Buffelsdrift is very proud of its elephant experiences which allow you to get up front and very personal with their tame elephants. Children and adults who are confident with animals will love it. It may lack the sense of wilderness you get in the best reserves, but given its location, good value and the tents on the lake, it is arguably the best choice for a short and relatively inexpensive safari experience into a Garden Route holiday.
Location
Buffelsdrift is full of surprises. On the face of it, the entrance just 5 minutes drive outside of Oudtshoorn feels more like a visitor attraction than a private reserve, but hidden within is a beautiful landscape. Currently, there are no lions on the reserve, but plans are afoot to acquire neighbouring land and introduce predators.
Accommodation
Accommodation comprises 25 classic safari tents set on the shore of an attractive water hole with resident hippos. The Luxury Waterfront tents are all on the front row immediately on the banks of the dam. The Luxury tents are set higher with good views but not immediately on the banks of the watering hole. These latter are usually used for families and can accommodate up to two adults and two children.
Activities
Activities include horse riding, elephant feeding, Meerkat experience and bush drives. There are 22 species on the reserve including Hippo, Elephant, Giraffe, Eland, Zebra, Buffalo, Rhino, Wildebeest and Springbok. Bush drives take place on open safari vehicles. A genuine emphasis is put on providing an all round bush experience and the guides are well versed in the bug-life, plants as well as the big beasts. We particularly enjoyed learning about the edible and medicinal plants found in the bush. Without the predators on the reserve, it is difficult to compare Buffelsdrift to a traditional wild safari experience, but as long as you go in with that understanding, Buffelsdrift is a fantastic place.
When to go
Find out when is best to visit
- Excellent
- Good
- Poor
SUMMER
A good time to visit with average midday temperatures of 30°C/86°F, occasionally temperatures can, however, spike to 40°C/104°F and over. Morning are a much more pleasant 10°C/50°F.
The Little Karoo can be best described as having a semi-arid climate, with very little and sporadic rainfall through the year. With this in mind, there is no real good or bad time to visit, but it is worth bearing in mind that the summers are hot and winter surprisingly cool. We would, therefore, recommend the spring and autumn months as the best time to visit.
SUMMER
A good time to visit with average midday temperatures of 30°C/86°F, occasionally temperatures can, however, spike to 40°C/104°F and over. Morning are a much more pleasant 10°C/50°F.
The Little Karoo can be best described as having a semi-arid climate, with very little and sporadic rainfall through the year. With this in mind, there is no real good or bad time to visit, but it is worth bearing in mind that the summers are hot and winter surprisingly cool. We would, therefore, recommend the spring and autumn months as the best time to visit.
SUMMER
A beautiful time to visit with average midday temperatures of 26°C/79°F, 11°C/52°F at night.
The Little Karoo can be best described as having a semi-arid climate, with very little and sporadic rainfall through the year. With this in mind, there is no real good or bad time to visit, but it is worth bearing in mind that the summers are hot and winter surprisingly cool. We would, therefore, recommend the spring and autumn months as the best time to visit.
AUTUMN
A beautiful time to visit with average midday temperatures of 24°C/75°F, 9°C/48°F at night.
The Little Karoo can be best described as having a semi-arid climate, with very little and sporadic rainfall through the year. With this in mind, there is no real good or bad time to visit, but it is worth bearing in mind that the summers are hot and winter surprisingly cool. We would, therefore, recommend the spring and autumn months as the best time to visit.
AUTUMN
A beautiful time to visit with average midday temperatures of 20°C/68°F, mornings average a rather chilly 6°C/48°F at night.
The Little Karoo can be best described as having a semi-arid climate, with very little and sporadic rainfall through the year. With this in mind, there is no real good or bad time to visit, but it is worth bearing in mind that the summers are hot and winter surprisingly cool. We would, therefore, recommend the spring and autumn months as the best time to visit.
WINTER
Given the regions semi-arid climate, days are generally dry, bright and sunny. Temperatures, on the other hand, are somewhat on the cool side, with average midday highs of 17°C/63°F, mornings average a rather cold 3°C/37°F at night - make sure to pack extra layers!
The Little Karoo can be best described as having a semi-arid climate, with very little and sporadic rainfall through the year. With this in mind, there is no real good or bad time to visit, but it is worth bearing in mind that the summers are hot and winter surprisingly cool. We would, therefore, recommend the spring and autumn months as the best time to visit.
WINTER
Given the regions semi-arid climate, days are generally dry, bright and sunny. Temperatures, on the other hand, are somewhat on the cool side, with average midday highs of 16°C/61°F, mornings average a rather cold 2°C/36°F at night - make sure to pack extra layers!
The Little Karoo can be best described as having a semi-arid climate, with very little and sporadic rainfall through the year. With this in mind, there is no real good or bad time to visit, but it is worth bearing in mind that the summers are hot and winter surprisingly cool. We would, therefore, recommend the spring and autumn months as the best time to visit.
WINTER
Given the regions semi-arid climate, days are generally dry, bright and sunny. Temperatures are beginning to warm up, with average a pleasant midday high of 19°C/66°F, mornings remain rather cold 4°C/39°F at night - make sure to pack extra layers!
The Little Karoo can be best described as having a semi-arid climate, with very little and sporadic rainfall through the year. With this in mind, there is no real good or bad time to visit, but it is worth bearing in mind that the summers are hot and winter surprisingly cool. We would, therefore, recommend the spring and autumn months as the best time to visit.
SPRING
A beautiful time to visit with average midday temperatures of 22°C/72°F, mornings average a rather chilly 6°C/48°F at night.
The Little Karoo can be best described as having a semi-arid climate, with very little and sporadic rainfall through the year. With this in mind, there is no real good or bad time to visit, but it is worth bearing in mind that the summers are hot and winter surprisingly cool. We would, therefore, recommend the spring and autumn months as the best time to visit.
SPRING
A beautiful time to visit with average midday temperatures of 25°C/81°F, mornings average a rather cool 11°C/52°F at night.
The Little Karoo can be best described as having a semi-arid climate, with very little and sporadic rainfall through the year. With this in mind, there is no real good or bad time to visit, but it is worth bearing in mind that the summers are hot and winter surprisingly cool. We would, therefore, recommend the spring and autumn months as the best time to visit.
SPRING
A beautiful time to visit with average midday temperatures of 27°C/77°F, mornings average a rather chilly 8°C/46°F at night.
The Little Karoo can be best described as having a semi-arid climate, with very little and sporadic rainfall through the year. With this in mind, there is no real good or bad time to visit, but it is worth bearing in mind that the summers are hot and winter surprisingly cool. We would, therefore, recommend the spring and autumn months as the best time to visit.
SUMMER
A good time to visit with average midday temperatures of 30°C/86°F, occasionally temperatures can, however, spike to 40°C/104°F and over. Morning are a much more pleasant 10°C/50°F.
The Little Karoo can be best described as having a semi-arid climate, with very little and sporadic rainfall through the year. With this in mind, there is no real good or bad time to visit, but it is worth bearing in mind that the summers are hot and winter surprisingly cool. We would, therefore, recommend the spring and autumn months as the best time to visit.
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What People Say
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The personalised service provided was far beyond my expectations. A three week trip visiting four countries in Africa, multiple game reserves, wineries and much, much more was flawless. While a close encounter with a leopard and her cubs…
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We got in touch after hearing about Hide & Seek from a friend. Have to say hats off to Jamie, he was so patient throughout, even through our indecisiveness! Ultimately we ended up with the most incredible holiday of our lives. Thank you again, we will be back!!
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Thank you for arranging our Safari holiday in Kenya and Tanzania for us. It was to celebrate our 40th. Wedding anniversary which was on July 1st. 2018, and through your arrangements, we have had a holiday that we will never forget...
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Thanks so much for a truly unforgettable once in a life time holiday. Hopefully we will be in touch again soon!
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Spot on in terms of itinerary . We not disappointed by any of the suggestions and had the best holiday ever! Thank you!
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Jamie was very helpful throughout the booking process and recommended the perfect holiday. There was nothing we would change having now been out to Tanzania. I would highly recommend Hide & Seek to friends and relatives.
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Jamie was excellent. Once I described what we wanted I knew he would come up with the business. ..and he did!!! 5 stars
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We spoke to numerous travel agents over the period we looked at booking our honeymoon and only hide and seek gave me the confidence I was looking for. Really pleased with our decision.
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Hide and seek dealt with our last minute travel plans extremely well. Obviously, our accommodations shifted as availability diminished but ultimately they came up with a vacation that we will never forget.
