I stood there, in awe. It was Cape Fynbos all over. Ericas. Proteas. Blombos. Just ahead of us lay the 180-degree view of Walker Bay and the Atlantic Ocean’s brilliantly blue waters; the view that initially sparked the dream that later became Grootbos Private Nature Reserve. The coolness of an early morning at Grootbos was damp on my skin as my guide and I hiked to the top of the hill – a Forest and Fynbos Hike included in the stay. First light caught the ripples of the water yonder. I intentionally sharpened my senses to the sights and sounds that came with the break of dawn. Light seemed to be evident everywhere. It highlighted the thinnest spiderwebs, carefully spun throughout the night. It found its way through the ancient Milkwood canopy, highlighting the see-through wings of insects in flight. It landed on dewdrops, bedazzling the Cape fynbos with glistening, diamond-like droplets catching the eye of passersby. Somehow, how the light fell here made me feel lighter, content and instantly alive. In fact, the early morning hike proved to be the perfect introduction to our Grootbos family stay – a luxury nature experience in South Africa worth adding to your bucket list for sure.

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A Grootbos Review: Luxury Family Travel South Africa

As a melting pot of biodiversity, culture and natural wonder, Grootbos Private Nature Reserve puts emphasis on the land it stands. Whilst it seems effortless, the work that has gone into creating the conservation-focused luxury travel experience at Grootbos can’t go unnoticed. It’s all in the detail – however subtle – with Cape fynbos neatly woven into the journey like a piece of golden yarn, complementing and guiding the experience. Whether it’s in the scatter cushions and wallpapers’ designs in Grootbos Garden Lodge’s gorgeous suites, in the beautifully embroidered backrests of the chairs in the restaurant, the authentic, flavourful cuisine, or the impressive on-site Florilegium – the Cape Floral Kingdom has been a guiding light at this luxury lodge in the Western Cape from the start.

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Morning Light at Grootbos Private Nature Reserve

As I returned to the main lodge’s restaurant after exploring fynbos and forests and learning about the incredible research work that is being done here in collaboration with various renowned institutions, the rest of the family (who slept in, because they could) was already waiting at the breakfast table.

Floor-to-ceiling windows stretched from one corner of the enormous, yet cosy space to the other, inviting the soft morning light to land gently on our table. My eyes drifted from the ocean views to the mushroom-shaped salt and pepper pots on the table. At Grootbos less is more, with simple flowerpots holding a single Protea and plain linen representing sustainability and a deep understanding of looking after the environment.

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Breakfast was slow – in a good way. Slow in the sense that nothing felt rushed. A continental spread of high-quality cold meats and cheeses, delicious granola, beautifully prepared chia treats and bottles of bubbly – nestled between balls of ice filled with pink flowers – prepared the palate for the hot breakfast that followed. Freshly baked croissants instantly caught the kids’ attention, after which they could choose their own breakfasts from the Explorers Menu.  

Sustainable Luxury Travel in South Africa: Grootbos, Gansbaai

We’d been given a list of activities to choose from for our time at Grootbos. Of course, we would have loved to do it all, but our time was limited and we could only pick a few. We also wanted to allow ourselves some time to relax in our beautiful Grootbos Garden Lodge suite, explore the natural surrounds at our own pace and play board games in the main lodge’s lounge area whilst soaking in the incredible ocean vistas.

Grootbos Garden Lodge was perfect for our family of four with our suite perfectly spacious and luxurious. At the same time, Grootbos Forest Lodge offers a whole different and more secluded and intimate experience. There are also two exclusive villas on the property, ideal for multi-generational groups visiting Grootbos Private Nature Reserve for an immersive Cape Floral Kingdom experience in the Overberg.

Is Grootbos Private Nature Reserve Suitable for Families?

The way in which Grootbos Private Nature Reserve caters to families and children’s constant curiosity is admirable. Apart from a comfortable family stay, authentic experiences like scavenger hunts in the beautiful gardens and educational expeditions that come with an Explorers Award at the end of the stay ensure that adventures at Grootbos spark interest and encourage the littles to learn from nature all along.

Seeing the kids’ faces light up as they picked up the eggs from underneath the hen at Grootbos’ on-site organic farm; how their fingers traced the leaves of unique flowers as our guide introduced us to the reserve’s vast offering of Cape Fynbos; and how the botanical bee exhibition raised all kinds of questions in their little minds was wonderful for us as parents, especially since we’re all for teaching our kids as we travel.

The Reserve Drive and Grootbos Introduction is something we highly recommend doing. It allowed us to familiarise ourselves with the region from the start and gave us a sense of place. In addition, it also offers a deeper understanding of how conservation, education and tourism are intertwined. As a matter of fact, Grootbos is recognised as a world leader in sustainable and progressive tourism, with the Grootbos Foundation that has seen tremendous growth over the years.

The children were included in the journey all along, with our guide piquing their interest by letting them look, touch, smell and even taste. At the organic bee exhibition, located within the organic farm, the sensory journey was taken a step further as we smelled extracted fynbos oils, which are used in Grootbos’ own gin.

Our visit also included horse riding – yet another incredible way to explore the reserve and its incredible views. With their own beautiful stables, Grootbos offers horse rides for young and old.

Other activities one can take part in include beach walks, coastal exploration, a Milkwood Forest Walk and Nature Connection, a tour through The Art of Fynbos Florilegium, a Marine Big 5 Boat Trip or Shark Cage Diving, Dyer Island Seal Diving, a relaxed day at Grootbos Wellness Spa, Fat Biking or a Lady Stanford River Cruise.

Ancient Caves, Seaside Shells and Sundowners

Probably one of the most memorable activities we had with Grootbos, was a visit to the Klipgat Cave. Just a short drive from Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, the famous cave – known for its unique window-like opening that makes for stunning views over the bay – is located in the Gansbaai suburb, De Kelders. It invites guests to discover where people of the Middle Stone Age and eventually Late Stone Age (known as the Khoi Khoi) lived. Lacing one of the most pristine beaches in the area, the coastal caves at De Kelders have many stories to tell, with various discoveries that have been made here over the years.

Grootbos treated us to a picnic spread on the beach, whilst the kids could play in the shallow waters and pick up seashells to their hearts’ content. Our guide – who happened to be from De Kelders – even helped them spot sea urchins, teaching them a thing or two about the ocean too. For me, the light on this beach was simply magical as the ocean mist and late afternoon sunrays danced above the waves. Magical family moments, captured in pure golden light whilst sipping on Grootbos Gin.

Cuisine Carefully Curated for Intentional Travellers’ Senses

The golden thread of light is naturally pulled through to the culinary experiences to be had too. Under guidance of Executive Chef Ben Conradie, Grootbos Private Nature Reserve’s culinary offering is beyond compare. Together with his young team of culinary masterminds, they create dishes using the freshest ingredients – with much of it grown on the reserve. Each dish seems to have been carefully planned with either the fynbos from the region influencing the flavours and garnishing, or the plating inspired by the incredible Walker Bay vistas and the natural light streaming into the restaurant for guests to marvel in. Of course, the dishes are all accompanied by excellent South African wines, with Grootbos being home to an impressive collection of rare local wines.

The lunch menu consists of an array of light meals and salad options, with a choice of hearty meals like burgers and pasta of the day for good measure.

Amidst twinkling stemware and the glistening lights of Gansbaai down below, dinners can either be had with your favourite bottle of wine, or you can opt for the wine pairing, allowing you to indulge your palate even further. What makes Grootbos’ dinner menu unique, is the fact that each dish starts with a vegan or vegetarian base, which you can add your choice of protein to. The menu also includes wine suggestions alongside every dish. From freshly shucked oysters with a classic mignonette dressing or West Coast Bouillabaisse for starters, to Risotto Milanese (which I paired with prawns as protein) or a fragrant Cape Malay Curry to which you could add a choice of line fish or chicken, the options were endless. The menu also included traditional South African dishes like Bobotie and Tshisa Nyama, as well as Venison Pie. On the Butcher’s Block, there were Lemon and Wild Sage Marinated Free Range Chicken, Overberg Lamb Cutlets, and Bonsmara Sirloin and Fillet.

P.S. Do not miss out on the Grootbos Fynbos Honey Ice Cream for dessert. Made with unique fynbos honey sourced exclusively from sustainable beekeeping on the reserve, it’s a must!  

For dinners – like with breakfast and lunch – children choose from their very own Explorers Menu, after which they are guided to the children’s play area where they all dine together at a kiddies’ table. Depending on the theme of the evening, there’s always something to keep them busy – from movie nights on beanbags to painting rocks and shells.

Luxury Travel with Purpose at Grootbos Private Nature Reserve

At Grootbos the gentle theme of light is evident everywhere – through sunrises and sunsets; in how the orange breasted sugarbird’s wings catch the Overberg’s light; and how the last light of day softly lands on the wax-like tips of a Cape Fynbos Pincushion. More impressively, it’s in the way everyone understands the value of treading lightly, protecting and preserving. So much so that it brings hope through rehabilitated ecosystems, evidently allowing species like the rare Aardwolf, for instance, to return.

As I stood in the beautiful souvenir shop, wondering what to purchase to etch our Overberg family holiday at Grootbos firmly into the memory bank, I held up a bottle of Grootbos Fynbos Honey. Then a fynbos-inspired ring. The reusable coasters with pollinator and sugarbird artworks on them. Stunning throws exactly like the ones in our Grootbos Garden Lodge suite. And, whilst all of these were authentic and special, I soon realised that we’d been etching our Grootbos visit into memory – more so, perhaps into our family’s being – one experience at a time. There was no need for souvenirs as the best souvenir we could have asked for, was the memories, engraved into our hearts with Grootbos’ magical light. These memories will always reminded us of the lightness togetherness can bring; the lighter way in which we must tread this earth; and how people and place can bring light into one’s world through a golden thread of finer things.

Grootbos brings hope – a ray of light – for South Africa’s tourism industry, offering numerous smaller journeys within the bigger experience, allowing you to explore South African indigenous flora, wildlife and nature at its finest.

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