Set well apart from each other, the tents are positioned along the ridge above the river in indigenous thicket, with beautiful views towards the plains across the water where animals drift by.
Settler’s Drift delivers in spades, especially for couples looking for a romantic retreat or a real spoil and I was genuinely surprised by the diverse landscape here … literally just over an hour from Port Elizabeth you enter through the gates and begin your descent into the valley, leaving the rest of the world behind you.
You would never know that this magical riverine experience exists unless you leave the beach road, and it offers a winning combination of game viewing with five dramatically different eco-systems (valley bushveld, savannah grasslands, fynbos, riverine forest and acacia woodland), and although Kariega has several lodges spread over the 10 000 hectare reserve, Settler’s Drift is by far the most private.
Be sure to spend time in this beautiful camp: book a spa treatment or simply laze beside the pool. Experience the evening light with the euphorbia reflections mirrored on the water, or take time out and watch the early morning mist rise over the river from your luxurious cocoon with the birds chattering in the early sunshine. Modern bathrooms are glass walled too, giving you the complete experience of being in the bush. Settler’s Drift is the ultimate sophisticated retreat for urban bush lovers!
Reviewed by Michelle Snaddon