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In Samara Karoo Reserve, the small scale Plains Camp is the base for the 3-night Cheetah Trail, which includes a night of wild (but comfortable) camping. Guests walk in slackpacking style, covering around 30km over the four days, including tracking Samara’s cheetah.
The fly-camp has the full ‘under the stars’ experience – no tents are used, just stretcher beds with mattresses under mosquito nets. Ablutions are fly-camp style: a warm bucket shower, canvas washbasin and a composting short drop toilet.
The private reserve is a rewilding success story, and since its creation in 1997 reintroductions have resulted in healthy populations of cheetah, elephant and white rhino in a reserve that now extends to 27,000ha of Great Karoo veld. What makes it fascinating to explore on foot is the reserve’s location at the nexus of five vegetation biomes: Grasslands, Nama Karoo, Savanna, Thicket and Forest. These are habitat for a rich range of wildlife that also includes gemsbok and eland, lion buffalo and giraffe. There are less spotted animals present such as aardwolf, porcupine and bat-eared foxes and the birdlife includes specials such as the African olive pigeon.
As the name suggests, the prime attraction of the Cheetah Trail is tracking and trailing the reserve’s cheetah, a very special experience. Samara has a strong pedigree in their conservation, and was the first to reintroduce the cat to the Karoo after some 130 years of absence. The guides can demonstrate traditional tracking skills and also avail of modern technology: with several cheetah collared, they can reliably be found. Unlike other big cats, cheetah become easily habituated to humans on foot and can be approached ethically without causing disturbance to their natural behaviour.
Guests should be 16 or older and ‘walking fit’. The maximum number of guests is eight.
Samara Karoo is a 2.5 hours drive from Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) airport, and also has a private airstrip. Road and air transfers can be arranged on request. Guests check-in at Num-Num House, close to the reserve entrance off the R63 road, where there is secure parking for self-drivers. From there, transfers to Plains Camp are made by open game viewing vehicle, the journey taking around 40 minutes.
There is time on foot each day, and the walk to the fly-camp on the afternoon of the second day takes five to six hours depending on the route taken and number of stops for interesting things. Before sunset, you arrive to find the fly-camp set, and a warm bucket shower is first item on the agenda. Then there's drinks and dinner by the camp fire before settling to sleep under just a mosquito net.
- Luxury en-suite tented accommodation on first and third nights
- Mobile fly camp accommodation on your second night
- Internal transfer to Plains Camp
- All meals and selected drinks
- Fully guided by an experienced team.
- Conservation contribution of R450 per person per night
- Transfers to/from the Samara property
- Fine wines and premium brand spirits
- Gift shop purchases