Schotia Safaris Private Game Reserve — Attraction in Sundays River Valley Local Municipality

Jenny, Peter and the team make sure that you will have the most wonderful safari experience in South Africa.

From the reservation, organizing, information received until the good bye wave all is taken care of hands on and family run by a dedicated team.

I travelled alone and my choice was the two nights combined Schotia Tooth & Claw Safari with a tour in Addo and the sea cruise. After I arrived at Schotia Headquarters, checked in my overnight luggage tea/coffee/ juice/water and cookies were served. I shared my safari vehicle with three visitors from overseas and our guide was Charl. He lives at Schotia and he has a vast knowledge of the area, the animals, the plants and vegetation, the people and the environment. It was a privilege for me to listen to his stories and ask him numerous questions. He made the game drives informative and fun. We left in an open safari vehicle and drove leisurely before stopping for a tea break at the lapa. We continued and were very fortunate to spot all the animals during those two drives.

Back to the thatched roof lapa for a refreshing beverage while we connected with the other guests, team members and guides sitting around an open fire. Not long after we were called to pick up dinner plates and were served our food. Choices included lamb, chicken, potatoes, pumpkin, mixed vegetable, rice. The vegetarians and vegans were catered for as well. Last but definitely not least, the most iconic South African dessert, malva pudding is served with custard and you should not miss it. Afterwards it’s off to a night drive through the game reserve which ended with arriving at my lovely and cosy bush cottage. The lions were roaring during the night and it is very special to experience this live. I slept like a baby, images of elephants, hippo and giraffes dotting my dreams

After an early morning tea at the patio watching the Moon with Venus and Pluto aligned in the sky followed by a stunning sunrise and listening to the different sounds of birds, I was picked up and after a short safari drive was driven to my car at Headquarters. From here I went to the harbour in Port Elizabeth for an Ocean Safari in Algoa Bay. Jenny organized for me to go with Raggy Charters, a marine eco tour company.

Afterwards I headed back and stopped for lunch at Nanaga farmstall as recommended by Jenny. And just like that it was time for another game drive with Charl. After our coffee break he did show me an invader that only infects prickly pear cacti and ants that live inside the thorns of one of the acacia bushes and how they hollow it out. We saw a female lion on a hunt which went unsuccessful for her. The lucky warthog. The night drive after our delicious dinner was equally spectacular and it ended in front of my cottage.

A short morning drive and I had to say goodbye to Charl. He drove me to headquarters where Justin was waiting for me for a safari in Addo Elephant park, also organized by Jenny. One can self-drive through Addo but I wanted a guided tour to give me the opportunity to take photographs of the animals.

He drove me back to my car and I had to say goodbye to Schotia Safaris Private Game Reserve and the people.

It is an enormous private reserve and the Bean Family and the staff members are in preserving and educating valuable wild life in South Africa in harmony with the neighbouring park, farms and settlements.

Charl and the others are brilliant guides and I am convinced that everyone visiting Schotia Safaris Private Game Reserve will have the same experience. Thank you Schotia for an...

I visited this reserve a few months ago, and while I initially brushed it off, I can’t stop thinking about the unsettling racial dynamics I experienced. The group leader made overtly racist remarks about Black South Africans, blaming them for “destroying the country.” When I calmly pointed out the systemic issues—such as lack of access to education and post-apartheid housing disparities—his demeanor toward me immediately shifted.

For the rest of the experience, he ignored me while assisting the white guests around me. At one point, when it was time to exit the vehicle, he handed step stools to all the white guests but made me and the other people of color jump down instead.

As a solo Black traveler, I believe I was subjected to more blatant discrimination because they assumed I had no support system. Another guest (a white woman from Florida) even expressed concern to me, saying, “Sometimes people don’t want to hear what you have to say,” which spoke volumes about the situation.

Beyond the racial tensions, the experience itself was underwhelming. There was only one lion on the entire reserve, and while I enjoyed trying ostrich, the food overall was subpar. The overall atmosphere felt unwelcoming and, at times, hostile toward nonwhite guests.

I’ve had much better experiences in South Africa, but this was a reminder that not every destination welcomes all travelers equally. If you’re a person of color, especially traveling solo, I would strongly advise against visiting...

We had a couple of excellent sightings and the rangers were knowledgable and shared quite a bit of information I had not heard before.

Schotia have a very diverse range of antelope that you do not get to see at other game reserves, or so diverse. What was sad is that the ranger just drove past most of them and even when asked if we could make a point of stopping on the last day when it was just the two of us and the ranger, it did not happen. The game drive with just the two of us felt rushed.

The dinner at the boma was very good. Food was tasty. Meat preparation could have been a bit more diverse. We had medium rare and some people struggled with this.

Reception service needs to be improved. (I believe these were 'stand in' staff and not the usual people who run reception). Booking confirmation took several days. For the price one pays the welcome area could be improved. Luggage can be taken through to rooms while we are on drives to avoid a 40 min drive in the freezing cold after dinner to fetch luggage. Not healthy for my 80 year old mom. She also tripped in the dark, at the rooms as the pathway was not well lit. We were left to take the luggage off the truck and take it to the room. Not exactly 5 star service.

To summarise Game 5 stars Ranger knowledge 5 Game drive 4 stars (rushed) Boma dinner 4 stars Reception and booking 2 stars Arrival amd check in to...