Safari experts & storytellers. Since 1991
Trust us to find you the rarest animals, the most spectacular wildlife events, the remotest landscapes and deeply meaningful cultural encounters!
Why visit Samara Karoo Reserve?
Regenerative tourism: One of South Africa's rewilding success stories, a born-again wilderness in the heart-stoppingly beautiful Great Karoo region.
Malaria-free, Big 5 game reserve with excellent game drives, bush walks and wilderness picnics
Track cheetahs on foot
Hike to find ancient rock art and gain a fascinating insight into the region’s cultural past
Sleep under a gazillion stars in Samara's famous star bed
Easily combined with your Cape Town and Garden Route holiday
READ MORE about rewilding Samara
Samara quick facts & tips
27,000 hectares of rewilded Great Karoo bushveld
The nucleus of a larger plan to rewild the areas linking Camdeboo National Park in the west to Mountain Zebra National Park in the east – creating an ecological corridor for wildlife to traverse, and perhaps even see the return of such great spectacles like the great springbok migration
Samara features five of South Africa's nine major vegetation types (biomes) - savanna, Nama Karoo, Albany thicket, forest and grasslands
What wildlife can I expect to see at Samara Karoo Reserve?
The reserve is home to over 60 mammal species, including the Big Five (black & white rhino, elephant, lion, leopard and buffalo), cheetah, aardvark, black-footed cat, giraffe and herds of desert-adapted antelope such as springbok and oryx.
225 bird species have been recorded, including blue crane, Ludwig's bustard, Cape vulture and Karoo endemics such as Karoo korhaan, black-eared sparrowlark, Karoo eremomela, Namaqua warbler and Karoo long-billed lark.
We are trusted by thousands of satisfied travellers
✔️ 4.9 Star Trustpilot Rating ✔️ 5,000+ Safari Trips Completed
✔️ 34+ Years of Experience ✔️ 2025 Condé Nast Travel Specialist Award Winner
Samara FAQs
The best time to visit Samara Karoo Reserve is during South Africa’s warmer, drier months, from September to April, when the Eastern Cape’s landscapes are lush, wildlife is active, and conditions are comfortable for family safaris.
Spring and autumn offer particularly pleasant temperatures and clear skies, making them ideal for both game drives and relaxation. These months also avoid the mid-winter chill, ensuring an enjoyable and immersive safari experience in the region’s malaria-free reserves.
Peak season bookings require 12–18 months advance planning. Trips outside of peak season can be arranged 6–9 months ahead, with better rates and availability.
Safaris to lodges in private reserves typically cost from US$1,000 per person, per night, depending on the level of accommodation and activities. Our packages offer excellent value with transparent pricing.
Our safari prices typically include accommodation, all meals and described activities, park fees, experienced guides, airport transfers and 24/7 support from our team. Specific inclusions vary by package – contact us for detailed itineraries.
You only make your first payment when you book your holiday. Your second (last) payment is about 90 days before you travel.
We have been handcrafting experiential safaris since 1991. Travel in Africa is about knowing when and where to go, and with whom. A few weeks too early/late or a few kilometres off course, and you could miss the greatest show on Earth. And wouldn’t that be a pity?
Booking through a respected tour operator with many years of experience means that all you need to focus on is helping us design your safari and then having a superb vacation. The rest - all the nitty-gritty detail and admin is done while you relax. Our 24/7 concierges take care of problems such as flight changes and missed flights, last-minute road transfer and lodge changes due to unexpected events, and itinerary changes requested by you.
Remember that you will not save money by attempting to book and manage your own safari, but you will inherit mistakes and problems that arise.
Yes, your money is safe. Your payments go into a third-party TRUST ACCOUNT - protecting them in the unlikely event of a financial setback on our part. Also, we are members of SATSA who attest to our integrity, legal compliance and financial stability. See what travellers say about us.
YES, by booking your safari with Africa Geographic, you make a significant difference because:
We donate a portion of every safari sold to selected conservation efforts at ground level
Your safari supports our conservation publishing efforts, which educate the world about Africa's incredible biodiversity and the local people who protect it
Our chosen lodges support local community initiatives, ensuring that tourism benefits the nearby villages directly. They also adhere to strict environmental practices, such as limited vehicle numbers and sustainable camp operations, which help protect the ecosystem
YOUR safari choice does make a difference - thank you!
Start planning your Samara Karoo Reserve holiday
Our travel experts will craft a no-obligation itinerary just for you. We have crafted over 5,000 safaris since 1991. Your personal details are protected; we only use this information to contact you.
Why choose us to craft your safari?
Handcrafted experiential safaris since 1991.
Travel in Africa is about knowing when and where to go, and with whom. A few weeks too early/late or a few kilometres off course, and you could miss the greatest show on Earth. And wouldn’t that be a pity?
Trust & Safety
Guest payments go into a third-party TRUST ACCOUNT - protecting them in the unlikely event of a financial setback on our part. Also, we are members of SATSA who attest to our integrity, legal compliance and financial stability.
Make a difference
We donate a portion of the revenue from every safari sold to carefully selected conservation projects that make a significant difference at ground level.
YOUR safari choice does make a difference - thank you!