Guests will enjoy safaris in the open air 4x4 game viewing vehicles at Founders Lodge, which is a quick 45 minute flight to Port Elizabeth followed by a 1 hour and 15 minute drive to the hosting lodge. The area is Malaria-free and so guests will not need to worry about vaccinations.
Our open game vehicles bring you closer to nature, add to the excitement, and make it easy to spot the Big 5 as well as smaller animals and birdlife. While sharing the intricacies of the history, fauna and flora of the Eastern Cape with you, our guides will make nature come to life.
Watch Our VideoSkydance Safari is hosted at Founders Lodge – the birthplace of Eastern Cape conservation. We offer safaris that restore and enrich your soul by engaging in experiences such as setting atop a hill with panoramic views of the natural surrounds. The Lodge features a boma, gym, steam room and two swimming pools. It is the platform through which you will reconnect with nature. Experience our Mantra - ‘Man and Nature Together is Sustainable’ - first hand.
Providing the perfect opportunity to observe African wildlife in its natural habitat, game drives are a ‘must-do’ for any visitor to Africa. There are not many places in the world like this where visitors are treated to such a variety of animal and birdlife - each one beautiful, unique and perfectly adapted to its environment.
Founders Lodge is intimate with only 7 suites that are accessed easily from the main guest areas. Each suite is a gateway to privacy and exclusive downtime. It is time to earth yourself! Take off your shoes, step off your private patio and onto the lush grass and fix your eyes on the hilly horizons of our rare biome with distinct flora and fauna. It is best done with a cup of tea and a fresh batch of our chef’s homemade biscuits, which you will find in your room.
We serve authentic South African cuisine, which is made with love by a local chef who brings freshly harvested produce from our garden into the kitchen. Wholesome dishes are paired to perfection with the best wines and are served at different locations around the lodge - meaning a different view at each meal. The menu follows the Skydance Lifestyle philosophy, placing focus on wellness.
Our philosophy is one of deep respect and regard for each of our guests. Therefore, each guest's needs are taken into account and a targeted approach is utilised. Individual wellness coaching sessions are available to guests to discuss their goals for enhancing their lifestyle. These one-on-one wellness conversations are weaved into the daily activities and are held privately.
On your arrival in South Africa, you will be asked selected wellness questions which will initially guide the conversation. The aim of these wellness conversations is to inform and transform lifestyle choices, enhancing general health and well-being. These interactions can be held out in nature under a tree, overlooking the rhinos' watering hole, or inside in the privacy of the study near a warm and welcoming fire.
The collective experience can be very powerful. Building on this notion, we have also included group wellness conversations such as:
At the end of your interaction with the wellness coach at Founders Lodge you will reflect on your wellness goals and learnings. This can inform future life-enhancing activities and experiences that you would like to engage in and incorporate into your lifestyle.
Skydance Safari is hosted at Founders Lodge – the birthplace of Eastern Cape conservation. We offer safaris that restore and enrich your soul by engaging in experiences such as setting atop a hill with panoramic views of the natural surrounds. The Lodge features a boma, gym, steam room and two swimming pools. It is the platform through which you will reconnect with nature and your African roots. Experience our Mantra - ‘Man and Nature Together is Sustainable’ - first hand.
The Lodge is more than just a safari destination. It is about preserving and nurturing, as well as the conservation of our wildlife and nature for future generations.
Founders Lodge Game Reserve is set on the highest point overlooking the immense wildlife reserve with unique biomes and an abundance of fauna and flora. It is similar to a beautifully appointed eagle’s eyrie and where you are able to view the valley and waterhole below.
Today, gatherers and eco-adventurers travel from far and wide to not only escape, enjoy and experience enchanted South Africa, but to learn about the remarkable re-wilding that occurred here years ago. It is so powerful and enchanting that you will be transported to a time of serenity, authenticity and the essence of nature.
The Game Reserve is a celebration of essential beginnings in sustainable tourism, culture, conservation and community inclusion. It is a monument to conservation history and offers soul-reviving safaris.
You will enjoy intimate experiences inspired by the natural environment, which includes the Big 5, as well as smaller, lesser-known wildlife and ecology. Founders Lodge is intimate in terms of hospitality and vast in terms of 4x4 guided game drives on 25,000ha of wilderness area.
Providing the perfect opportunity to observe African wildlife in its natural habitat, game drives are a ‘must-do’ for any visitor to Africa. There are not many places in the world like this where visitors are treated to such a variety of animal and birdlife - each one beautiful, unique and perfectly adapted to its environment.
Skydance Safari with Founders Lodge offers two game drives daily where you can spot Africa’s Big 5 (elephant, lion, Cape buffalo, leopard and rhinoceros) as well as 5 of the 7 biomes of South Africa. This allows for a large concentration and variety of wildlife. The first game drive is in the early morning and the second takes place in the early evening, in order to capture the African sunset in the bush. Sundowner drinks at sunset and coffee/tea at sunrise add an extra special touch.
These game drives are led by professional guides, providing countless sightings of diurnal (daytime) animals during the morning drive and the more elusive nocturnal animals during the evening drive.
We serve authentic South African cuisine, which is made with love by a local chef who brings freshly harvested produce from our garden into the kitchen. Wholesome dishes are paired to perfection with the best wines and are served at different locations around the lodge - meaning a different view at each meal. The menu follows the Skydance Lifestyle philosophy, placing focus on wellness.
Our chef offers cooking and baking sessions in our beautiful traditional farmhouse kitchen. Take part in a cooking or baking session, discovering the secrets behind creating some South African dinner table favourites (by prior arrangement).
