Bucklands Luxury Tented Camp Grahamstown & Surrounds

The Bucklands Private Game Reserve is beautifully situated in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, and can easily be reached from Port Elizabeth, East London and Port Alfred. The original homestead of the Bucklands Private Game Reserve is the Bucklands Boutique Guest House, which can accommodate a maximum of 8 guests sharing in four luxury suites.

The Boutique Guest House at Bucklands in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, is thought to have been built in 1872 by Alf Buckley and still consists of a house built of green brick, a double-storey stone fort with loopholes and a small pitched roof storeroom with a dung floor.

The Bucklands Boutique Guest House is completely solar powered offering 4 luxury double suites, two of which is disabled friendly and all feature modern en suite bathrooms. Each suite has been individually designed and is classically furnished with the highest quality crisp linen and soft furnishings.

The Bucklands Boutique Guest House in South Africa's Eastern Cape province offers guests a comfortable sitting room, with other guest areas being the formal lounge and dining room, and verandas offering majestic views over the rolling valleys all the way to the Hogsback, Gaika's Kop and the Winterberg in the distance. A big wild fig tree in the garden of the estate is the ideal place to spend a quiet afternoon with a book.

Game can be observed grazing on the planes from the comfort of the verandas. The executive chef prepares traditional South African breakfasts and serves a delicious three-course dinner in the elegant dining room each evening. Lunch at the Bucklands Boutique Guest House is available on request. Guests may take a guided game drive to view the extensive variety of wildlife and spectacular scenery. To the guests who prefer to walk, the rangers show all the special historical sites of interest on the Bucklands Private Game Reserve.

Children 6 years and over are welcome to stay at the Bucklands Rustic Tent Camp and baby-sitting services can be arranged with prior arrangement. Children 12 years and older, are welcome at the Bucklands Boutique Guest House and the Bucklands Luxury Tent Camp.

Conservation & Wildlife

The landscape at the Bucklands Private Game Reserve consists of steep river valleys with inter-basin ridges. The river valleys contain nutrient rich mudstones and the general geology is predominantly mudstone and sandstone of the Middleton with sandstone dominating the formation. More resistant sandstones occur on the inter-basin ridges. Clayey, dystrophic soils occur throughout the area and alluvial silt is deposited on the river banks. Fertility is generally good however some soils are underlined by shallow shale banks and are easily eroded.

A comprehensive study of the vegetation and habitat types on the Bucklands Private Game Reserve was in December 2007, to establish the broad mammal habitats on Bucklands Private Game Reserve, as well as estimated carrying capacities, road infrastructure and water points. The vast Buckland Private Game Reserve abounds with wildlife. Besides kudu, which benefited from conservation practices, there are 77 mammal species present within the private reserve. A wide variety of birds are home in this region and to date there have been 245 birds listed in the area. A wide variety of reptiles, insects as well as some endemic plants species can be explored.

Activities

Activities at the Bucklands Private Game Reserve include an array of options to complement an unforgettable safari holiday in one of Southern Africa's most beautiful destinations, catering for families and friends, corporate breakaway groups, special events, and honeymooners.

Game Drives

Morning and afternoon game drives within the Bucklands Private Game Reserve, as well as within the 45000ha neighboring Great Fish River Reserve, are offered to guests staying at the Bucklands Private Game Reserve. The qualified professional guides offer a memorable safari experience, with game drive snacks provided, and spectacular sunsets form part of the afternoon game drive experience at Bucklands.

Guided Walks

The guided walks focus on the unique subtropical thicket biome, bushman paintings, historical sites, spectacular clifftop walks and unforgettable views over Bucklands Private Game Reserve and the Great Fish River too.

Specialist Guided Walks

The guides focus on specific fauna and flora of the area, and elaborate on the conservation ethics and policies of Bucklands Private Game Reserve.

Fishing

Fishing along the banks of the Great Fish River, within Bucklands Private Game Reserve, with tackle provided, for barbel, carp and yellow fish, is highly recommended as a great way to relax.

Night Drives

Guests ma join night game drives in the wilderness within the Bucklands Private Game Reserve on the lookout for sightings of some of the elusive nocturnal wildlife in their natural habitat.

Quad Trails

Game viewing from quad bikes is an adventure from start to finish and offer a completely different experience from a standard game drive.

Star Gazing

From the comfort of the delightful veranda at the Bucklands Boutique Guest House or on the Night Drive, the night sky is lit with bright stars and a clear milky way and can be well observed.

Birding

Bucklands Private Game Reserve is a bird-watchers paradise, with over 245 birds listed, many of which are found within the riverine area along the Great Fish River.

Sites of interest at the Bucklands Private Game Reserve

Rock Art / Bushmen Paintings

Evidence of rock art on Bucklands indicates the past presence of San on the Reserve. For at least two million years the inhabitants of southern Africa were hunter-gatherers and some rock art dates back twenty six thousand years putting it on a par with some of the Paleolithic art of Western Europe.

Graskop

The first attempt made by the British Government in South Africa to establish a means of telegraphic communication was proposed on the Eastern frontier in 1837 using lines of semaphores.

Directions / Location to the Bucklands Private Game Reserve

GPS Co-ordinates:

Entrance gate to Bucklands Private Game Reserve:

26deg 41min 15sec E,
33deg 06min 43sec S

Bucklands Boutique Guest House:

26deg 42min 24sec E,
33deg 06min 26sec S

Directions from Port Elizabeth to Bucklands Private Game Reserve

Proceed to Grahamstown; bypass Grahamstown on N2 towards King Williamstown. At 6 km along the N2 past Grahamstown, turn left onto R67 Fort Beaufort / Rini road. Drive 21 km then turn right onto dirt road signposted "Great Fish River Reserve". Drive 2 km then turn left onto dirt road signposted Sam Knott, Double Drift, Great Fish River Reserve. Drive through closed green Reserve gate (sometimes left open), keep right at fork immediately after going through gate area, proceed 9 km to closed green gate signposted Bucklands Reserve. Go through gate. Drive 3 km then turn left through farm gate signposted Top House, Bucklands. Drive 2 km to the Bucklands office.

Directions from King East London to Bucklands Private Game Reserve

Proceed towards Grahamstown via King Williamstown on N2. At 6 km before Grahamstown along the N2, turn right onto R67 Fort Beaufort / Rini Road. Drive 21 km then turn right onto dirt road signposted "Great Fish River Reserve". Drive 2 km then turn left onto dirt road signposted Sam Knott, Double Drift, Great Fish River Reserve. Drive through closed green Reserve gate (sometimes left open), keep right at fork immediately after going through gate area, proceed 9 km to closed green gate signposted Bucklands Reserve . Go through gate. Drive 3 km then turn left through farm gate signposted Top House, Bucklands. Drive 2 km to the Bucklands office.