented by premium wines, and our friendly staff, who are key to Kichaka’s commitment to service excellence and a 5 star experience, tailor-making each guest’s stay to suit individual tastes, interests and moods.
Marks Camp
Relaxed Pan-African style and a friendly atmosphere welcome guests to Mark’s Camp at Lalibela Game Reserve. Tucked into the bushveld on a hillside overlooking a waterhole, the stone and thatch lodge is perfectly placed for Big Five game-viewing in this family-owned private game reserve in South Africa’s malaria-free Eastern Cape. Eight very comfortable thatched chalets have private viewing decks looking out over the surrounding bush. Four of them are family rooms sleeping two adults and two children and all have en-suite bathrooms and air conditioning, as well as efficient heating and electric blankets for chilly winter nights. The main lodge building has soaring thatched ceilings, a comfortable lounge and dining room with roaring fires in winter and an open boma for eating outside beside the campfire in summer.
Lalibela Mills Manor
Mills Manor is an exclusive-use home style villa offering an idyllic and private safari getaway. The villa has a relaxed home-away-from-home ambience and comes with a private game ranger and vehicle, chef and housekeeper. The gables, high ceilings, large rooms and wide wrap-around veranda are typical of the Edwardian farmhouses of the region, built at a time when high wool prices and the ostrich feather boom allowed farmers to build stately family homes. The villa is set on a hill overlooking a waterhole, which means that game viewing continues even after game drives.
Lentaba Safari Lodge
Known as the ‘Lodge on the Hillside’, Lentaba boasts a large lounge, viewing deck and a sunny swimming pool where you can spend a lazy afternoon in-between game drives. There is also a waterhole, which is spotlit after dark for night game viewing. The lodge offers 10 secluded thatched chalets, each with air conditioning and a private observation deck to make the most of the views over the valley bushveld. There is an outdoor dining ‘boma’ for fireside dinners and open-air brunches in the summer months, as well as a gracious indoor dining area. In the evenings, guests are entertained by the resident African Dance Group before enjoying their evening meal. There are plenty of places at the Lentaba to unwind and socialise during the day while African decor and three fireplaces add warmth to the whole affair.
