Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve
Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve
Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve
4
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
Game drives and horse back safaris , game viewing excellent , all in Big 5 territory,all for only R750.00 per person
Duration: 2-3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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78 within 3 miles
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23 within 6 miles
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.0
431 reviews
Excellent
219
Very good
114
Average
41
Poor
35
Terrible
22
jaykay83
London, UK28 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
Visiting this place my husband and I felt so sad it's like a glorified zoo. We thought the animals would be roaming freely but the elephants are put into a pen in the evening they have crocodiles in a small pond with fencing around & two lions in a cage with one tree for shelter. It was so sad to see this I would not recommend it go to a rescue and Rehabilitation centre instead.
Written February 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review.
Luckily the elephants are more than happy to return to their pen at night where they feel safe and get literally tons of food. The crocodiles and the lions must be enclosed as they are captive animals and must be fed, clearly you did not see the other trees in the enclosure either. And please go to a rescue center so you can see how unhappy animals actually look like.
Written February 10, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Margaret P
St. Francis Bay, S.A.5 contributions
Feb 2020
Unfortunately I have nothing good to say about this accommodation. We had to haul our luggage up an 80 metre gravel (full of lumps and bumps) path, luggage wheels of no use here. The reception hall was open, which is fine, however, the table where we signed in was covered in disgusting bird droppings and debris from their nest directly above the table. Our room although large was another disaster, all the windows were wide open when we arrived, no screens - within minutes there were two swallows flying through our room. It was obvious this was a common occurrence as there was evidence of bird droppings on the rafters of the room. When the toilet was flushed it gurgled up through the shower floor drain. When the front door was closed there was a large gap at the bottom, where the walls met the roof it was the same issue - you could see daylight in numerous places. We had booked for a two night stay, but left after one, forfeited the room charge for the second night. This accommodation is completely neglected and in my opinion a health hazard!
Written February 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the review.
Written March 21, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Beth R
Plettenberg Bay, South Africa64 contributions
Jan 2020
Took a drive to the park for refreshments. We should have realized a lack of professionalism when we got there and the gate to the game farm was standing open. We ordered milk shakes for our grandchildren.... sorry, no ice cream. Cappuccino for the adults.... sorry we don't have. 2 Lattes and 2 cups of Ceylon tea. What did we get.... rooibos tea. The lodge looks shabby and run down. Poor advert for our area. We won't go back there.
Written January 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for airing your view. We apologies for the inconvenience caused. Due to load shedding the gate was working on and off but we were monitoring it. In high season, it is likely to run out of stock because of how busy the restaurant is, since most suppliers will be closed for holidays.
Written January 12, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
domo2
Aschaffenburg, Germany41 contributions
Feb 2018 • Friends
This was my second time doing the game ride, and I really enjoyed the close sightings made possible by being on horseback, BUT !!!!
I am very sorry to see how the horses are looking. They are dead eyed, unhappy, and definately lacking proper feeding and care. Apart from that, they are FULL of ticks, and bite scars. This was not the case on my last visit. Your animals need better care! I have plenty of experience with horses, having one myself, so, I feel fully qualified to make this statement.
I am very sorry to see how the horses are looking. They are dead eyed, unhappy, and definately lacking proper feeding and care. Apart from that, they are FULL of ticks, and bite scars. This was not the case on my last visit. Your animals need better care! I have plenty of experience with horses, having one myself, so, I feel fully qualified to make this statement.
Written March 9, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
owning.time
Cape Town, South Africa1 contribution
May 2017 • Solo
Nice lodge but wildlife experience was depressing and distressing: a single hippo, crocodiles in a fenced pit, 9 trained elephants that could never run free and can't go anywhere without their handlers, 2 poor rhino the male of which looks like a grenade exploded in his horn, 2 lion (the male of which has had to be sterilized so that they can't breed), 3 wild dogs and 2 male cheetahs in small electrified camps. Rehabilitated farms with animals kept in captivity should not be masquerading as game reserves in order to extract money from unsuspecting visitors. Why are all the staff Zimbabwean - where is the local employment and empowerment?
Written June 9, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Did you not post a bad report like this previously too, please do not come again, 95 percent of our reviews are good but some negative people like yourself do great damage with your opinion and most of your info is incorrect anyway, love to know what contribution you do for the planet , most probably zero 609harry9 , great name by the way
Written June 13, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Alice A
Burgundy, France1 contribution
Feb 2015 • Family
False advertising on pamphlets, available to tourists all along the Garden route, stating R295.00 per person for a game drive. On arrival we were told R430.00 per person for a game drive. That was a big disappointment. It was out of the way and late and we ended up staying at the Baroness Luxury Safari Lodge at R1'235.00 per person and I still wonder where the luxury part was to be found. If you like an out of Africa experience with a price tag that can knock your socks off, this is for you, but if you are used to getting what you pay for, this is a total waste of good money. Although charming but lacking the hippos in the pond, the layout of the bedrooms are totally impractical. Impossible to find enough light to apply makeup for instance, let alone shave. In the bedroom the kettle's cord could not reach the plug and nowhere to get your hair done in front of a mirror with a hairdryer. Who on earth planned the layout of these rooms?? The bathroom shutter was nailed closed, impossible to open, and there was no adequate light. My first room had no running water and I had to be moved to another room in the night during an electricity cut. The food was basic and uninteresting, pork chops for heavens sake! We stayed in two rooms and my children had a shower with no curtain in front of the window where everyone could have a view. We like our privacy thank you! The biggest disappointment was the way the lions, cheetah, wild dogs and crocodiles were kept in small enclosures.This is nothing short of a zoo. When you see the lions on their website walking free, you appreciate how Adobe Photoshop can deform the reality. This place should be reported for false advertising as they continue to mislead hundreds of tourists, leaving everyone with a bad aftertaste. I do NOT recommend this zoo. Stayed there during February 2015.
Written March 20, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gary_and_Mandy
Leicester, England47 contributions
May 2015 • Couples
The advertising leaflet that persuaded us to visit shows a great close up photo of a lion on the cover. Inside there is a picture that has a couple of lion roaming the plain with the safari vehicle in close proximity. There are also close up pictures of a wild dog and a cheetah. The lure and promise of the brochure is very different in reality.
The lion, wild dog, cheetah and crocodile are all in enclosures. The animals all sat close to the fence and none of them even moved as we drove past on our visit.
On the rest of our drive we saw one hippo eating grass, no giraffe, four rhino (dehorned to stop the poachers), a group of buffalo that looked far too comfortable given the absence of predators (and might as well have been a herd of cows), wildebeest that ran a mile every time the vehicle approached, ostrich, zebra and antelope. The guide was very friendly but the info offered was basic and nothing that we didn't already know.
The cost was exorbitant for what was basically a drive round a poor zoo.
I would not recommend a visit. There are far better ways to spend your hard earned money.
The lion, wild dog, cheetah and crocodile are all in enclosures. The animals all sat close to the fence and none of them even moved as we drove past on our visit.
On the rest of our drive we saw one hippo eating grass, no giraffe, four rhino (dehorned to stop the poachers), a group of buffalo that looked far too comfortable given the absence of predators (and might as well have been a herd of cows), wildebeest that ran a mile every time the vehicle approached, ostrich, zebra and antelope. The guide was very friendly but the info offered was basic and nothing that we didn't already know.
The cost was exorbitant for what was basically a drive round a poor zoo.
I would not recommend a visit. There are far better ways to spend your hard earned money.
Written July 5, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Craigearl
Johannesburg, South Africa5 contributions
Feb 2014 • Couples
We found this place to be another money making racket where the animals are the ones paying the price. They have only 2 lions in their own seperate enclosure. They don't hunt as they are fed, they are not allowed to re-produce so why have these animals other than to coax foreigners. Then they also have cheetahs in their own enclosure but walk up and down the fence and on the other side of the fence (in their own enclosure obviously) are wild dogs also walking up and down along the electrified fence.
Many buck, some Rhino and Wilderbees but really such a poor excuse for a game reserve. If they found better resorts for their cats and wild dogs I would find this place more acceptable. However, would they attract foreigners without the promise of seeing lions sleeping 2 yards away from the vehicle due to not having anything to live for?
Many buck, some Rhino and Wilderbees but really such a poor excuse for a game reserve. If they found better resorts for their cats and wild dogs I would find this place more acceptable. However, would they attract foreigners without the promise of seeing lions sleeping 2 yards away from the vehicle due to not having anything to live for?
Written February 21, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christine Magic Africa Tours
Hout Bay, South Africa64 contributions
Apr 2012 • Family
What a pity! I wanted to treat a friend and her daughter to the PBGR for a day safari, sent a mail to them...no answer, sent another one and 2 days later got an answer from a lady stating that she was in Cape Town and had no idea about availibility and asked a colleague to come back to me.....3 days later nothing....What a shame! They are now flying back to Switzerland so it's too late
Written April 15, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richard P
Reading, UK305 contributions
Mar 2023
Several changes since our last visit but still an enjoyable two hour trip around the park. No longer offering horse riding which was enjoyable and all the big cats have gone. Just four of us on the safari which was a perfect number and the guide was knowledgeable and found most of the animals- hippo, elephants, giraffe ,wildebeest and numerous antelope species. We actually spotted the rhino on the way out.
If you accept the reserve for what it is, then should be enjoyable for most people but if you want to see the Big 5 then you will need to travel to one of the big safari reserves.
If you accept the reserve for what it is, then should be enjoyable for most people but if you want to see the Big 5 then you will need to travel to one of the big safari reserves.
Written April 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How would I get to the Game reserve from Plettenberg Bay without a car? Is there any public transport or would a taxi be best?
Written May 17, 2019
no public transport.
only taxi from plett or rentalcars
Written May 21, 2019
MarinaZn
New York City, New York
Hi there! What is the best time to see all the animals at 2-hour safari? Brambledown7, please let me know what was your time of visit, as we are planning to visit this park tomorrow. Sorry for such a short notice. Thank you very much! Regards, Maria.
Written April 3, 2019
We were there for three days and had two drives per day. Don’t worry you will see the big five on most of the drives. The rangers are superb and know exactly what they are doing. The drives are at a fairly fixed time when they know most of the animals are out and about. Enjoy 😊
Written April 4, 2019
The owner mentioned after critical comments on the zoo-like fencing of the lion-pair that their roaming freely will be arranged in the "near future"... When will the future be near?
Written December 28, 2018
Good day. The legislative jurisdiction regarding the conservation and management of wildlife is shared between the national and provincial governments of South Africa. The Constitution mandates that “[n]ature conservation, excluding national parks, national botanical gardens and marine resources,” is one of the functional areas in which there is concurrent national and provincial legislative jurisdiction. Our permits to allow free-roaming lions are dependant upon permissions granted by both our national and provincial governments. We have not been granted these permissions as of yet and will advise once they are in place. Please refer to our website or our FB page for that announcement once those permissons have been granted.
Written December 29, 2018
hello! im planning to spend 2 days at addo national park. any thoughts on whether i should also try and do a game safari at plett game reserve? also, does anyone have details around the conservation efforts here at plett game reserve? presume they do not allow hunting of any sort ("excess" animals)? thanks
Written October 17, 2018
Hi Odette, so sorry for the delayed response. Are you still needing assistance with this query?
Written November 30, 2018
yes ,We visit often..but now Im a volunteer teacher in my local Knysna township.
would love to reward two kids n their teacher ,as the most successful English students,with a game drive on Thursday.
do you offer any reduced prices.the 2 kids are 6years old,many thanks,Gillian.
Written March 15, 2016
In this case we will do an educational please contact us direct and speak to Oddette thanks Leon owner
Written September 11, 2016
Hi can anyone advise me of whether you can just do the horse ride for the day and not stay at the reserve. What does the horse ride cost is and is it worth it
Thanks L
Written January 19, 2015
You can just do the horse ride , the cost is R490 pp and is very good but you must have horse riding experience
Written September 11, 2016
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