Samara Karoo Reserve

Samara Karoo Reserve sits in the Eastern Cape, about 30 kilometres from Graaff-Reinet, off the R63 to Pearston. Sarah and Mark Tompkins founded it in 1997 to restore farms into wilderness. The reserve now covers 67,000 acres at the meeting of five vegetation biomes. The official story names the return of cheetah in 2004, desert-adapted black rhino in 2013, elephant in 2017, and lion in 2019, with leopard arriving of their own accord in 2021. Three lodges share the land: Karoo Lodge, a restored homestead with eight suites; The Manor, an exclusive-use villa for eight with a private vehicle; and Plains Camp, four off-grid tented suites for walking. The whole reserve holds at most forty guests. The published signature is cheetah tracking on foot. Game drives, walking safaris, wilderness picnics, star beds, San rock art, and aardvark tracking at dawn are listed as the programme, paced to each group, with no fixed sighting schedule. Guests typically fly into Gqeberha, then a road transfer of about three hours; a charter to a local airstrip can be arranged. Plains Camp is printed as closed June to August 2026 and July to September 2027. Reservations are reservations@samara.co.za and +27 49 940 1111. A nightly figure is not the point of this guide. Ask them. Reserve with the hotel. MindReach does not take the booking.