Botlierskop Game Reserve

Situated in the Malaria free and Crime free Western Cape in South Africa, Botlierskop Private Game Reserve is blessed with a great diversity of habitat and wildlife. Visitors have an excellent chance of experiencing close encounters with rhinoceros, lions, buffalo, giraffe, rare black impala and many more, in an exhilarating 3 hour guided game drive.

This unique 4x4 game viewing drive in an open vehicle or quad bike, is a stimulating mix of bush craft and exciting game viewing for the outdoor enthusiast. Your experience starts at the restaurant, where the well trained and knowledgeable guides will welcome you and introduce you to true South African hospitality.

For those who love the smaller things in life, we now offer guided nature walks, packed with information and breathtaking scenery.

Accommodation

To experience the complete safari, stay in the luxurious tented suites with an en-suite bathroom, situated on the river bank in the midst of a bird sanctuary. All luxury tented suites on wooden decks offer breathtaking views of the river and tranquil mountainous surroundings and are situated in a bird sanctuary with free roaming animals.

The tents are elegantly decorated in a colonial theme with four poster beds and mosquito nets. Each secluded tent has an en-suite bathroom, a mini bar, telephone, private deck and personal ranger service. Most of the tents also offer their own private jetties for guests to explore fishing opportunities and all the tents are linked to the restaurant and lounge area with elevated walkways.

Elephant Back Safaris

The Botlierskop team is happy to announce that the first elephants arrived at Botlierskop on 13 June 2004 and this will be the first time that elephant back rides are offered in the Garden Route. The two elephants that joined the Botlierskop team, Sam and Tsotsi, are orphans surviving a culling[1] program in the Zambezi Valley, Zimbabwe. The male, Sam is 24 years old and the female, Tsotsi, is 19 years old. Tsotsi means naughty or mischievous for she was quite a troublemaker as a youngster.

Viv Bristow and his sons, the owners of the elephants, run the family business his farther started in 1973. They help out with problem animal control. Animals (mostly orphans) from the culling programs in Africa were sent to Europe to establish breeding programs there. That ensures a 'back up' population exists in Europe to repopulate Africa should that specific species become extinct.

Viv believes animals must generate their own income to support themselves. Sam and Tsotsi were first kept at The Lion and Cheetah Park in Zimbabwe. They were used for educational purposes: educating people about elephant behaviour, how they bath themselves, walking with as well as riding them.

In September 2003 with the political instability in Zimbabwe, war veterans also invaded Viv's property. In order to save as many animals as possible, Viv moved some of his animals to the Ranch Hotel near Polokwane (former Pietersburg) in the north of South Africa. The owners of Botlierskop approached Viv in the beginning of 2004 to bring his elephants to Botlierskop and continue the educational program he started in Zimbabwe. This will include: Elephant back rides and Elephant Picnic's.

Elephant Back Ride:

Experience the real African thrill on elephant back - a unique first for the Garden Route.

Elephant Picnic:

Enjoy a picnic in tranquil settings and relax amongst these extraordinary elephants.