Happy 20th Birthday Amakhala!
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Amakhala Game Reserve celebrates their 20-year birthday in October this year!
Leading up to the big day, Amakhala is offering accommodation specials, sharing birthday cake and hosting special events throughout the year to celebrate – and proudly reflect on – two unforgettable decades of conservation and community. Awarded Protected Area Status in recognition of its contribution to conservation, Amakhala continues to thrive as a model of how to convert agricultural land to ecotourism, creating a viable tourism economy, protecting wildlife and uplifting the local community. Amakhala remains committed to building strong
communities, families and individuals.
It was very fitting that the year-long celebrations kicked-off with a special day of festivities on 22 May, with a special gathering of almost 200 people in a formation of “20” on the rolling plains for a unique aerial drone photograph.
The gathering included lodge owners, staff, friends and children from the local Sidbury Primary School, who also sang a special Happy Birthday song.
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The celebrations continued with an evening cocktail event at the Sidbury Cricket Club, which include invited guests from neighbouring reserves and the farming community, to celebrate the signing of the historic constitution by the four farming families (Gush, Weeks, Harts and Fowlds) 20 years ago and the launch of Amakhala Game Reserve.
Also among the guests were Kathryn Cleary from Grocott’s Mail and Mr David Peddie, who played an integral role in arranging the final historic Amakhala constitution, and flew in from Cape Town to attend the event.
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Amakhala Game Reserve is proud of its achievements and thanks its family, staff, friends and community for their on-going support, commitment and effort that enable the Reserve to thrive and contribute to the development of sustainable tourism in the Eastern Cape, offering visitors the opportunity to appreciate the natural landscapes, indigenous wildlife and unique local culture. The Amakhala team looks forward to sharing the next 20 years with you!
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The magnificent game on Amakhala Reserve have spoilt our guests with amazing sightings while the rain has turned the reserve and our Lodge into a lush garden of green and brightly coloured plant life – a stunning sight!
A wonderful mixture of guests have thoroughly enjoyed their visits to Leeuwenbosch over the past few weeks - from our favourite Texas University Student Groups and veterinary groups, to passionate photographers, guide book authors, new and existing agents, and return visitors!
We look forward to welcoming our guests over the winter months with extra blankets, hot water bottles and crackling fires. |
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The Woodbury Tented Camp team was delighted to welcome back the African Wildlife Ecology students from
Dalhousie University in Canada. The students enjoyed an experience unlike any other, working on a game reserve in South Africa for nearly three weeks and experiencing ecology in action, covering topics in animal behaviour, palaeontology, anthropology and more. It’s been hands-on learning at its best!
To hear more about the students’ experiences, visit their blog at https://blogs.dal.ca/awe. |
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Every evening, the giraffe and other animals come down to our watering hole for a sundowner. Our guests join them for welcome drinks after a game drive to enjoy the spectacular view of the valley.
When the giraffe come down to the watering hole at Safari Lodge on the 21 June, it will be extra special, because on this day we celebrate World Giraffe Day - an annual event initiated by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation [https://giraffeconservation.org/world-giraffe-day/] to celebrate the longest-necked animal on the longest day or night of the year and
raising awareness that there are so few giraffe remaining in the wild. |
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Woodbury Lodge guests were treated to a very unusual sighting when their Field Guide,
Seamus, spotted a black-backed jackal getting acquainted with gravity!
Black-backed jackals have a wide and varied diet, from young antelope, rodents and birds to fruit and carrion. On this occasion a jackal was attempting to hunt a troop of monkeys and didn’t give up when they retreated into a tree. Instead, our guests looked on in amusement as the jackal launched itself into the tree, only to come tumbling down in spectacular fashion! Even Seamus admitted that this was a truly unique experience of African wildlife.
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As Amakhala celebrates its 20th year in conservation, HillsNek Safari Camp adds to the celebrations
with a matching 20 years of service by team members Maggie Mtanda and Susan Magielies. The sisters, once housekeepers, have turned their love for cuisine into permanent positions as chefs in our safari kitchen through determination, passion, tutoring and in-house training. Maggie and Susan add panache, attitude and humour to the HillsNek kitchen, creating extra-delicious authentic meals for our valued guests, like traditional Malva pudding drizzled with Amarula. A true story of African
Koek-Sisters, their work is a real treat for our visitors! |
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Stephen D wrote a review 18 Jun
Amazing staff and stay
Myself and my wife spent the last 3 nights of our honeymoon to SA here. The room was amazing overlooking the watering hole. Our game ranger was Steve he was so passionate about his job and very friendly, I hope to see him again on another trip to SA. The bar man Luanda was so friendly and a really interesting guy, he always greeted us with a smile and a glass of wine. We had lots to talk about and he was very genuine. We wish him and his family all the best and hope to see him again too. All the
staff were so nice and nothing was too much trouble. From the maintenance men to the servers absolute professionalism with a warm smile. I couldn't recommend this place more.
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