Kapama Game Reserve
 

My travel agent wants to book me at one of the Kapama Game Reserve facilities. Does anyone have any information regarding this facility and food? I am going in February 06 and want to see the big 5 like everyone else. Need info ASAP. Thank you.

I visited the reserve but not the accomodation. Whilst we saw game and there is an interesting cheetah rehabiliation centre, the resereve is totally fenced in and you don't get the 'open' feeling you get at other places such as Kruger and Sabi Sands. On one occasion we were viewing elephants within 20 yards of a big electric fence. I've heard the accomdation is good.

philw,

I've heard that there is a big power line cutting through the Kapama reserve. Can you confirm this?

Mitch

Can't recall a big power cable but that doesn't mean it's not there as we only spent about 3-4 hours in the reserve !

I have been on a Kapama game drive (but did not stay there) and whilst I enjoyed the experience you should note that the chances of seeing leopard in Kapama is not good. We asked our rangers to find us a leopard and they gave sort of a sardonic laugh.

However, we did see the other 4 of the Big 5 and had interesting encounters with all of them. Our rangers were likeable but did not readily volunteer information. They did however respond well to our questions.

The response above about the reserve being fenced in is correct and something to take note of - I believe it is only 13000 hectares in size. Thus the entire number of elephants on Kapama is less than 30 and when we were there the rangers mentioned that they were considering reducing that number even further.

All in all I enjoyed the experience very much and I think it could be very enjoyable for an overnight stay but then it would perhaps be better to move on - especially if you are intent on seeing leopard.

Cannot recall seeing a power line either (but that doesn't mean there isn't one).

Dear quakeroats

I also visited the Kapama Cheetah Programme, which I imagine in on the reserve in June 2002. I loved seeing the Blue Cranes, wild dogs with a litter of 12 pups and a large number of cheetah in enclosures (didn't like the enclosure part) which included the king cheetah. It was a great way to spend a couple of hours. In the same area I also visited Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre which I really enjoyed. I got up close to a lot of the eagles/kites, a serval, honey badgers and had the experience of a cape vulture landing on my arm for food. Had seen this centre on cable tv with the manager Brian Jones and he took a group of us around the centre and his knowledge on all the wildlife that he rehabilitates, hopefully back to the wild, is amazing!
I stayed at Thornybush, and while we had great gameviewing, knowing that the area is fenced with the animals restricted in their movement, really puts me off that area in a big way - that they didn't serve lunch didn't help!

Kaye

topping for bridezilla...

In all fairness, however, to the anonymous TA that bridezilla is using, I don't know what the budget is that bridezilla has given the TA to work with. Not too many Sabi Sand lodges are in the same price range. Elephant Plains and Nkorho, for sure, would be less expensive. Chitwa Chitwa, given that their low season rates extend until September 30th, may offer about the same prices as Kapama while also being a step up from Elephant Plains and Nkorho. Sabi Sabi is one of the only 5* luxury lodges I have noticed with low season pricing through September 30th (for their Selati and Bush Lodge camps), but this would still be a noticeable price increase from Kapama.

So, bottom line, if one is willing to splurge, the sky is the limit. However, at least a minimum of about R3500 per person per night ($500 pppn) is required for the average luxury lodge in South Africa.

Rocco,

Under that for may-july in the sabi sands.......which i think is a steal....

Hari

some facts regarding kapama:
mass tourism spot nothing to do with SAFARI at all as far as i am concerned!
breeding IN captivity FOR captivity should be considered unethical and therefore not be supported in any way!
cheetah enclosures are degusting!
anybody who visits that place supports that kind of unethical breeding and i hope they don't sell the cats to so called canned hunting farms!
i would propose to go to TANDA TULA which is in the same price range or ELEPHANT PLAINS! don't waste your money for a zoo-like enterprise which exploits the cats in order to make a fortune!