Samara The Manor

Samara has a spectacular setting at the foot of a mountain range, about two and a half hours by road from Port Elizabeth in the Karoo region of South Africa’s malaria free Eastern Cape. At 27,000 hectares, Samara is the largest private wildlife reserve in the Eastern Cape. The reserve has a remarkably wide range of eco systems, and very varied wildlife as a result.

Accommodation & Facilities

Unless booked exclusively, The Manor welcomes children of 14 and over only. It has four en-suite bedrooms and is ideal for couples, or for families and friends travelling together.  While individual rooms can be booked, The Manor can also be booked as a fully staffed private villa with its own private vehicle, tracker, ranger and chef.  Its design reflects the local Karoo landscape, with a modern twist.  The Manor has two large living areas, a dining room, bar, breakfast room and kitchen.  All the rooms have private shaded decks and there is a stunning infinity pool which has views of a waterhole which is frequently visited by warthogs, monkeys and buffalo.

Wildlife & Activities
Samara has five of South Africa’s recognised biomes, thicket, savannah, grassland and nama Karoo, and Afro-montane forest, which allows a wide variety of flora and fauna to thrive. Flora includes ancient shepherd’s trees, wild olives, Karoo sage and camphor bushes, amongst others (the Kruger has just one biome – savannah). Day and night wildlife drives with expert guides offer guests the chance to see a large variety of animals and birds, including cheetah, lion, buffalo, wildebeest, black and white rhino, a small number of elephant, Cape mountain zebra, giraffe, aardvark, meerkats and herds of antelope. Guided walks, picnics and tracking white rhino and cheetah on foot are on offer year round, and ‘star bed’ sleep outs and fly camping are possible from October to April.