If you are one for a unique and funky wild outdoor experience, then the Bellevue forest reserve Stargazer camp is just what the travel doctor prescribed. It’s very evident that the name Stargazer precedes itself quite literally as the idea is to spend a night under the stars, gazing at them while they flicker till the morning.
The Bellevue Forest Reserve is situated in South Africa’s malaria-free Eastern Cape and comprises of 2500 hectares of mountainous virgin forest with free-roaming wildlife within the Greater Addo area. Here, 165 bird species, buffalo, leopard, giraffe, eland, kudu, and other wildlife find refuge among some of the most scenic and wholesome landscapes to be found anywhere.
A short drive from the renowned Addo Elephant National Park, guests are offered two significantly different experiences in the heart of nature – the gracious and elegant 4-star rated Elephant Lodge or the wildly romantic Stargazer Camp.
The Stargazer experience is a dream, with all the hotel expectancies played-out.
The shower is lodged 50 metres above the beds. You will also locate a geyser made from a rim, a gas cylinder and an actual fire prepared in each camp while the toilet is about 200 metres away, all out in the wild open bushes.
A true stargazer camping night experience
The delicacies of huddling around the fireplace will even prompt you to want to take and post your Stargazer pictures on your socials because the setup is definitely beyond five-star.
The tranquil setting will allow you peaceful sleep and you won’t ever have to worry about snakes coming up to whisper in your sleep or play kissy😉with you, you’d swear that this kind of serenity set up came by design. The sound of birds is part of your lullaby, but occasionally, you will hear sounds of lions roaring from afar too, cowering in the dark which is the thrilling part of this vacay set.
Waking up at the Stargazer camp, you can look forward to a lukewarm shower after sleeping peacefully with the itinerary pointing to a game drive soon after breakfast.. yet another moment you can use to take sunset pictures.
Tea or coffee with rusks for breakfast as you might have had a late night. fruit, juice and snacks for the road as you depart. If you can afford the luxury then go for it, it just won’t be within the majority of people’s reach. The game drives include take place in the afternoon when you arrive and the next morning before breakfast. They are on the family owned reserve and the animals you are likely to bump into is mainly a giraffe and tagged buffalo.
Bellevue Forest Reserve is owned by the Buchner family, the realisation of a passion to be part of the ecological restoration of natural wildscapes and original wildlife corridors. This is where nature’s heartbeat is felt, and where healing and restoration happen. “We place special interest in the preservation of endangered flora and fauna, including the flightless dung beetle. Our reserve is a haven for people and animals alike.”
