Melozhori Private Game Reserve - Bonnievale, South Africa

A place of quiet splendour and majesty, Melozhori Private Game Reserve is a place where families and friends can dwell in each other’s company and in nature. A short drive from Cape Town, you will arrive at this place of rest and tranquility within 2 hours making it the perfect escape and a place of regular reset for the frequent traveller.

The Perfect Start to the Week

We arrived on a Sunday afternoon – the perfect start to the week. What is immediately palpable when entering Melozhori Private Game Reserve is a sense of privacy and groundedness. My family and I stayed in the cottage which was the perfect little spot tucked up high on a hill overlooking the glorious pleins and rolling hills of the reserve.

While we were settling in, the wood fired hot tub was already on the go getting nice and toasty for us – I love that the service at the reserve is so preemptive of guests needs taking out any laboriousness from the stay. We were given a quick introduction to the surroundings and wasted no time at all getting into the hot tub. We also dove straight into the beautiful snack platter that was left for us upon arrival which was a lovely and inviting touch.

COLLABORATION PARTNER: Melozhori Private Game Reserve – Bonnievale, South Africa

DATE OF TRAVEL:
August 2025

OFFERING:
2 nights stay in the cottage, self catering option provided by reserve, game drive and sundowners at Rangers Rest. Wood fired hot tub, pizza oven, indoor fireplace and hammocks with blankets and pillows.

The air was filled with smokey’ness from the fires for the duration of our stay and we just loved this – there was our hot tub fire, pizza oven fire and then we also the indoor fire which we cosied up near to in the evenings. After some much needed relaxation, we did a short bush walk enjoying the crunch under our feet and spotting various birdlife. We then headed back to start the dinner prep.

A fantastic amenity that Melozhori offers is the pizza ovens at the various accommodation spots at the reserve. This makes preparing dinner such a community activity bringing people together and enjoying the art of creating in a very low key way. My little one and hubby absolutely loved this and everything to make our delicious creations was provided by the reserve. No topping was spared and the pizza bases were perfect.

Game Driving and Soul Searching in Nature

The next morning we could not wait to jump in the game vehicle and head out into the bush. It is always so exciting getting ready for a game drive – there is a sense of wonder and expectation – what will we see, who will we encounter but also that feeling of looking out into the wide open spaces dreaming and breathing the fresh bush air.

We headed out with our game ranger who stopped along the way taking time to teach us about the animals and plant life which helped us understand nature a little more – even if only in a very small way. We spotted so many wonderful antelope and birdlife species. Our little one had lots of questions about the termite hills and our game ranger took the time to stop and investigate the termite hill, explaining how the anteater would extract ants, or termites from the hill. It is this personalised experience that made me understand that each game drive is different and unique to the visitors.

We stopped at a lovely spot to end the drive off with a cup of hot chocolate and some unbelievably delicious biscuits before retiring to the cottage.

We took the rest of the day to of course enjoy the hot tub and spend time relaxing on the hammocks – kitted out with massive pillows and blankets that you can fall asleep on – which we actually did. The soft air lightly pressing on on our faces let us know we were somewhere magical.

*As an added treat, another game ranger brought a little lamb past the cottage later that afternoon for us so that our little one could feed him – that was really special and will be remembered for a long time to come.

Sundowners at Rangers Rest

That evening we headed off on another game drive and we were determined to get near to the giraffes. We were super lucky to have spotted them and trekked through some terrain to get nearer. It was lovely to watch them graze and contemplate. Currently there are 5 adult giraffes on the reserve with a baby which is always nice to see.

We then headed off to a very special spot for some of the most outstanding sundowners. We stopped off on the road at Rangers Rest where we were greeted by a staff member who gave us a welcoming drink. We were then led through a lantern lit path to a carefully curated spot consisting of a beautiful bonfire pit encompassed by chairs and blankets waiting for us to sink into while taking in the natural environment and wonder. To the left, a table filled with refreshments was held which was decadent and delicious and we could not stop feasting!

We were so fortunate to be there at the right time to catch the most beautiful sun filled winter sky to make the experience all the more perfect. We really did not want to leave! We chatted and and thought about life’s big questions before forcing ourselves to leave as night fell.

A truly special family stay and we cannot wait to return!

Some notes from the stay

We felt completely spoilt, one can feel the excellence put into every meal and everything done at the reserve.
There are no predators on the reserve making it the perfect place for guests to explore on foot or by bicycle.
The personalised experience is unmatched.