Samara Plains Camp
Samara has a spectacular setting at the foot of a mountain range in the Karoo region of South Africa’s malaria free Eastern Cape. Samara Plains Camp is an off-grid tented camp welcoming eight guests for walking safaris and reconnecting with nature in elegant simplicity within Samara Karoo Reserve’s 67,000 acres. The reserve has a remarkably wide range of eco systems, and very varied wildlife as a result.
Accommodation & Facilities
Plains Camp has four deluxe guest tents tastefully furnished with all the essentials, the intimate bedroom and seating area are warmed by a small fireplace in winter and cooled by a fan in summer. A simple en-suite bathroom at the back of the tent contains an indoor flushing loo, a washbasin and a separate open-air “bucket” shower – filled from the outside with hot water on request. All tents are positioned to enjoy spectacular undisturbed mountain views, providing a tranquil sanctuary to return to after a long day of exploring.
Wildlife & Activities
Samara has five of South Africa’s recognised biomes, thicket, savannah, grassland, Afro-montane forest, and nama Karoo, which allows a wide variety of flora and fauna to thrive (the Kruger has just one biome – savannah). Flora includes ancient shepherd’s trees, wild olives, Karoo sage, milkwood, and camphor bushes, amongst others. A large variety of animals and birds live here including cheetah, lion, buffalo, wildebeest, black and white rhino, small numbers of elephant, Cape mountain zebra, giraffe, aardvark, meerkats and herds of springbok and other antelope. Plains Camp offers guided walks, picnics and tracking white rhino and cheetah on foot. Bush walks often focus on the little things so often unseen from a vehicle such as tracks, flowering Karoo plants, ostrich eggs, and beetles. In the afternoon, wildlife drives allow guests to get up close with lion, elephant, cheetah, rhinoceros, and giraffe. Sundowners, spectacular stargazing and dinner around the campfire are the perfect finales to days at Samara.
