Ant's Nest

The experience here is private—the lodge accommodates just twelve people at a time. The two-story thatched homestead has six spacious bedrooms, each with en suites. The Sable Suite upstairs features two adjoining bedrooms, perfect for parents with small children. Downstairs is a communal lounge and dining space, comfortably furnished with hand-carved furniture, lots of plush cushions, and a log fire for cooler evenings. By taking the entire place exclusively, every family need is catered to, including the timing and variety of safari activities, menus and excursions further afield.

Ant and Tessa guide a very wide range of safari activities. An open-sided safari vehicle is best to see the largest numbers of animals. For a fresh and enriching perspective, try a walking safari, enabling you to put Africa 'under the microscope'. Your guide will teach you the medicinal uses of plants, how to identify animals based on tracks and dung, and even show you how a column of army ants can raid and decimate a six foot tall termite mound.

Ant’s Nest has a herd of over 90 well-schooled horses, so there’s a mount here for riders of all levels. The horses here are unique, living and grazing in the bush amongst zebra, giraffe and antelope—this gives them the perfect temperament for even the youngest riders to enjoy a horseback safari. The focus at Ant’s is on safety and every ride is accompanied by two guides. Enthusiastic riders can choose to take two rides per day, trotting through the wild alongside buffalo, eland, sable and even rhinoceros.

One of the reasons that this place is particularly suitable for young children is that the Waterberg area does not have big cats or elephants. However if you’re keen to spot all of the Big Five, you have the option to enjoy an excursion to the neighbouring Kaingo Reserve for part or all of the day. At Kaingo, the terrain is different with a wider variety of animals, including lion and leopard, elephant, herds of buffalo and many other species.