Game drives, bush walks and horse-back safaris
Ant's Reserve is located in the magnificent, malaria-free Waterberg region. Home to both Ant’s Nest and Ant’s Hill lodges, both lodges are owned and run by Ant and Tessa Baber. The Baber family have a long history in the area, dating back to 1886, and indeed were one of the earliest pioneers to the region.
In the mid 1990's, Ant and Tessa renovated their old ranch house, which became Ant's Nest, and in 2003, they built a second lodge, Ant's Hill, above a spectacular gorge, offering superb views of the surrounding bushveld. Their aim is very simple - to provide all guests with a unique safari experience, whatever their age.
Ant’s is also probably one of the most child friendly safari lodges found in Africa - their unique policy is to allow children of all ages to join their parents on all game viewing activities, so as a parent you can witness their first encounters with wildlife. However, for those children who prefer to stay back at the lodge with their iPad, full child minding services are also available!
Guests staying at either lodge have a wide range of game viewing activities to choose from. You can opt to go on a game drive in an open Land Rover with an experienced ranger, or you can get to know the African bush in greater detail by participating in a guided game walks (anything from a gentle stroll across the open plains to a full days hike over the rugged hills that dominate the terrain).
However, probably the most exciting game viewing activity is on horseback. The 2 lodges between them own over 90 well-schooled horses in total, which can cater for any riding ability - from the complete novice to the experienced rider. There is also a selection of wonderful and calm ponies catering to both the novice and experienced child rider, and riding lessons are also available.
However you want to tailor your stay at Ant's Reserve, it is up to you. Your guide will sit down with you when you arrive, and you can together work out a plan for your stay, which may also include a massage, or even mountain-biking ... or just pure relaxation time if you need to regenerate your batteries!
Both lodges can be booked on an exclusive basis, so this is ideal if you are travelling with a large group or family, or you can book just one room if you are a couple or family travelling on your own.
The 12,500 hectare reserve is home to over 40 species of game including giraffe, white rhino, sable antelope, Roan antelope, buffalo, nyala, gemsbok (oryx), kudu, Livingstone eland, blue wildebeest (gnu), red hartebeest, zebra, impala, bushbuck, duiker, steenbuck, mountain reedbuck, waterbuck, warthog, blesbuck, baboons, bushpig, klipspringer, leopard, jackal, brown hyena, caracal, civet and genet to name but a few. For those people who are passionate about birds, there are well over 300 species of resident and migrant birds.
Guests are also always welcome to join in on any management activities on the reserve such as game capture and relocation, treating injured animals, burning firebreaks, and game census on horseback.
Many people also enjoy combining a stay at Ant's Reserve with a stay at the Big 5 Madikwe Game Reserve or Marataba, which are both also malaria-free, or even with a short stay at Sun City either at the start or end of your holiday.