Founders Lodge by Mantis

Founders Lodge sits on the highest point of a twenty-five-thousand-hectare reserve near Sidbury in the Eastern Cape, looking down over cliffs, valleys and a waterhole. The lodge holds seven rooms across two distinct structures: the original colonial manor house, which contains the Master Suite and Heritage Room, and a courtyard wing of four Contemporary Suites, each with a private veranda facing the bushveld. Above the main lodge a private pod — the Honeymoon Pod — has its own entrance and unobstructed views of the valley below. The most singular option is the Founders Railway Carriage: Adrian Gardiner's restored five-berth private railway carriage, parked at a siding on the hill, with its own pool, boma and outdoor deck.

Guided game drives cover the full reserve, which carries the Big Five. Guided walks operate on a separate four-hundred-hectare predator-free section of the reserve, where guides focus on tracking, bird identification, and reading animal signs. The reserve is also home to a group of white rhino; guests can join supplementary feeding and health monitoring sessions. A sunken photographic hide is available for wildlife photography. The Bear Grylls Survival Academy runs a programme for children on site.

Meals are prepared from seasonal ingredients and served in the boma or at a bush picnic site when conditions allow. The lodge also has a gym, steam room, two swimming pools, and a spa offering in-room treatments. Airport transfers are available on request. The reserve is malaria-free.