SANBONA WILDLIFE RESERVE. WESTERN CAPE. SOUTH AFRICA A protected slice of wildlife, history and culture
Comprised of three luxury lodges and an explorer camp destination, Sanbona Wildlife Reserve sits at the foot of the imposing Warmwaterberg Mountains in the Klein Karoo. Set in 58,000 hectares of sculpted Cape Fold Mountains and wide-open plains, malaria-free and only a three hour drive from Cape Town, this is a destination of note.
THE LOCATION. THE KLEIN KAROO.
Purchased by Dr. Carmen Ellinger-Mühleder in 2012 through the CALEO Foundation which she founded for this purpose, the wildlife reserve, its lodges, camp and guided tours are an initiative to protect the astounding variety of wildlife and prehistoric culture found here.
Thanks to the Warmwaterberg Mountains creating a rain shadow on Sanbona, there are two types of vegetation-areas here. These biodomes consist namely of the Fynbos (fine bush) and the Succulent Karoo. To the south of the mountains nutrient rich soils receive on average 350 mm of rainfall annually and this supports the Montagu Shale Renosterveld vegetation of the Fynbos. North of the mountains however, the average rainfall drops significantly to only 150mm a year and the vegetation here shifts to the more arid succulent karoo.
More than simply a Big 5 wilderness reserve, Sanbona Wildlife Reserve offers a vastness of landscape, an alluring stillness and an isolation amid the raw beauty that makes it perfect for game drives and unique boating safaris. It also presents the perfect opportunity to engage and educate tourists on the value of this land.
“This area is well known for its diverse indigenous flora and fauna,” Paul Vorster, GM of Sanbona says, “But it also possesses some of the rarest examples of San rock art, some of which dates back more than 3,500 years, which is hugely significant and something that must be protected.” 56
