Our newest exclusive-use safari lodge (and our first Halaal lodge), Melozhori Game Reserve is just two hour’s drive from Cape Town. It was way back in 2017 when Perfect Hideaways first visited and now, six years later, it has launched as a luxuriously comfortable bush hideaway that you’ll be hard pressed to leave. Much-loved for many years as a weekend escape by its owners who are passionate about conservation, it has been a labour of love.
You’ll discover that Melozhori is close to the little village of Stormsvlei – blink and you’ll miss it! This 2 300 hectare game reserve, predominantly protected Renosterveld but with fynbos-clad slopes, overlooks an endless vista of Cape Fold mountains and undulating hills, with beautifully secluded valleys and riverine habitats for browsers.
After working closely with Cape Nature since it was purchased in 2008, Melozhori is now home to 38 species of game and 129 recorded bird species, some of which are highly endangered. ‘Seeing this place and ecosystem develop into what it is now has been so rewarding. I feel completely sealed off from the rest of the world here. It’s a beautiful piece of land,’ says the owner.
Friendly, personal and authentic, with an abundance of thoughtful touches inspired by travels around the world, the newly renovated lodge is a warm, welcoming home away from home with the addition of a sunken fire pit within the pool, a wonderful wood-fired hot tub, suspended hammocks outside each bedroom, and a sense of discreet luxury. Contemporary design elements are balanced by generous fireplaces, and there’s oodles of space and a sense of deep comfort. The architectural team wanted guests to feel totally at home and spent time choosing local designer finishes – cork light fittings by Laurie Wiid van Heerden, baskets by Mia Mélange and gorgeously textured fabrics from African Jacquard. Melozhori invites you to simply let go.. let the smells, sounds bush envelop you and restore and revitalize the soul.
But it is Melozhori’s rare combination of being so close to Cape Town and the bush that makes a stay here so special – and once here, there isn’t a twinkling light to be seen a night, only the moon and stars. It’s no surprise that this magical game reserve has mostly been used by family and friends till now as a private retreat or escape from the hustle and bustle of city life, while the self-catering cottage, two romantic eco-pods and luxurious treehouse spread over the rest of the property have been taking guests for a while. But this exclusive-use safari lodge is a gem for multigenerational families, particularly travellers looking for a fully inclusive Halaal option with the luxury of a private chef within a stone’s throw of Cape Town.
What we love!
• That it’s so easy to get to from Cape Town: approximately 200kms and literally two hours up the N2 and then a short drive from Stormsvlei, all tar until you get to the game reserve.
• The firepit set ‘inside’ the pool: what a clever design feature and a beautiful place to enjoy sundowners when you’re not down at the boma.
• Sit for long enough and the giraffe are bound to drift past but you’ll also spot over 30 antelope species such as waterbuck, nyala, bushbuck, kudu, impala and gemsbok but also the smaller aardwolf and bat-eared foxes on your game drives through the three biomes found here.
• Birdlife: twitchers should look out for the endangered Black Harrier, SA’s rarest endemic raptor, said to be rarer than the black rhino. Also look out for a breeding pair of Verraux’s Eagles, Blue Cranes, Secretary Birds and Denham’s Bustard.
• That there is loads to do in the area, although you’ll be hard-pressed to leave this beautiful reserve as it’s predator-free, so you can also do beautiful bush walks through the unspoilt Renosterveld.
• This malaria-free game reserve only sleeps 18 guests in total (only 8 at this lodge), guaranteeing seclusion and privacy.
What you need to know ….
• Please note Melozhori can only be booked for sole-use by you and your loved ones, and not on a room-by-room basis.
• Crackling fireplaces make crisp winter stays such a pleasure, and you’ll experience sunny days aplenty here in this area in winter, spring and autumn, the prettiest times of year or ‘secret season’ in this area.
• The lodge is fully inclusive, with a full-time chef and management team. The kitchen/dining area separates two wings of the house.
• Excellent wineries and restaurants are dotted all along Route 62, the longest wine route in the world and not far from Melozhori.
• Kids will love the Breede River Cruises at Viljoensdrift, another popular wine farm with a restaurant on the river banks (perfect for sizzling hot summer days). Book ahead for the river cruise.
• There are plenty of little towns to explore on day trips, including the village of McGregor (take the beautiful, undulating dirt road, the ‘back route’ to the village from Stormsvlei), and towns of Montagu, Barrydale and even Swellendam (with the spectacular route on Tradouws Pass between the two) are favourites, especially off-peak, when it’s a little cooler. Struisbaai beaches are one hour’s drive in the other direction, through the wheat fields, via Bredasdorp.
Reviewed by Michelle Snaddon