In keeping with our efforts to attract visitors, not only to the Royal St Andrews Hotel, but also to Port Alfred, the Sunshine Coast and the Eastern Cape, we have collaborated with Pumba Private Game Reserve to bring you the best accommodation and game experiences in the area.
This offering allows visitors book directly with Royal St Andrews Hotel in Port Alfred, Eastern Cape, we will then confirm availability, book your game drive and lunch and facilitate payment with Pumba Private Game Reserve on your behalf.
Pumba Private Game Reserve is situated approximately 75km (1hr) from the Royal St Andrews Hotel along the R72 & R343. Transport to & from Pumba Private Game Reserve and Royal St Andrews Hotel is not included in this package, but the beautiful drive will have you wanting to self-drive, even if it was.
Your Day Experience at Pumba:
We offer an exciting day excursion for the adventurous at heart. Experience our incredibly unique and diverse reserve, without staying overnight, with our Day Safari trips. Guided by an experienced Ranger on an open Land Rover, enjoy the thrill of spotting African Wildlife in their natural habitat! Whether you are a group of 2 or 40, this is the perfect day excursion!
Enjoy a welcome drink on arrival before being whisked away off into the African bush on a thrilling search for the finest in South African wildlife. Your Game Drive will last around 2.5 hours, after which your day will be complemented with a delectable lunch and refreshments.
Some information on Pumba Private Game Reserve, Eastern Cape:
Location: Eastern Cape, South Africa (along the N2 highway).
Distance: ~110km from Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) International Airport.
Environment: Malaria-free, making it safe and ideal for families and international travellers
The Big Five: Lion (including white lions), Elephant, Buffalo, Leopard, and Rhinoceros.
Other Wildlife: Cheetah, giraffe, hippo, zebra, and over 317 bird species.
Size: Spans over 6,500 hectares of indigenous bushveld.
History: The reserve spans the historic Zuurveld frontier and features land originally granted to Piet Retief in 1813. It was officially established as a reserve in July 2004
History of the Land
To alleviate unemployment and crippling poverty after the Napoleonic Wars, the British Government encouraged emigration to South Africa. This resulted in 4 000 English Settlers arriving in Algoa Bay (Port Elizabeth) in 1820.
These Settlers were allocated farms in the adjacent interior, neighbours to Cariega, making the area less isolated. In the course of time, Cariega was subdivided into several smaller properties, a practice commonly used to provide a son with his own farm. The remainder of the original Cariega Farm is included in what is known today as Pumba Private Game Reserve. The owners are acquiring and reincorporating those smaller subdivided farms and restoring the indigenous fauna & flora, ensuring the preservation of the area’s historical and ecological heritage.
The idea which led to the formation of Pumba Private Game Reserve & Spa was conceived by Hotelier Trevor Lombard and wildlife enthusiast, Dale Howarth. This culminated in the creation of the reserve in July 2004. Both Trevor & Dale were born and bred in the Eastern Cape and their respective backgrounds complemented each other perfectly in establishing what Pumba Private Game Reserve & Spa is today.
Immediately after its creation, steps were taken to rehabilitate and restore the indigenous fauna, some of which had not been present since 1825. These steps ranged from the removal of all traces of previous farming activities to the reintroduction of a variety of game, the most exciting being the Big Five, as well as Hippos, Hyenas, Cheetahs and White Lions. Lastly, various species of antelope were released onto the reserve to complete the restocking process.
Experienced and well-known interior designer, Alison van Zijl, who was passionate about African wildlife and indigenous flora, was appointed to do the concept planning and interior design for the lodges and their accommodation. Her inspiration was drawn from many features integral to the sites of the lodges; the magnificent East Cape valley and riverine bush surrounding the lodge; the reflection in the water of the Cariega Lake overlooked by the lodge and finally the colours and style of the traditional dress of the Xhosa people to whom the Eastern Cape is home.
Friendly and efficient staff ensure that excellent service and plenty of personal attention is given to all guests visiting this very beautiful piece of wild Africa. As a result, Pumba is now well on its way to achieving Trevor and Dale’s objective of creating the perfect environment in which the ultimate African Safari may be experienced.
History of the White Lion
Pumba Private Game Reserve has been home to a flourishing pride of free-roaming White & Split Lion since 2006. There are less than 500 White Lion in the world.
It is integral for the survival and sustainability of a pride of lions that they are not all white but mixed with the tawny split-gene animals. The white animals are too conspicuous because of their colour and, on their own, are not successful hunters and will not survive without human assistance. The pride has already produced four sets of cubs.
An important part of Pumba’s white lion conservation management plan is to ensure there is no inbreeding. To vary the gene pool of the resident white lion pride, a three-year-old pure white lioness named Nomathemba was brought in for introduction in October 2009. Introducing a new member into an established pride is an extremely sensitive procedure. The dominant male would usually gladly accept the new lioness however, the dominant females might not and could possibly kill the new female if she was not introduced in a controlled manner.
On arrival, Nomathemba was held in a rehabilitation boma for three months where she was able to acclimatize to her environment and get to know the resident pride through the fence of her enclosure. Once Nomathemba was acclimatized, the dominant lioness of the pride was captured and relocated to an enclosure next to Nomathemba's, separated by a sliding gate.
This was the first step in getting the dominant lioness to accept and bond with Nomathemba. Once the two got to know each other through the boma fence and showed signs of bonding, the sliding gate was opened to allow them to have physical contact. This was a critical step in the process. If Nomathemba showed resistance to the dominant lioness, it could lead to a fight to the death. However, as the process was professionally managed and monitored, Nomathemba immediately demonstrated her submissiveness and was accepted. The two females were held together in the boma, whilst the second, most dominant female, was relocated to the adjacent boma.
The same process followed until all three lionesses were feeding together in one boma. The final step for Nomathemba's introduction was to release all three lionesses from the rehabilitation boma into the reserve to join the rest of the pride. The white lion rehabilitation project is one of the Reserve's key biodiversity projects and attracts guests from all over the world. Since the inception of the Reserve’s rehabilitation program, a similar project has commenced in the Timbavati region, where the white lion was originally discovered. These two programs are the only two known in the world where white lions have been reintroduced to roam freely and hunt for themselves.
