Rewilding South Africa
A Journey Through Time and Terrain
10
DAYS
1
DESTINATIONS
3
BIOMES
Best suited
Families | Couples
Experiences
Jeep safaris | walking safaris | bush sundowners | rhino tracking | botanist walks | camp outs
Must see
The Cheetah, which have returned to this landscape after a 200 year disappearance.
Discover South Africa’s Ecological Treasures
10-day adventure through Samara
Between the mountains of the Eastern Cape, uncover the ancient soul of the Karoo: where fossil-rich soils provide a habitat for native species such as the Cape Lion and the desert-adapted Black and White Rhino.
From the serenity of Walker Bay, be immersed in an explosion of colourful wildflowers as you explore Grootbos’s Florilegium’s botanical art and science, walk among endemic fynbos guided by expert ecologists, and witness the seasonal migration of southern right whales just offshore.
Trip Highlights
Journey Through South Africa’s Wild Tapestry
From the sweeping coastal splendor of Cape Town to the untamed reserves of the Great Karoo, this journey offers a dynamic blend of landscapes - beaches, vineyards, rugged escarpments, and private reserves - perfectly weaving together nature, adventure, and cultural richness.
Exclusive Conservation Engagement
Gain rare, behind-the-scenes access to leading wildlife research efforts - from camera‑trap monitoring and rhino horn trimming to conservation science sessions and fireside chats with expert field researchers under star‑filled skies.
Hosted Encounters with Rewilding Pioneers
Experience the power of rewilding firsthand as you track apex predators like lions and cheetahs, guided by conservation pioneers restoring the Great Karoo’s biodiversity.
Tangible Conservation Impact
Every journey supports real-world conservation: in 2023 alone, over $50,000 was directed to grassroots projects. Travelers not only witness restoration but become active contributors to initiatives that protect wildlife, rebuild habitats, and support local communities.
Activities tailored for all experiences
Game Drives & Walking Safaris
Explore the reserve's dramatic landscape and the wildlife that roam here, including the Big Five (lion, Cape buffalo, elephant, rhino, and giraffe), cheetah, and other Karoo plains game.
Paleontology Walk
Explore the reserve on foot with esteemed paleontologist, Professor Bruce Rubidge, who explains why this area of the Karoo is the cradle of the world, and the extraordinary fossils discovered here.
Cheetah Tracking
Accompanying South Africa's top tracker, Pokkie, learn ancient tracking skills which take you upclose to the resident plains cheetahs. Few places offers uninterrupted, upclose wildlife encounters as on this reserve.
Spekboom Planting
The Great Karoo is one of the world's 36 Biodiversity Hotspots and hosts five of the nine vegetation biomes found in South Africa. Plant your own spekboom and engage with the restoration of this globally-significance landscape firsthand.
Sleep under the Stars
Go off-grid immersed in the sights and sounds of the African bush, with a night at Plains Camp where good wine and food is shared around the fire, under the starry skies.
Horseback Botanical Safari
Ride through the landscape of wildflowers, or at sunset across the pristine beach, for a deeper connection with nature.
Your Journey Overview
A Taste of Cape Town: Culture, Cuisine & Coastal Charm
Your journey begins in Cape Town, a city where the mountains and ocean converge, with a thriving cultural and culinary scene inbetween. Upon arrival, you’ll be welcomed and transferred to your hotel before setting out to explore the city’s creative pulse.
Delve into South Africa’s rich artistic heritage with a private tour of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, housed in a strikingly reimagined grain silo overlooking the V&A Waterfront. As the sun sets over Table Mountain, you’ll enjoy dinner at one of the city’s acclaimed restaurants – a celebration of seasonal flavours and excellent South African wine.
Exceptional Stays in Cape Town
From City to Savannah: Immersed in the Spirit of the Karoo
Your onward journey continues with a private air charter to Graaff-Reinet, where you will be met by knowledgeable local guide and historian, David McNaughton, for an introduction to the region.
Settle into the room at the elegantly comfortable Karoo Lodge and enjoy a refreshing swim in the pool before a nourishing lunch. Then it’s time to head into the bush with your expert guide, who will unearth Samara’s magnificent wildlife during a game drive before rounding off your first day with a ‘boma’, or dinner al fresco – a quintessential part of bush lore.
On Foot with Cheetahs: A Journey into Samara’s Wild Heart
Your first morning at Samara centres around Africa’s most endangered Big Cat, the cheetah, where you’ll have the opportunity to get up close to these remarkable mammals. Samara is one of the best places in Africa to track cheetahs, particularly on foot, so don your walking shoes and prepare for the experience of a lifetime. Return the the lodge for lunch and an afternoon to relax. Early evening you will head out on a game drive – expect to spot many unusual species, from the bat-eared fox to the black rhinoceros. After dinner, a night drive will provide an opportunity to search for the elusive aardvark.
Exceptional Stay at Samara Karoo Reserve
High Plains & Wild Horizons: Exploring the Samara Escarpment
Today, you will explore one of South Africa’s most heart-stoppingly beautiful landscapes, known as the ‘Samara Mara’. After an exhilarating game drive up the escarpment, you will be blown away by the magnificence of the plateau grasslands on top with scattered herds of black wildebeest and the endangered Cape mountain zebra.
This biome is also the subject of ground-breaking research into the climate change mitigation effect of grasslands grazed by indigenous herbivores. Your hosts will explain the science in the field as you enjoy an al fresco lunch with a view over the plains below. This evening will be spent in a mobile camp in the bush under the mindbending Karoo skies.
Exceptional Stay at Samara Plains Camp
From Bush to Biodiversity: A Journey into Fynbos & Conservation
Catch your bush flight back to Cape Town, where you will be welcomed by your driver and transferred to the Walker Bay coastline. Upon arriving at Grootbos, you’ll immediately sense its deeper purpose: a living classroom for fynbos and marine conservation.
Set within a UNESCO-listed biodiversity hotspot, this private reserve grants you behind‑the‑scenes access to expert-led coastal and fynbos walks – paths usually reserved for researchers. Through intimate encounters with rare floral species and guided lessons on ecological restoration, you’ll learn not just to observe, but to understand how each shrub, dune, and dune thicket plays a role in sustaining threatened ecosystems.
Whales, Wildflowers & Wine: A Day at Grootbos
Wake to the scent of fynbos and the distant sound of waves rolling onto Walker Bay. After a nourishing breakfast, set out for a morning of whale watching along the dramatic coastline – one of the world’s best land-based vantage points for viewing southern right whales during their annual migration.
Later, return to the reserve for a guided botanical walk through Grootbos’s unique fynbos landscape, where conservationists share the secrets of this ancient, floral kingdom. The afternoon offers time to reflect, indulge in the lodge’s seasonal cuisine, or participate in one of the reserve’s hands-on conservation initiatives, ending the day with a glass of South African wine as the sun sinks behind the mountains.
Exceptional Stay at Grootbos Reserve
Our purpose
Journeys With Purpose engage guests with the world’s most ambitious and exciting conservation projects across our seven continents. We believe travel can be a powerful force for learning, for expanding horizons and shifting perspectives on the magic and wonder of our natural world.
Our journeys invite you to step outside of your daily ecosystem and engage with new cultures, environments and people in the world’s wildest corners. At this moment in history, we are placing unprecedented pressure on the planet and wildlife, communities and nature is under threat. True wilderness is increasingly rare, yet there are remarkable examples of nature rebounding, and flourishing.
These conservation successes showcase the resilience of our natural world, and our journeys serve to spotlight, and support, these projects. Whether on a safari, diving trip or mountain expedition, by travelling with JWP you contribute to our mission: to conserve and restore 30 million acres of land and 30 million acres of seas by 2030. We are proud members of 1% for the Planet, through which we donate 1% of our annual revenue to grass-root initiatives.
Journeys With Purpose is also a member of The Long Run, a Conde Nast Traveller specialist travel agency, and a Certified B Corp, awarded “Best for the World: Environment 2022”.
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The planning process
Each journey is thoughtfully crafted by our specialists to your preferences, to offer a profound connection with the natural world, inviting you to slow down, immerse and reconnect.
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Create Your Transformative Itinerary
Your impact journey specialist will help craft an itinerary tailored to your pace and passions, offering rare access to conservationists, communities and ecosystems few ever reach.
Travel With Purpose
From arrival to return, every detail is taken care of. You’ll travel responsibly, connect deeply and come home part of a story much bigger than your own.
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