Riverside Luxury (Sibuya Game Reserve (South Africa))

Member Name: Maggie1981

Product:	Sibuya Game Reserve (South Africa)
Date:	23/04/09 (74 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Amazing scenery, luxurious accomodation, fantastic food, knowledgeable guide

Disadvantages: Game viewing was a little disappointing

When we travelled to South Africa we were extremely keen to go on Safari and see the amazing animals we've only ever seen on TV. Safari holidays however are extremely expensive so rather than spend the whole trip at one reserve we opted to spend a few nights in a few different places.

Sibuya Game Reserve is a private safari park located on the Kariega River in Kenton on Sea in the Eastern Cape. It is described on the website as "the quintessential African safari experience" and boasts frequent sightings of elephant, rhino, zebra, giraffe and over 400 different species of birdlife.

The reception for the reserve is hosted in the village of Kenton on Sea. Once you have checked in you are shown down to the jetty where you board a boat for a ride along the picturesque river to your camp. It is a truly fantastic way to arrive at your destination camp, where you are greeted at the jetty by friendly, helpful staff.

The game reserve itself is over 2000 hectares in size and hosts 2 luxurious tented camps - River Camp and Forest Camp. These are tented camps with a difference however, they are permanent with a wooden structure. Each tent is like a luxurious hotel room with a big, comfortable double bed and an en-suite bathroom (with shower and bath). Each tent also has a wooden deck and hammocks outside for pure indulgence, swinging in the trees in the gorgeous sunshine. At the heart of both camps is a main wooden structure which houses the kitchen, dining room and lounge area with fireplace. Meals are served here and are superb. Prices for the camps vary as one is considered 3 star and the other 4 star. We stayed in the 3 star River Camp and I find it difficult to imagine what additional extras they could possibly offer in the Forest Camp to give it the extra star! Prices vary from 1650 rand to 2145 rand per person per night, depending on the time of year and which camp you choose. When we went there was approx 15 rand to the pound and it cost roughly £250 a night in total for both of us. They also offer day trips that last approx 6 hours. The price includes all activities, accomodation, food and beverages.

As it was fairly expensive we only opted to have one night at Sibuya and while it was an amazing experience I think it was probably enough time for us. My partner and I were a little uncomfortable with the sheer luxury of the reserve, having driven past shanty towns on our journey from Cape Town to the Eastern Cape. On our arrival at lunch time we were served with a delicious buffet style meal, we were then given a choice of activities. Activities range from game drives, bird viewing, walks, canoeing and fishing among many others. We chose to spend some time in canoes on the river before having an evening game drive.

As we were the only guests at the reserve when we visited we spent a lot of time with the head guide/game keeper who was extremely knowledgeabe. He took us on a 3 hour evening game drive and gave us a lot of information about the animals, birds, flora and fauna in the reserve. The drive culminated with 'sundowners', a glass of wine while watching an amazing sun set. We returned to our camp in darkness and were also able to see some of the nocturnal animals.

On our return to camp we were spoilt with another delicious and indulgent meal prepared especially for us. Our only complaint would be that the service is so personal that the head keeper dines with you. This would have been fine had there been other guests but as we were the only guests it felt like we had to make polite conversation and couldn't talk between ourselves. Nonetheless he was extremely interesting to talk to and we enjoyed a lovely meal with him. The next morning we rose early for another game drive before sunrise.

As I already mentioned I think the one night here was enough for us. While we enjoyed the accomodation and meals we were a little awkward and uncomfortable with the extremely personal service we received. While we did see some beautiful scenery I have to say we were a little disappointed with the game, we saw plenty of zebra, buck and giraffe and a few rhino but the only elephant was the one shaped out of a towel in our tent. That was a big disappointment for me as it was the elephants that I was most excited to see. They do have quite a few animals in the reserve but unfortunately there's no guarantee that you'll actually see them when you're there! The national parks in South Africa are considered the 'poor mans' safari, however in our experience the standard of animals you see far outweight those in the private reserves.

Overall I would thoroughly recommend Sibuya for the accomodation, food and standard of service, although it was just a little too luxurious for my comfort. However if your main priority is to see animals I would suggest trying one of the less expensive national parks.

Summary: Fabulous experince but not the best place to view game!