Founders Lodge Safari FAQ

No. Founders Lodge sits on the Founders Reserve, a separate, privately-owned reserve adjacent to Shamwari Private Game Reserve. Guests access Big Five viewing on Shamwari under contractual traversing rights.

Yes. The Eastern Cape is malaria-free all year round, which is why the region has become the default choice for family safaris and long-haul itineraries where anti-malarial medication is undesirable.

Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport in Gqeberha is roughly one hour by road from the lodge. Road transfers can be arranged by the lodge at an additional cost; self-drive is straightforward via the N2 and the Sidbury road.

Yes. Founders Lodge operates under the Mantis Collection brand and is bookable directly or via Accor’s ALL, Accor Live Limitless loyalty programme.

The building is a 1940s colonial manor house. It was the Gardiner family’s private holiday home for roughly twenty-one years before opening commercially in October 2016.

Man And Nature Together Is Sustainable. The name ‘Mantis’ was suggested by the conservationist Ian Player during an evening at the reserve; the acronym was coined later by the Mantis team itself.

Yes. Game drives from Founders Lodge extend into the adjacent Shamwari Private Game Reserve under traversing rights, where all Big Five species are present. Plains game and white rhino are also resident on the Founders Reserve itself.

Yes. The Master and Heritage Suites connect via an adjoining passage, which makes them the most natural pairing for families travelling together. The four Contemporary Suites are not directly interconnected, but two of them share adjacent doorways, a comfortable arrangement for older children (around 10 and up) or for a parent-and-child configuration per room. Every Contemporary Suite is also spacious enough to accommodate a cot or roll-away bed for a baby or toddler.

Beyond the suite configuration, the lodge itself is malaria-free and secured against dangerous wildlife, so younger children can move around the grounds freely, a combination that makes Founders a practical and low-stress choice for multi-generational travel.

The lodge welcomes children from age four upwards on game drives. Children aged three and under may stay at the main lodge (rooming-in with parents) but cannot be accommodated in the Railway Carriage.

Yes. Exclusive-use bookings for the main lodge and the Founders Railway Carriage are both available. Enquire directly for rates.

The Founders Railway Carriage, a restored carriage with three cabins sleeping up to five, is available for exclusive-use bookings only: minimum two nights, minimum two guests, no children under four.

Yes, from four years and up. Families favour the adjoining Master and Heritage Suites, and the lodge runs an accredited Bear Grylls Survival Academy programme for young guests.

Rates and inclusions vary by season and offer. The reservations team confirms exactly what your rate covers when they send your quote. Reservations: +27 41 404 9300 or reservations@mantiscollection.com.

A 50% deposit confirms the booking, with the balance due 30 days before arrival. Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Diners Club are accepted.

The Eastern Cape is malaria-free all year round. Winter (May to September) offers classic dry-season game viewing at the waterhole; summer (October to April) brings green landscapes, the richest birding and newborn plains game.