Facilities & Amenities

• En suite bathroom with tub and shower (Classic Suite has shower only)
• Additional bathroom with shower in one-bedroom suites
• Shampoo, soap and lotion
• Hair dryer
• Air conditioning
• Fireplace
• Mini bar
• Tea/coffee in room
• Satellite television/ DVD
• 220v charging outlets in room
• In-room safe
• Private plunge pool in Pool Suites at Forest Lodge
• Central pool
• Spa (extra cost)
• Wi-Fi in room and main area
• Laundry (extra cost)
• Credit cards accepted (Visa and MasterCard)

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The Lodge

Location: Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, Gansbaai, South Africa
Number of Suites: 11 (Garden Lodge), 16 (Forest Lodge), 6 (Villa)

Grootbos Private Nature Reserve incorporates two separate lodges as well as two private villas, all overlooking seasonal whale watching in Walker Bay. Garden Lodge, surrounded by lush gardens, is built from stone, wood and traditional thatch and features 11 one- and two-bedroom suites, easily catering to families with children. The main dining room and lounge are lined with windows that offer panoramic view. Neighboring Forest Lodge, built of stone and wood, features more modern lines and offers 16 one-bedroom luxury suites. Forest Lodge is built at the edge of a milkwood forest, each suite perched with views of the reserve and bay. The Villa is privately staffed and ideal for private groups of up to 12 guests, offering the utmost in luxury and seclusion. The Growing the Future project, part of the Grootbos Foundation, provides organic eggs, herbs, honey, pork, vegetables and fruit to the lodge, and all fish is freshly caught from the Hermanus and Gansbaai harbors nearby.

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Wildlife Viewing & Activities

The nearly 8,650-acre reserve showcases the best of the Cape Floral Kingdom, with rolling hills covered in a variety of endemic fynbos, as well as afromontane and ancient milkwood forests. Over 900 plant species can be found here, as well as 29 mammals, 21 amphibians and 118 birds, 26 of which are endemic. Activities on the reserve include guided exploration on foot of the flora and forests, horseback riding within the reserve and nature, marine and coastal drives including Walker Bay Nature Reserve, where southern right whales calve between June and December. Other areas of exploration, such as De Kelders cliff walk and Klipgat Cave as well as birding, beach picnics and seasonal land-based whale watching are also included. This is a haven for marine wildlife, and additional activities that may be booked at extra cost are whale boat trips, great white shark cage diving, horseback riding on the beach, boat trips to Dyer Island and Geyser Rock to see a colony of 60,000 Cape fur seals and some African penguins, scenic flights, fat tire biking, Lady Stanford river cruise, golf excursions, regional wine tours, and day trips to Cape Agulhas, the most southern tip of Africa.

The Western Cape showcases some of Africa’s best marine wildlife. Migrating southern right whales gather in Walker Bay between the seaside towns of Hermanus and Gansbaai from June to December to mate and calve. The land-based whale watching is some of the best in the world. Gansbaai is also the “great white shark capital” of the world, with 2,000 of the planet’s 5,000 great whites found in South Africa. Shark viewing and cage diving takes place by boat near Dyer Island and Shark Bay, and nearby Geyser Rock is home to a colony of nearly 60,000 Cape fur seals. Endangered African penguins can be seen in various colonies of the Western Cape, and bottlenose and highly endangered humpback dolphins can often be seen on boat trips.

Climate

Conservation

The Grootbos Foundation has a number of ongoing projects. The Green Futures Horticulture and Life Skills College educates eight to 12 unemployed young adults annually with the goal of giving them the skills and confidence to be employable. The course is fully accredited and teaches various finance and business skills as well as conservation and horticulture. More than 110 people have graduated the course, and more than 90 percent were employed upon completion. The foundation has a plethora of other projects such as the Football Foundation, promoting integration in the Gansbaai region using sports as a vehicle for change. About 2,000 kids each week play soccer at the FIFA standard artificial soccer pitch, sponsored by the English Premier League. The center also runs programs focused on HIV education, environmental education, female empowerment, enterprise development, proper nutrition and social integration. Grootbos also has a number of organic farming initiatives built around teaching skills in organic agriculture, beekeeping, and sustainable animal husbandry to local community members, especially women.

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