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ACCOMMODATION EXPERIENCES THE HIDELIVE CAM

Founders Lodge by Mantis
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+27 41 404 9300

reservations@mantiscollection.com

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Game drive on the Founders Reserve, Eastern Cape
EXCLUSIVE USE · FOUNDERS LODGE BY MANTIS

The Whole Lodge. Your Story.

Seven suites. Twelve guests. A 1940s manor on its own private corner of the Founders Reserve, with traversing rights on Shamwari Game Reserve. Yours, end to end, for three nights or longer.
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Suites

7

Guests

12

Night Minimum

3

Meals & Game Drives

All

Malaria-Free

Big 5
MADE FOR THE MOMENTS THAT MATTER

Four Ways to Take the Lodge

Exclusive use turns Founders Lodge into a single, private setting for the people you choose to share it with. Twelve guests across seven suites, a 1940s manor, a private dining table, two daily game drives across the Founders Reserve and the greater Shamwari conservancy. Below are the four occasions our reservations team handles most.
FAMILY · MULTI-GENERATIONAL

The Family Reunion

Three generations under one roof for the first time in years. The Master Suite for grandparents, Heritage adjoining for visiting parents, Contemporary Suites overlooking the watering hole for the next-gen, and the Honeymoon Pod for the couple. Children four and older join the game drives; younger ones have the manor lawn and a heated pool. Best for: 8 to 12 guests across two or three generations · long-weekend or week-long stays · December and Easter peak windows.

MILESTONE · CELEBRATION

The Milestone

A sixtieth, a seventieth, a vow renewal, a retirement. The kind of birthday you mark with the people who shaped you. Private chef tasting menu in the manor dining room, sundowners at the photographic sunken hide, a quiet bush breakfast on a riverbed in the Founders Reserve. We help you plan the surprises. Best for: 8 to 12 close guests · three to four nights · low- and high-season windows when families travel together.

CORPORATE · INCENTIVE RETREAT

The Retreat

A leadership team off-site that doesn’t feel like work. Mornings on game drives, afternoons in the lodge lounge, library or shaded verandas, informal spaces suited to workshops and working sessions, and evenings around a single shared table. Distraction-free, network-light, on a property that signals seriousness without performing it. The lodge is not a purpose-built conference venue; bring your own facilitator and AV setup, and we’ll help configure the spaces around your agenda. Best for: 6 to 12 executives · two- to three-night strategy intensives · shoulder seasons when rates favour group travel budgets.

WEDDING · ELOPEMENT

The Intimate Wedding

Twelve people, a 1940s manor, the Eastern Cape light at four o’clock. Founders Lodge provides the setting; we work alongside your chosen wedding coordinator on ceremony, catering, officiant and licensing logistics. The manor lawn along with other areas and settings have worked well for intimate stays. Larger guest counts considered with the Founders Railway Carriage as an add-on (up to seventeen total). Best for: intimate stays up to 12 guests, coordinated with a wedding planner · long-weekend stays · mid- and high-season for soft light and dry weather.

THE LODGE YOU ARE TAKING OVER

A Family House, Made For Yours

Founders Lodge was Adrian Gardiner’s family holiday home for more than twenty years before it opened as a commercial lodge in October 2016. It is a 1940s manor on the Founders Reserve, Adrian Gardiner’s private game property near Shamwari, and it carries the proportions of a house rather than a hotel. Seven suites. One main lodge. A single shared dining table when you want one, and seven private ones when you don’t. The Founders Reserve sits alongside Shamwari Private Game Reserve, with traversing rights on Shamwari for daily game drives. Big Five, malaria-free, with the photographic sunken hide that has put this property on serious wildlife-photographer itineraries. Bring binoculars. Bring a long lens. Bring people you actually want to sit next to for three days.

Heritage Suite · Master Suite · Honeymoon Pod · four Contemporary Suites overlooking the Founders Watering Hole. Children four years and older are welcomed on game drives. Family-friendly throughout. Check-in 14:00, check-out 11:00.

Cheese and wine pairing next to the fire place at Founders Lodge
SEASONAL RACK RATES · VALID TO 31 MARCH 2027

From R147,000 Per Night

Whole-lodge exclusive use is priced per night for up to twelve guests. Three-night minimum stay. All meals, select local beverages, twice-daily game activities and access to the photographic sunken hide included. Rates are in South African Rand and include 15% VAT.
Season Dates Per Night (12 pax)
High 1 Oct to 19 Dec 2026 R147,000
High 11 Jan to 31 Mar 2027 R147,000
Peak 20 Dec 2026 to 10 Jan 2027 R177,000
Inclusive of luxury accommodation, game activities, all meals, select local beverages and access to the photographic sunken hide. Excludes transfers, premium beverages and gratuities. Group bookings of four or more suites trigger group payment and cancellation terms (see below).
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WHAT IS INCLUDED

End-to-End. No Surprises.

  • Whole-lodge use of all seven suites for up to 12 guests
  • Twice-daily game activities across the Founders Reserve with traversing rights on Shamwari
  • All meals, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, prepared on site
  • Select local beverages, including house wines, beers and spirits
  • Access to the photographic sunken hide at the Founders Watering Hole
  • Private use of the main lodge, lounge, library, dining room and pool
  • Dedicated lodge team, ranger, tracker, chef, hosts, for the duration
  • Customisable itinerary: shared dining table, bush breakfast, private dinners, sundowners on request

Optional add-ons (quoted separately): Founders Railway Carriage for up to five additional guests (taking total capacity to 17), private transfers from Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport (Gqeberha, ~85 km), premium wine list, spa treatments, Bear Grylls Survival Academy children’s programme, conservation impact experiences with the on-property anti-poaching and rhino monitoring teams.

GROUP BOOKING TERMS

Practical Notes Before You Enquire

Booking & Payment

Minimum 3-night stay. Group terms apply to bookings of four or more suites. A non-refundable deposit may be requested at time of booking to secure rooms, depending on season. Full pre-payment is required 45 days prior to arrival, with final rooming lists 30 days prior. Reservations made within 45 days require full pre-payment at booking.

Cancellation

Cancellations within 90 days of arrival are charged 100% of the booking fee. Provisional reservations made more than 60 days out are held for a maximum of 14 working days, then released. Full terms confirmed at quote.

QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK BEFORE THEY BOOK

Frequently Asked

CAN WE HOST MORE THAN 12 GUESTS?

Up to 17, by adding the Founders Railway Carriage (a separate exclusive-use accommodation, five berths across three cabins) as an add-on. Beyond that, the lodge cannot accommodate. Tell us your number on enquiry and we’ll cost the combination.

ARE CHILDREN WELCOME ON EXCLUSIVE-USE BOOKINGS?

Yes. The lodge is family-friendly for ages four and up. Children four and older join game drives. One child under twelve may share on a rollaway (the lodge keeps two rollaways). Children not sharing pay full suite rates within group bookings.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE RATE?

Accommodation in all seven suites, all meals, select local beverages (house wines, beers, spirits), twice-daily game activities with traversing rights on Shamwari, and access to the photographic sunken hide. Transfers, premium beverages and gratuities are extra. Anything bespoke, private chef menus, in-room spa, conservation experiences, quoted separately.

HOW DO WE GET TO THE LODGE?

By air into Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport in Gqeberha (~85 km, 1h 15min by road). Cape Town is 1h 25min by air, Johannesburg 1h 35min. Private transfers from the airport are at additional cost and can be arranged with your booking. Self-drive is possible. The final approach is approximately 15 km of gravel road from the Sidbury turnoff.

CAN WE HOST A WEDDING CEREMONY?

Founders Lodge provides the setting; we work alongside your wedding coordinator on all ceremony, catering, officiant and licensing logistics. The manor lawn and pergola are the usual settings for stays of up to 12 guests; larger counts are evaluated case-by-case and the Founders Railway Carriage can extend capacity to 17. Speak to our reservations team early, coordinator selection shapes what’s possible.

HOW DO PAYMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS WORK FOR THE WHOLE LODGE?

Group terms: full pre-payment is required 45 days before arrival (or at booking if within 45 days), final rooming lists 30 days before. Cancellations within 90 days are charged 100% of the booking. A non-refundable deposit may be requested at booking depending on season. We confirm exact terms in your written quote.

IS THE AREA MALARIA-FREE?

Yes. The Eastern Cape malaria-free safari zone, one of the very few Big Five regions in Africa where prophylactics aren’t required. Travelling with children or older guests, this matters.
BEGIN THE CONVERSATION

Enquire About Exclusive Use

Tell us the dates, the occasion and the people. The lodge’s reservations team responds personally with a tailored quote and provisional hold on the dates if available.

Prefer to speak with someone? Mantis Reservations: +27 41 404 9300 · reservations@mantiscollection.com · Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 17:00 SAST.

The Whole Lodge. Your Story.

Three nights. Seven suites. The people you chose. The bush takes care of the rest.
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