Sip a soothing G&T as you relax in your very own plunge pool overlooking the gorge, or disappear in to the depths of a comfortable wicker chair to watch the male Weavers tempt their mate with their nest of the day.
Clifftop is a serene sanctuary amidst spectacular scenery; a wildlife retreat of extraordinary beauty and home to a myriad of animal and bird species that call the rocky ravines and rolling wooded mountains of this stunning private reserve home. Your precious privacy is interrupted only by the sound of crickets, a tiny gecko scurrying across the deck and the sound of the roaring river a hundred metres below. Relax on your private deck enjoying the cool breeze or sip a full-bodied red in front of one of the lodge’s cosy fires. Whether you’re on honeymoon or simply seeking a romantic sojourn, Clifftop Exclusive Safari Hideaway will soothe your soul; its characteristic silver, grey and white tones, private nooks and natural wood and stone features creating a sense of calm throughout.
The seclusion and romance throughout Clifftop Exclusive Safari Hideaway makes it an incredible wedding destination and heaven for honeymooners. Spend the best day of your life or the days thereafter in intimate surroundings with the one you love. Get married in the middle of the Welgevonden bushveld or on Clifftop’s pristine white teak deck, the sound of the Sterkstroom roaring below, the sun hitting the gorge’s red and grey sandstone rocks, the fresh breeze wafting through the lodge as you exchange your vows. This will be a day to remember.
Get down to business in the bush. For companies, Clifftop offers basic conferencing facilities for up to 16 delegates. But it’s certainly not all work and no play as you set off on your game drive, devour delicious bush cuisine and bond with your colleagues within a breathtaking setting.
Clifftop Exclusive Safari Hideaway brings the bush to life, delivering a secluded, romantic retreat within Limpopo’s beautiful Waterberg, just three hours’ drive from Johannesburg. Romance the bush at Clifftop and it will romance you right back.
Location
Clifftop Executive Safari Hideaway is located in the malaria-free Welgevonden Game Reserve, just 37 500 hectares in size, and set within the Waterberg plateau, three hours’ drive north of Johannesburg.
Welgevonden Nature Reserve
The Welgevonden Game Reserve, located just three hours’ north of Johannesburg in the Limpopo Province’s Waterberg plateau, is one of the most ruggedly scenic reserves in South Africa, characterised by rolling hills, rugged gorges and grassy plains.
Aptly meaning ‘well found’, the Welgevonden is unlike anywhere else on earth, a true wilderness area with excellent game viewing and stunning scenery. Enjoy this mountain bushveld environment with roaring rivers and sweeping horizon views. The reserve is located at high altitude, enjoys a mild climate and is malaria free making it worth a visit any time of the year.
As a result of the reserve’s diverse landscapes, visitors can enjoy Big Five sightings, in addition to encounters with over 50 mammal species, 250 bird species and some of the bush’s most beautiful wild flowers that make their appearance in early spring.
The Welgevonden also boasts one of Africa’s largest populations of white rhino on a private reserve, with such unusual species as brown hyena, aardwolf and aardvark also located within the reserve. The reserve has never been a hunting area and as such game viewing is up and close and personal. In addition to great game viewing, there is also ancient San Rock Art.
Getting There
Fly directly from either OR Tambo International Airport or Lanseria Airport to the reserve landing strip. Guests are collected and transferred to the lodge. Guests are collected and transferred to the lodge, located a 1 ½ hour drive from the landing strip. Alternatively, the lodge has two helicopter landing pads.
Clifftop helicopter pad co-ordinates:
S 24 17 76
E 027 54 35
Altitude 1226.5 m
- Take the N1 north out of Johannesburg/Pretoria. Just over 120km after Pretoria find the Kranskop Toll Plaza. Take the R33 off-ramp at the toll plaza (keep in the left hand lane) to Modimolle / Nylstroom.
- Drive straight through Modimolle/Nylstroom on the R33 towards Vaalwater.
- Drive straight through Vaalwater on the R510 towards Thabazimbi.
- To go to Welgevonden East Gate: Follow the R510 for 13 km after leaving Vaalwater, turn left on the little dirt road (look out for sign “Welgevonden East Gate”), follow it for 11km. (GPS S 24° 17.837” E 027° 55.283’)
- Contact Clifftop Exclusive Safari Hideaway as you drive through Vaalwater to ensure that a lodge safari vehicle is dispatched and awaiting your arrival at Welgevonden East Gate for a 15-minute safari vehicle transfer to the lodge.
The gate fees for Welgevonden Game Reserve are currently R 266.00 per person per night and you will be required to hand back your receipt to the gate attendant upon your departure.
Accommodation
Guests are accommodated in eight stunning air-conditioned guestrooms decorated in Clifftop’s signature silver, grey and white tones, with natural fixtures and materials incorporated throughout including large pebble and tree trunk tables and towel racks made of distressed branches.
Clifftop’s eight guestrooms are luxurious and spacious, equipped with tea- and coffee-making facilities, a fully stocked minibar, safe, telephone and large bathroom with a stone bath, hairdryer, indoor and outdoor shower, and a full range of bathroom amenities.
Enjoy a quiet read in the comfort of your own lounge area shielded from the outdoors by massive floor-to-ceiling glass French doors, or step outside on to your private white timber deck complete with your very own plunge pool, an outdoor seating area and splendid views of the Sterkstroom river gorge. You need never leave the comfort of your private Clifftop sanctuary. Relax in breathtaking surroundings, reenergise, de-stress and detox.
Room facilities and amenities include:
- Safe
- Hairdryer
- Separate bath, indoor and outdoor shower
- Luxury bathroom amenities
- Air Conditioning
- Tea and coffee-making facilities
Dining
Every dish served at Clifftop Exclusive Safari Hideaway is a culinary masterpiece. Romance runs through everything the staff does, from the beautiful individualised table decorations to each dining location that has been specially selected with your needs in mind.
Enjoy a hearty cold and hot breakfast on Clifftop’s restaurant deck overlooking the Sterkstroom river gorge; the roaring river below and happy chatter of birds accompanying a delicious starter of fruit, homemade granola, cheese and pastries, followed by the tastiest hot English breakfast or omelette.
You may be full but when that clock strikes one, you’ll be scurrying back to devour a delectable lunch of rib-eye steak, lamb chops, Nicoise salad, or even sushi, to name but a few of the mouthwatering dishes served up in stunning surroundings. There’s always space for dessert and at Clifftop, and you’ll be sorry if you didn’t save it with crème caramel, chocolate mousse and a myriad of tasty treats on offer.
After a long evening’s game drive and sundowners, you’ll be ushered to your private dining area, specially selected and decorated for you by your personal butler. Oxtail, lamb shank, kudu steak and venison are just some of the incredible dishes prepared by the talented chef at Clifftop. A ginger and lychee sorbet clears your palate before you tease your tastebuds with cheesecake, apple crumble or a traditional South African malva pudding, among others. All washed down with some of South Africa’s tastiest, award-winning wines.
Then it’s off to the bar for an Amarula nightcap before retiring to the comfort of your Clifftop sanctuary in preparation for yet another gorgeous African day.
- Stunning cliff-top location overlooking the Sterkstroom river.
- Set within the ruggedly beautiful Welgevonden Game Reserve.
- Exclusive, secluded romantic retreat in the bush
- A la carte menus including sushi, game dishes and South African treats
- Just three hours’ drive from Johannesburg – Malaria-free reserve
- Fantastic wildlife and birdlife sightings, including the Big Five.
- Great venue for destination weddings and honeymoons.
Kick-start your day before the sun rises, dunking a homemade rusk into a steamy cup of coffee before setting off on your morning game drive with your assigned ranger.
Watch as the bush awakens around you; the mighty elephants beginning their daily trudge through the bush seeking to fill their bellies with delectable ‘tree-ts’, Burchell’s Zebra grazing on the plains in perfect peace, a lion still feeding on the remnants of her wildebeest kill.
All is quiet in the bush. As the dew glistens on the tall spear grass, you take a break and enjoy a steaming cup of coffee in a dry riverbed with nothing but the sound of bush birds greeting yet another stunning African sunrise.
The sun touches the red and grey sandstone rocks that dot the hills of the Welgevonden as you wind your way back to Clifftop Exclusive Safari Hideaway for a sumptuous breakfast and true relaxation in the privacy of your very own bush retreat. Take a dip in your private pool or read a book on your secluded terrace, the African sun will keep you warm and contented. The lodge’s trained spa therapists are available all day to soothe your weary muscles with a Swedish or aromatherapy massage in the privacy of your room.
Sleep the day away or enjoy a delicious lunch of Pear & Brie salad, lamb chops and spicy prawns before preparing for your afternoon game drive through the Welgevonden; enjoy a quiet sundowner drink and kudu biltong as you watch the sun set over the bushveld.
Explore the bush as it turns from day to night; bright-eyed bush babies cling to the trees, a Spotted Eagle Owl hunts her prey and the rising Southern Cross directs you home to a romantic dinner, superb South African wine, exceptional hospitality and a roaring fire.
Indulge in one last Amarula on the rocks at the bar or retire to the comfort of your king-size bed in preparation for yet another magnificent day in the African bush, the sounds of the nightjar and bush frogs lulling you to sleep.
Cross rivers and climb rugged hills as you venture through the beautiful Welgevonden, a haven for the Big Five, Little Five and all manner of astounding wildlife species making this a wildlife experience to remember.
See the giraffes teeter up the cliffs as they seek the very juiciest of leaves on which to graze, the white rhinos crossing the plains or taking a messy mud bath and the lions lazing under a bush to escape the harsh African sun.
Spot the mighty eland, revered by so many, the elusive leopard and the brash honey badger as they go about their daily bush business.
Observe the wonders of the bush undetected; your expert Clifftop Lodge guide helping to decipher the mysteries of the bush and its creatures.
Track a herd of majestic elephant as they trudge through the bush to fill their bellies, spot a hippo pair hiding from the heat of the African sun, admire the African darter drying its wings in the reflection of a waterhole. This is Africa at its most interesting and at its best.