Award-winning Samara Karoo Reserve is a conservation journey on 67,000 acres of born-again wilderness in South Africa’s heart-stoppingly beautiful Great Karoo region. Founded in 1997, Samara has pioneered the rewilding of this semi-arid yet uniquely biodiverse landscape, catalysing an ambitious vision to expand the conservation estate to a 3-million-acre footprint in a Global Biodiversity Hotspot.

Today the reserve is one of South Africa’s most diverse safari destinations, comprising five vegetation biomes across strikingly varied topography, home to over 60 mammal species including the Big Five and cheetah, 225 bird species, as well as some of the more elusive and unusual animals such as the aardvark, bat-eared fox, and small-spotted cat.

Three intimate, 5-star lodges welcome up to 40 guests at a time for slow, meaningful, and exceptional safari encounters in a malaria-free setting. Karoo Lodge is a lovingly restored homestead with 10 suites overlooking an amphitheater of mountains. The Manor, offering a contemporary take on Karoo living, caters for up to 8 guests in comfort and style – an option well-suited to families and groups looking for privacy, indulgence, and complete relaxation. Plains Camp is Samara’s latest eco-tourism offering, an off-grid tented experience for up to 8 guests in a spectacularly wild setting.

Guests on safari at Samara will bask in the exclusivity of being one of few people in a vast wilderness, with myriad activities on offer to explore, entertain and educate. These include game drives, bush walks, tracking sessions, conservation activities, fly camping, kids’ programmes, a star bed, and wilderness picnics. Children of all ages are welcome.