Entabeni Safari Conservancy, Waterberg

Entabeni Safari Conservancy, rightfully dubbed “The Place of the Mountain”, is situated in the World Heritage Waterberg Biosphere. Approximately a three-hour drive north of Johannesburg, this malaria-free reserve boasts five Eco-systems. A gravel road leads up to this Big 5 reserve, complemented by five different lodges. Each lodge comprises a unique blend of luxury and African wilderness, perfectly set in different immaculate locations of the reserve. The upper escarpment offers majestic craggy rock formations and wide-open grass plains. This is separated from the lower plateau by 600 meter high cliffs. The lower escarpment is approximately three degrees warmer and comprises of “sandveld” vegetation and a series of wetlands. It is a place where the lion still reigns as king and Mother Nature still mesmerizes with her power and beauty. Your modern African adventure starts here! The Waterberg biosphere is the first region in the northern part of South Africa to be named a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. It covers an area of 4170 square kilometres and includes a number of protected areas that include Lapalala Wilderness, Touchstone and Kwalata.

Entabeni Game Reserve is privately owned, bountiful bush veld typified by wide open grassland accompanied by sandy wetlands, surprisingly defined and beautiful crags, and ravines through which pretty streams babble. 

Entabeni boasts five different ecosystems within one reserve and promises solid big game viewing and rewarding bird watching. Their advantage definitely appears to be the rich variety of wildlife in the reserve and the optional extras they offer visitors like guided horse trails, visits to a local Pedi village and helicopter flights.

Set within the most beautiful mountain scenery offered by the ever present Waterberg, is now a major attraction to visitors and locals alike, particularly locals from Gauteng, for whom getting away to the Waterberg to see game, without the added hindrance of anti-malaria medication, is something of a bonus.

Hundreds of years ago this area was home to a rich variety of wild animals like giraffe, lion, hyena, buffalo and elephant that due to both farmer and hunter were fast depleted. Now, due a concerted effort to reverse the loss of animals for whom this is their natural home, large areas in the Waterberg biosphere have been restocked.