Sustainable luxury at its finest in one of South Africa’s most unique and prized ecosystems over the sweeping wilderness of Walker Bay.

Grootbos Private Nature Reserve is an award-winning sustainable travel business offering guests an unrivalled luxury experience embedded in one of the world’s most unique and beautiful ecosystems.

Grootbos (meaning ‘big forest’ in Afrikaans) Nature Reserve sits on the vibrant, fynbos-clad hills overlooking Walker Bay in South Africa’s Western Cape. Thanks to the work of the pioneering owners, this is one of the richest concentrations of flora in the world. The 6,170-acre reserve is home to 817 plant species and is one of the few places in the world where it’s possible to see the ‘Marine Big Five’.

Since 1991, Michael Lutzeyer and his family have been creating a melting pot of luxury accommodation, responsible tourism and biodiversity on what was once an abandoned, scrubby farm. The Grootbos story proves the power of tourism to transform places and people.

As of 1999, Grootbos has been instrumental in establishing the 308,000-acre Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy. The not-for-profit Grootbos Foundation ensures that the local community benefits from tourism as much as visitors do. Initiatives include Siyakhula (meaning ‘growing the future’), Green Futures (training), and the Football Foundation (health and wellbeing).

The five-star Grootbos experience is embedded in its conservation and community mission. Activities include whale watching, horse-riding, floral safaris and the floriligeum art gallery, guided walks, beach days, and taking in the staggering poolside views. Villas and suites are carefully laid out to meet the needs of couples and families.

“At Grootbos, we go beyond simply conserving this pristine wilderness we call home. We’re constantly researching, innovating and pioneering new ways of doing things – in order to transform the lives of community members as well as preserve 2500 hectares of botanical & wildlife treasures.”

  

 
 

Be an Earth Changer:

Visit Grootbos to support fynbos conservation and local communities

Progressive. Natural. Inclusive. Experience an unforgettable adventure immersed in the nature of a luxury eco-reserve close to the Southern tip of Africa tucked between mountains, forest and sea.

A stay of a minimum of three nights is recommended.

Enquire with us so we connect you directly to the destination so locals benefit more.

Earth Changers Plus: Book through us to receive a free unique Entomology experience! Details in ‘Activities’ below.

 

The Place

  • Sweeping views to the coast from all suites in 2 lodges and 2 private villas.

  • 817 plant species thrive, over 100 endangered, thanks to Grootbos’ conservation.

  • See the Marine Big Five — dolphins, sharks, whales, penguins & seals.

  • The reserve is instrumental in community uplift with a high local employment rate.

  • Unrivalled luxury experience for families and couples alike.

+ Accommodation

Two private villas have their own pools, vehicles, chefs and guides.

In addition 26 rooms and suites are spread out across the homey Garden Lodge and the slick Forest Lodge for which there are two pools, two organic gardens and two spas. Plus, treatments are on offer in the units or at the villas, so no one is on top of each other. (There is a pool at both Garden and Forest Lodge plus two of the Forest Lodge freestanding units have pools).

Each guest at Grootbos is allocated a dedicated guide, who receives them on arrival and helps curate and guide their itinerary:

Families are expertly catered for with a kids club, extensive activities and a creche, while couples can enjoy utmost peace and seclusion.

Each freestanding suite has sweeping ocean views, a lounge and a wooden deck. Interiors are as sustainably-minded as they are luxurious; huge windows and natural fabrics invite the outside in.

+ Eating & Drinking

The thoughtful ethos extends to the culinary experience, which revolves around the freshest, organic ingredients. Whether picnicking on the beach or indulging in a 6-course dinner in the Garden Restaurant, food is an integral part of the Grootbos experience.

Locally-sourced goods are a priority, too, from Grootbos honey to hand-reared pigs and fynbos-infused gin. Guests can even tour surrounding vineyards before settling down to sommelier pairings.

The sommelier team are always on site to help. Visit the wine maturation cellar and join guided excursions to other local surrounding wine cellars too.

Grootbos is full board including a 6-course dinner, buffet breakfast, light lunch, snacks and all soft and hot drinks. Alcoholic beverages are an additional cost.

+ Activities

Many of the activities available at Grootbos are unique. There’s nowhere else in the world you can enjoy a fynbos safari, see the Marine Big Five, Fatbike across sand dunes, collect honey and go horse-riding under one nature reserve.

Earth Changers Plus: Book through us to receive a free unique Entomology experience! Head out into the fynbos with a specialist Entomologist to a special entomologist site, select and collect an insect and return to examine the insect/bug under a microscope. You'll even get a photo emailed to you of your bug under the microscope a week later!

Activities included in your stay: • 4x4 botanical and bird-watching safari. • Horse-riding through the fynbos or on the beach. • Guided hikes through the Cape Floral Kingdom. • Living the Future Tour to meet the thriving local community. • Coastal walks to historical caves and deserted beaches.

Additional activities: • Whale Watching with the Cape’s most responsible marine tour company. • A river cruise down the Klein River to Hermanus Estuary. • Fatbike tours across Walker Bay’s sand dunes. • Scenic flights.

+ Wildlife

The Cape Floristic Region contains one of the richest concentrations of flora in the world. Grootbos itself is home to a staggering 817 flora species including the endangered Overberg sandstone fynbos and ancient milkwood forests.

This unique ecosystem is teeming with wildlife including 118 bird species, 29 mammals and 21 amphibians – some of which are under threat of extinction.

Beyond the reserve, nearby Dyer Island is home to 60,000 Cape fur seals and penguins, and from June to December, Walker Bay hosts an unforgettable southern right whale spectacle.

+ Weather

There is no offseason, although warm, sunny days are more frequent from November through to April.

It can be rainy and cold from July to October, although this is the best time for whale watching, with the whale watching season extending from July through to early December.

The People

  • Community is at the heart of operations.

  • Exceptional Service: Over 80% of staff from local area and trained by Grootbos

  • Guests are actively encouraged to experience Grootbos’ community work.

  • The Grootbos Foundation focuses on up-skilling the local population and the health and well-being of young people.

  • Founder Michael Lutzeyer is a true eco-tourism pioneer.

+ The Staff

Over 80% of the staff are from the local community.

Upskilling opportunities include a horticulture training school, an organic garden, and guiding school.

Staff have an intimate and passionate knowledge of the surrounding area, which makes service more personable and enjoyable.

+ The Community

The Grootbos Foundation has played a fundamental role in the uplift of the local community and townships. The foundation operates under three programmes:

+ The Suppliers

Where possible, Grootbos uses local suppliers - including Grootbos’ own organic farm run by women from the local township - to inject money and capacity building back into the community and surrounding region.

+ Culture & Behaviour

Grootbos prides itself on being an inclusive place to work, and the team are close-knit and passionate about what they do.

“We aim to give our student candidates the skills and confidence necessary to market themselves and become employable, while at the same time contributing to the conservation and promotion of our region’s unique biodiversity.”

The Purpose

  • To welcome visitors to a “melting pot of biodiversity, culture & natural wonder”.

  • To restore and protect the Walker Bay ecosystem for the good of the natural world and local communities.

  • To operate a progressive, natural and inclusive tourism business.

  • To work with local landowners and conservationists to preserve over 2500-hectares of botanical and wildlife treasures.

  • To prove that eco-tourism can be a force for good social and environmental progress.

+ Social Impact

The Grootbos Foundation plays a fundamental role in the uplift of the local community and townships. Key projects include:

  • The organic farm, Siyakhula, which means ‘growing the future’, which provides entrepreneurship and enterprise development skills and income for women from the nearby township, as well as supporting food security.
  • Green Futures College offers an accessible course in horticulture, guiding and hospitality. Formalised in 2003, it has the benefit of 15 years of involvement in the local community, offering vocational skills enabling community youth to bring change to their lives. The classes are small, allowing for individual focused attention and development. Since inception, over 300 young people have graduated from this unique opportunity, with more than 90% of graduates finding employment on completion of the course, 40% with the lodge itself.
  • Every year, three Green Future students get the opportunity of a lifetime as they head to work at the renowned tourist attraction, the Eden Project, in Cornwall, UK.
  • The Football Foundation is a daily multi-sports training programme offering youth a positive safe environment after school and has reached the lives of 9,858 children in the last year alone.
  • Grootbos Foundation is also working with 6 early childhood development centres reaching over 200 children per annum.
  • A feeding scheme across the sports programmes and early learning centers has provided 26,544 meals to 3,898 children in the last year (20-21).
  • 34,191 Individuals benefitted to date from direct engagement for community uplift (2021).
  • 307,918 meals* were served through the Daily Soup Kitchen Covid Relief Programme from April 2020 - March 2021, an average of 1,135 meals per day of operation!

+ Environment

Certified carbon-negative since 2018, thanks to over 20 years of conservation efforts the 6,170-acre Grootbos Private Nature Reserve is home to more than 817 plant species, of which over 100 are endangered, including the Overberg sandstone fynbos and ancient milkwood trees. Other environmental achievements include:

  • Working with local landowners to create the 42,000-acre Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy.
  • 6925 hectares of invasive alien vegetation cleared (by 2021)
  • 2303 indigenous trees planted (by 2021)
  • 163 hectares of Fynbos burned for regeneration and to reduce risk of wildfires(by 2021)
  • 3444 tonnes of organic waste repurposed as animal feed (by 2021)
  • 155,698 Kw generated via solar (by 2021)
  • Bottling filtered water to save over 40,000 single-use plastic bottles per annum.
  • Maintaining organic gardens and a farm to reduce food miles, ensure food integrity and security, and generate income for local people.
  • Menus are designed around seasonal and sustainably-sourced ingredients to limit environmental impact.
  • Visit the new 2022, and Africa's first, Florilegium art gallery, and discover the biodiversity heritage through beautiful botanical artwork, an expression of commitment to the preservation of the natural treasures.

+ Wildlife

Since 1999, the Lutzeyer family has spent much of their time convincing local landowners to join forces for the sake of conservation.

Grootbos has helped to prove the economic benefit of creating a habitat for endangered species like leopard, honey badgers and bushbuck, and to preserve native species like the elfin fynbos, of which there’s only 5% left in the world.

This 'Serengeti of the Sea’ is also one of the few places in the world where you can see the ‘Marine Big Five’: Known for whale-watching, over 100 Southern Right Whales come to mate and calve. Bottlenose dolphins come by the hundreds, and the Great White Shark reigns supreme with Robust Cape Fur Seals populating rugged coastline islands, endangered African Penguins living in colonies amongst them.

Grootbos is now turning its attention to the creation of a wildlife corridor to link the Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy with Cape Agulhas National Park. If successful, the corridor would create a 98,000-acre protected reserve.

+ Animal Welfare

Grootbos is a nature reserve that allows nature to thrive with minimal human impact. Whale watching and shark diving tours are with the Western Cape’s most responsibly-minded operator. Like Grootbos, the operator focuses on (marine) conservation and education, with eco-friendly tours led by experienced marine biologists and guides in the critically important 20 hectare Dyer Island ecosystem, a protected bird sanctuary home to breeding colonies of the endangered African Penguin (of which there used to be 25 000 pairs, today only about 900 pairs due to human interference), Cape Cormorant (60% of the population) and Caspian Tern, as well as other seabirds.

“We do not just conserve the environment. We are deeply integrated and supportive within our ecosystem, constantly pioneering new paths.”

 

We connect you directly to the destination so locals benefit more.

“The Grootbos Foundation vision is the conservation of the Cape Floral Kingdom and the transformation of the communities within.”

Options & Rates

Getting There:

Grootbos Private Nature Reserve is less than a two-hour drive from bustling Cape Town and just one hour from where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic. The Kogelberg Coastal Route, Hermanus Wine Route, Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and the Whale Coast are all nearby.

Included:

  • 5-star accommodation

  • Buffet breakfast with English menu

  • 3-course lunch

  • 6-course dinner

  • All soft and hot drinks

  • Transfers to and from activities

  • Mountain biking and horse-riding

  • Nature and coastal drives and walks

  • Guided walks and hikes.

  • Dedicated guide to helps curate personal itineraries.

Rates From £840 per night based on 2 sharing a Garden Lodge or Forest Lodge suit.

Check-in is 14h00, but you are welcome to arrive at any time and make use of the facilities - including joining for lunch on early arrival from 13:00 onwards.

Check-out is 11h00.

Optional extras:

  • Alcoholic beverages

  • Laundry

  • Spa Treatments, boat trips, scenic flights, quad biking, beach horse riding

  • Items of a personal nature

 

Awards & Accreditations

2019 We Are Africa Travel, African Responsible Tourism Award, overall winner
2017 World Tourism Market, Best Accommodation Award winner
2016 National Geographic World Legacy Awards, Engaging Communities finalist
2015 WTTC African Tourism Awards, Best in Poverty Reduction winner
2015 & 2008 WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, finalist
2015 We Are Africa Innovation Awards Winner - Engage Africa
2015 We Are Africa Innovation Awards Winner - Experience Africa
2015 National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World - Founding Member
2015 We Are Africa - Most Innovative Project for the Local Community

We connect you directly to the destination so locals benefit more.

Terms & Conditions:
- Rates include VAT @ 15% and are quoted locally in SA Rand (subject to changes).
- Rates exclude Conservation Levy of R 100.00 per adult per night.

- All reservations require a 25% deposit upon confirmation of the booking to be paid within 7 days. Grootbos reserves the right to cancel the booking should payment not be received. Final payment needs to be made 45 days prior to guests’ arrival. Grootbos reserves the right to cancel the booking should payment not be received.
- For last minute reservations, full payment is required upon confirmation.
- All requests, confirmations and cancellations only valid if in writing. Please ensure you receive acknowledgement of cancellation from our Reservations Department.
- Provisional bookings will only be held for 7 days as stated on the provisional confirmation; thereafter the booking will automatically be released.
- Rates are not guaranteed until the booking is confirmed.
- No pets allowed.
- All suites are non-smoking.
- Children: Forest Lodge accepts children over the age of 12 years. Garden Lodge accepts children of all ages.
Preferred Credit Cards: VISA, Mastercard & AMEX (no Diner’s Club Cards accepted).
- The cancellation fee is a percentage of the full accommodation account:

• Up to 46 days prior to travel: 5% cancellation fees
• 45 – 21 days prior to travel: 35% cancellation fees
• 20 – 0 days prior to travel: 100% cancellation fees

- Please note that 100% cancellation fee will be charged should you decide to depart earlier while staying. Should you cancel your booking more than 30 days prior to arrival, please note that a 6% credit card charge will be deducted from your original deposit paid. This only applies for deposits paid by credit card.