Morukuru Ocean House | Family Safari | Garden Route One Of South Africa’s Best Private Safari Houses

Although we live on three different continents, my family is soon sitting together as if we’d never been apart, sipping tea as we admire the contrasting colours outside: green, orange and brown fynbos carpeting white sand dunes, the aquamarine ocean and the impossibly blue skies of De Hoop Nature Reserve. My youngest daughter clambers into her big half-brother’s lap, relaxing into his embrace as he points out an oystercatcher on the shore. We laugh in delight as my partner spots a bontebok grazing among the fynbos-covered sands, but it’s whales that we really want to see, and De Hoop (the hope) offers our best chance of doing so.

Earlier we’d all raced around, eager to see which of the four ocean-facing rooms had the best views. It was an impossible choice – each room opens to the same magnificent vistas – leaving us milling around indecisively. My eldest son, newly qualified from law school, decisively took charge: his two half-siblings in one room, us parents next door and his sister and him as neighbours on the other side of the house. An excited shout from my younger son brings me to the telescope in the lounge, where we take turns watching the spray and spout of water in the deep ocean that signifies whales passing. Zooming in, we can even see several mother-baby pairs! It’s not long before the rest of the troop are muscling in for their turns. We only separate when our butler comes to let us know that lunch is nearly ready, and we realise we still haven’t unpacked! Back at our designated room, I read out the welcome note to my partner from our reading nook, pleased at the nice touch. Our quarters are truly lovely, and we take a moment to enjoy their light airy feel, which pays tribute to De Hoop’s natural palette. The view from the tub is too good not to share, so we jump in together, knowing that with a full staff, we have more than enough time for just the two of us.

Our family fell in love with Ocean House. With the amazing staff, we felt welcomed, at ease and at home; they took the whole family on informative marine walks, and while the adults went whale watching by helicopter or lazed in the hot tub, the children had a ‘whale of a time’ with the team – snorkelling among the rock pools, building and flying kites and sandboarding on the famous De Hoop dunes. And as a malaria-free location, we didn’t have to worry about anyone getting sick. This seamlessly-managed house gave us the chance to truly connect as a family; with our two older kids venturing out into their respective parts of the world we don’t all get to be together that often anymore. We’d be busy holding a serious sandcastle competition only to see a picnic brunch being laid out on the sand, without needing to ask. With its stellar eco ethos – there’s solar heating, water filtration and recycling and even a ‘green roof’ planted with fynbos – the whole family also learnt about the importance of conservation, and we left inspired to apply our learnings back home.

• A private ocean-facing house set in the heart of the malaria-free De Hoop Nature Reserve. It includes four spacious en-suite bedrooms with fireplaces and glass doors overlooking the ocean, plus a study/kids’ bedroom, sleeping a total of eight adults and four children. The house has a swimming pool, an upstairs bar and living room and an outdoor sun deck with 360-degree views.

• Private reserve, exclusive-use house, private chef, private butler, two housekeepers, host, safari guide and tracker, flexible schedules and tailored meals and activities. Dining available in the dining room or on the beach.
• Marine walks, fynbos walks and hikes, mountain biking, spa treatments (additional cost, pre-booking only), yoga (additional cost, pre-booking only), fynbos drives, whale watching, sundowners, sandboarding, snorkelling, tennis, picnics, boat trips (additional cost), whale watching by helicopter (additional cost) and scenic helicopter flights (additional cost).
• Children welcome. Exclusive-use house is ideal for families. Children’s activities, like kite-making, offered. Babysitting available.

• Not only do African safari lodge prices shift with the seasons, they also change based on your length of stay, room type, travel party composition, special offers, if your trip involves stays at sister lodges – and for more reasons besides.
• It’s worth noting that depending on your itinerary, your lodge cost will make up about 75–85% of your total safari trip cost.
• Our safaris are tailor-made to match your personal safari dream, we’d be delighted if you’d allow us to create a bespoke proposal for you.  Simply enquire now – our quotes are complimentary and obligation-free.
• However, to help you get an idea of safari lodge prices we’ve created three safari-lodge categories with various price ranges, to find out more click here.