Gorah Elephant Camp — Hotel in Sundays River Valley Local Municipality

There are some experiences in life that truly take your breath away every moment you are there & the Gorah elephant camp was one of those experiences. This is a place of magic, a place where you cannot help but smile every second. It was truly one of the best experiences I have had in my travelling life & I have been to over 90 countries. Truly from the moment that you arrived at the lodge you can feel the history of this place from the photos on the wall to the furniture you are transported back to the first farmers of this region.

Waking to the lions roaring in the early morning to the elephants, zebra’s & warthogs that visited the lodges watering hole I had to pinch myself sometimes to see if I was dreaming. This place truly makes you question if its real as the experiences you have are so fantastical you believe your dreaming.

THE GAME DRIVES This is where I believe Gorah truly excels. I was previously in Kruger & the sheer amount of cars was unbelievable. but here its something totally different, dare I say intimate. That is truly the word that comes to mind, Gorah has its own private area that is only for the guests of the lodge so when I climb aboard the Toyota safari vehicle with my guide Justin & only 4 others in the car it already felt like a more serene experience. On my first drive, I was astonished by the sheer amount of animals here. We could get so close to the animals as they had no fear of us. We seen kudu, zebra, monkeys & elephants so close that you could reach out of the vehicle to touch them it was such an intimate experience to look an elephant in the eye while he decides what his next steps are.

On the second drive, we set out in the morning in search of lions as we heard them roaring earlier in the morning. After passing a few monkeys & kudu we happened upon the dominant male lion of the area. It's difficult to describe seeing this majestic king of the jungle in all his glory. I was less than 10 meters from him with zebra in the background he was so calm taking an early morning nap before looking longly into the distance posing for what I have to say are some of now my most treasured photos. The drives also include a stop at scenic locations where you are able to get out of the vehicle & enjoy some canapés with drinks in the afternoon.

ACCOMMODATION Beyond camping, beyond glamping, this is truly the next level of luxury. When you arrive you're greeted by the wonderful staff at the Gorah manor house. this once home of frontier farmers is the hub of the camp. it's like this place has not changed since it was built in the 1800s. From the furniture to the old pictures on the wall it has a true sense of history. Walk onto the veranda & viewing deck where all types of animals from elephants to lions come to drink from the watering hole that is perfectly placed for viewing these amazing creatures up close. The manor house is also the place where all your meals are set from breakfast, lunch, dinner & afternoon tea the quality of the food is without compromise from brai lamb to eggs benedict with smoked salmon the chefs are producing Michelin star quality here.

Your Tent; to be totally honest it's more like a fully functioning home than a tent. As you step inside your transported back into the past to an age where the first settlers made their camp but in total luxury. From the huge bed in the centre of the room with high quality linens to the included mini bar complete with a full array of alcoholic beverages you are in need of nothing here they have truly thought about everything from the full bathroom with his & hers sinks to the comfy armchairs that overlook the outside of your tent into the hill beyond. One afternoon as I sat on the veranda of my tent with a glass of champagne a herd of elephants passed in the distance & once again I had to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming.

SERVICES It's a full board affair here. All meals, game drives, mini bar & snacks are included...

Our second stay at Gorah and it was just as memorable as the first.||What sets Gorah apart from the majority of safari lodges we've been lucky enough to visit is the quality of sightings between game drives !! The proximity of the water hole directly in front of the lodge pretty much guarantees sightings of elephant, zebra, warthog, red hartebeest, black rhino, buffalo, vervet monkeys etc throughout the day & night. ||The game drives are terrific too. Gorah enjoys a strong team of guides, all with excellent knowledge of the Addo mammals, birds & plants which they share with enthusiasm and humour. The two drives per day explore both the Gorah concession and the broader Addo National Park in search of the best sightings. The modern vehicles are equipped with blankets, ponchos, hot water bottles etc as well as the obligatory camp table & portable bar for sundowners.||The tented suites are fantastic, equipped with everything you would expect in a 5 star luxury hotel (including a free mini bar). Each suite has a deck overlooking the beautiful savannah which is a helpful reminder that there are no fences between you & the animals you encounter on your game drives !! The Manor House is an elegant throwback to the filmset of Out of Africa. Breakfast, lunch, dinner & afternoon tea are all served in the Manor House and were excellent quality. It's worth noting that all drinks (other than a few premium brands) are included at Gorah which is not always the case, so it's good value compared to other safari options,||Gorah is lucky to have a fantastic team who go out of their way to make your stay a special experience. All of them were brilliant but for us Sia, Travis, Mavis, & Simoné were the absolute stars.||Finally, if you self-drive from Port Elizabeth, make sure you follow the directions along the N2 to the Mathyolweni Entrance of Addo Elephant National Park and DO NOT take the shorter R335 through Motherwell, it's not safe......||We look forward to our...

One of the very best experiences of our lives, so relaxing, you can feel your blood pressure go down ☺️|The hotel/main lodge was unbelievable, lit by candlelight at night and a watering hole just in front where we watched zebras and elephants while we sat enjoying a G&T.|Service was excellent from everybody we met.|We were even given personalised water bottles from the member of staff on the main gate.|The food was the best we had in South Africa and we had some great food but this was a step up. And the same goes for the wine. We were never hungry!|Small things like our names being on our menus was amazing and its small touches like this that really makes the experience more memorable.|The two Game Drives each day were incredible and we saw every animal we hoped to see. Nice things like blankets & hot water bottles on the jeep when it was chilly were very welcome and on the morning game drive our guide would set up hot drinks and snacks, this was only bettered by the afternoon game drives refreshments being a G&T and more snacks. 🍸 |The room (one of 11 Luxury Thatched Tents) was so lovely with a huge attention to detail and amazing service all day, especially the 'turn down' service that often included the little heater being put on for us and a hot water bottle in the bed on the cooler nights.|There was a full drinks cabinet in the room with the ice being replenished regularly.|With the canvas sides you felt like you were living outside some times.|Special mentions go to Kevin who was the most supreme of guides and great bar tender in the afternoon 😀 and his wife Simone, front of house. What a team! And thanks also to Donald.|We had the very best time ever thanks to everyone we met at Gorah and we would highly recommend...