Lodge · Sanbona
Sanbona Gondwana Family Lodge
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Sanbona Gondwana Family Lodge
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Sanbona Gondwana Family Lodge
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About the lodge
An overview of Sanbona Gondwana Family Lodge.
Nestled under the 350 million-year-old Warmwaterberg Mountains, in the heart of the Little Karoo which forms part of the famous Garden Route, lies the malaria-free Sanbona Wildlife Reserve. Gondwana Family Lodge is currently under renovation and will reopen mid-October 2025. Tilney Manor has been rearranged to welcome younger children, still making it possible for families to enjoy a safari experience close to Cape Town.
Highlights
- Sanbona Gondwana Family Lodge is the perfect sanctuary for family, friends, and groups.
- This spacious thatched lodge offers guests a sense of modern comfort with a touch of bush authenticity.
- The Kids on Safari program provides educational and recreational wildlife experiences.
You Should Know
- Children of all ages are welcome at Sanbona Gondwana Family Lodge.
- Child rates apply to children from 4 years up to and including 11 years, irrespective of whether they share with adults or have their own suite (single or shared).
- Children aged 0 to 3 years are accommodated at no additional cost, on a sharing basis only with adults.
- Persons under the age of 4 years are not permitted on game drives.
- Complimentary childminding is available in the children’s entertainment area during game drives and throughout the day.
The Detail
With views of the magnificent Anysberg Mountains and overlooking the Bellair Dam, Gondwana Family Lodge is the perfect sanctuary for family, friends, and groups. This spacious, thatched lodge offers guests a sense of modern comfort with a touch of bush authenticity. Interconnecting rooms, indoor and outdoor play areas, and a child-friendly pool cater to guests of all ages. The Kids on Safari program provides an array of educational and recreational wildlife experiences.
Sanbona Gondwana Family Lodge features six suites on the ground floor and six suites on the upper level. Each Luxury Suite includes a king-size bed or twin beds, an en-suite bathroom with double vanities, bathtub, and shower; air conditioning, underfloor heating, minibar, tea and coffee-making facilities, an in-room safe, and a private deck or balcony. The suites can accommodate two adults and one child, subject to the availability of rooms with sleeper couches.
The lodge facilities include a lounge with a fireplace, a television with satellite TV, an outdoor boma, a swimming pool, a gift boutique, a children’s playroom with a TV, a relaxation retreat with a steam room, an outdoor play area, and Wi-Fi.
Experienced guides escort guests on early-morning and evening open-vehicle game drives, as well as bush walks, providing opportunities to explore the fauna, flora, and smaller wondrous creatures of the African bush. Guests can also visit numerous rock art sites that date back more than 3,500 years, depicting the spiritual beliefs and lives of the fascinating San people.
Sanbona is home to a variety of wildlife, including the famous Big Five, various species of antelope, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, hippo, cheetah, and smaller animals such as black-backed jackal and caracal. Evening game drives offer opportunities to spot nocturnal creatures such as the aardwolf, brown hyena, and porcupine.
Price Includes
- Prices include the “Kids on Safari” program, two daily game drives, guided wilderness walks, all meals, non-alcoholic beverages (a limited selection of house beers and wines will be included starting from 1 May 2023), game drive snacks and beverages, internal reserve transfers between the lodge and welcome lounge, tourism levy, and 15% VAT. (Note: The daily conservation levy and all items of a personal nature are excluded and must be settled prior to departure.)
The same as booking direct
Rates and pricing.
Per person sharing, per night. Final pricing depends on dates, room category and party size.
Valid until 14 Dec 2026
Why book through us
You pay the lodge's rate, never a markup. What you get on top is a specialist who knows Sanbona Gondwana Family Lodge personally, looks after every detail of the trip, and stays reachable on WhatsApp from the moment you enquire to the day you come home.
By season
Green season
1 May 2026 – 30 Sept 2026
All meals, selected beverages, two daily game drives, guided wilderness walks, and round trip internal reserve transfers
Special offer
R 7 380
Normally R 9 840
Shoulder
1 Oct 2026 – 14 Dec 2026
All meals, selected beverages, two daily game drives, guided wilderness walks, and round trip internal reserve transfers
R 13 210
Rates are per person sharing, per night. A single supplement may apply for solo travellers. We offer a price match guarantee, just ask your safari specialist.
Exclusive offer
Already reflected in the rates above.
The reduced rates shown in the table apply for the periods listed. Here is what is running and why.
Stay & Pay
Stay for 4 consecutive nights at any luxury lodge and only pay for 3 nights | Valid 1 May 2026 – 30 September 2026 OR Long Stay Discount: Receive 10% discount when booking 3 consecutive nights at any luxury lodge | 1 April 2026 - 30 September 2026 and 1 - 30 April 2027
Honeymoon offer
For couples celebrating a wedding.
Documented from Sanbona Game Reserve (Pty) Ltd t/a Sanbona Wildlife Reserve's 2026 rate sheet. A formal offer you can claim, not marketing language.
Honeymoon or Anniversary Value Add
Complimentary bottle of bubbly, welcome platter, romantic turn-down, and private bush picnic
Guests booking a honeymoon or anniversary stay at Gondwana Family Lodge (Sanbona Wildlife Reserve) receive a complimentary bottle of bubbly, a welcome platter, a romantic turn-down service, and a private bush picnic. The offer is valid all year round and requires a minimum two-night stay. It is described identically across both the 2026–27 and 2027–28 rate sheets; the 2027–28 signed document is cited as the most authoritative source.
- Minimum stay
- 2 nights
Sourced from operator rate sheets and audited by our safari specialists. Terms and eligibility may change. Your specialist confirms all offers at the time of booking.
Family policies
Travelling with children.
What our safari specialists know about bringing children to Sanbona Gondwana Family Lodge: minimum ages, activities, family rooms and child rates, current as of May 2026. They plan family trips here all the time, so anything below that needs arranging, they will sort. For the bigger picture, see our guide to safari with children .
Minimum ages
- Stay
- All ages
- Game drives
- 4+
- Walking safari
- 14+
Programmes & care
Kids' programme
Babysitting available
Accommodation
Family unit available.
Child rates
Children 0–3 stay free sharing with adults (subject to cot/sleeper-couch availability). Children 4–11 are charged at 50% of the adult sharing rate, inclusive of the Eco-Explorers programme, two daily nature drives, all meals, non-alcoholic beverages, on-drive snacks, internal reserve transfers, tourism levy and VAT.
Notable exceptions
- Children are accommodated at Gondwana Family Lodge only — under 12s are not permitted at Tilney Manor and under 16s are not permitted at Dwyka Tented Lodge. Standard policy sets the minimum age for nature drives at 4 years; the 2027/28 signed rate sheet allows children under 4 onto nature drives only if a private vehicle is reserved for the family's sole use, at a surcharge of R 7 950 per day (subject to availability). The 2026/27 rate sheet did not permit under-4s on nature drives at all. Nature walks remain restricted to guests aged 14 and over. Guests aged 12+ are considered adults and require their own suite. Rooms accommodate a maximum of two adults plus a maximum of one cot and one sleeper couch (one child each). Complimentary child-minding is offered in the kiddies' play centre during nature drive hours; outside drive hours, child-minding is available on request at additional cost.
Speak to a safari specialist
Plan your dream safari at Sanbona Gondwana Family Lodge.
From your first enquiry to the day you come home, one named safari specialist looks after every detail. We can handle the whole trip, not just the stay at Sanbona Gondwana Family Lodge: multi-country itineraries, internal flights, road transfers, tipping guidance, travel insurance, the lot. A safari specialist will be in touch within as little as 15 minutes during working hours.
Ready when you are
Let's design your stay.
Your specialist will be in touch within as little as 15 minutes during working hours with availability, exact pricing, and suggestions for what to combine it with.