Conservation in the Eastern Cape

Lalibela is not a huge reserve and at times visitors will see fences and observe vehicles in the far distance moving across the landscape along the N-2 highway. These markers of civilization quickly fade into background as visitors learn about and embrace the conservation ethos of the Eastern Cape reserves.  

These huge pockets of fertile land protect and give shelter to several rare and endangered species in areas which humans find equally desirable. So to avoid human/animal conflict a few strategically placed fences are unavoidable.  

In just two days, Lalibela surprised us more than once. The quality of the guiding was excellent and maybe just as importantly was observing the high level of respect for the wildlife. The reserve has strict protocols in place not to crowd sightings and not to get too close to the animals. 

Finding and Observing Meerkats 

The single most surprising thing about Lalibela was the meerkats. I had absolutely no idea that there was a colony of semi-habituated meerkats on the property. Observing them fairly early one morning from our open vehicle was a real bonus.  

There are just two or three other safari properties in Southern Africa where meerkats can be seen reliably and they come at a huge premium compared with Lalibela.  

A Good Safari Choice for First Time Visitors 

We think that particularly for first time Africa visitors Lalibela would be a good choice. It provides rewarding and efficient game viewing on a medium-sized property. With as many as 10 vehicles out on safari there are many eyes looking – so you won’t miss much!

There are several other good reasons to consider Lalibela. It is malaria-free (so no worries about medications and their side effects), it is much more affordable than some other safari destinations and it is relatively easy to get to. Less than 90 minutes by road from Port Elizabeth Airport which is served by regular flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town.  

Camps, Hospitality and Dining 

Our first impressions, arriving in a rented car, were favorable. Despite some relatively recent flooding in the area the Lalibela roads were well maintained. There is a well thought out and efficient arrival and welcome procedure in place for self driving and regular guests. 

We spent two nights at Kichaka, Lalibela’s flagship property. Almost totally hidden away in a dense forest (as are the other Lalibela properties), Kichaka is luxurious but in an understated, tasteful style. 

There is a large, comfortable and well appointed main area with a separate dining room and outside patio. One level below, there’s a beautiful heated pool with a view of a waterhole.  

A few of the dinner and lunch dishes which we enjoyed during our stay included the following:

• Dinner: a consommé starter, lamb chops and curried lentils as mains options with malva pudding for dessert. 
• Lunch:  your choice of quinoa salad, warthog schnitzel and seafood bisque. Spiced apple tart and sorbet to end.
• Dinner: a choice of beef fillet steak, chicken supreme and chickpea & spinach curry for mains with crème brûlée for dessert. 

It was exceptionally cold at Lalibela during our visit but our room at Kichaka was nicely warmed. There was an inside and outside shower and a large tub with plenty of hot water. Each room has a heated plunge pool. 

Wildlife Sightings at Lalibela

Our very first afternoon game drive at Lalibela started off on a high note with good sightings of giraffes, two female lions, and lots of antelope including blesbok, hartebeest and impala, as well as zebras.  

The following day produced many more giraffes, some yellow mongoose and a small breeding herd of elephants. We spent quite a bit of time with them.  

On this day we also had exceptionally good views of zebras and large herds of blesbok. There appeared to be many hundreds if not thousands of them around.

Buffalo, meerkats and cheetahs

Our last morning drive was a humdinger: It started with a good-sized herd of about 100 plus buffalo. Mostly lying down, they were waiting for the sun to warm them a bit before setting out.  

From there we drove to a meerkat den inhabited by an extended family group of about 12 meerkats. We could see and photograph several of them standing on their hind legs and looking around and up in typical meerkat fashion. 

The grande finale was a cheetah sighting when a sibling group of five year-and-a-half-old cheetahs walked by the vehicle from our left to our right. Watching these sleek spotted cats in hunting mode was an amazing sight to behold. 

We left Lalibela with the comforting knowledge that those five young cheetahs and all the other wildlife and habitats are in good hands. Cared for by custodians whose primary objective is to protect and conserve the wilderness for generations to come.  

Several members of our Fish Eagle Safaris team have visited the Eastern Cape reserves recently. Please reach out to any of us for assistance with putting together your own South Africa itinerary to include Lalibela, Kwandwe or Shamwari. Lyndon can be reached at lyndon@fisheaglesafaris.com and Jason at jason@fisheaglesafaris.com. We are always happy to get on a phone call or Zoom meeting, so please leave a message with our answering service at 1-800-513-5222 or 713-467-5222 and we will call you back at your convenience. 

Property and food photos courtesy Lalibela/Felix Studios