ENJOY WINTER IN THE WATERBERG AT SUMMERPLACE

Warm fires, stunning sunsets, midday walks, runs or rides through the Bushveld. What’s not to love about a winter escape to the Waterberg? Summerplace Game Reserve is perfectly geared for winter breaks with a range of accommodation that includes cosy indoor fireplaces, outdoor braai bomas and wood-fired hot tubs.

Swap the smog that settles over the Highveld cities in winter for crisp countryside air that’s rich in Bushveld aromas. Experience night skies that enable stargazing from the comfort of your private hot tub. Sip sundowners from a viewpoint after a late afternoon game drive. Leave the urban noise behind and listen to the sounds of the Waterberg wilderness.

Just over two hours’ drive north from Pretoria, Summerplace Game Reserve offers a wondrous winter escape. There’s a range of accommodation to suit every budget. From camping, to glamping, to small country units to luxury villas, Summerplace Game Reserve makes it possible for anyone to afford a winter escape in the Waterberg.

There are over 40 species of large mammals at Summerplace Game Reserve, including Zebra, Giraffe, Warthog, Brown Hyena and Black-backed Jackal. There’s also a wide range of antelope including Eland, Roan Antelope, Kudu, Sable Antelope, Waterbuck, Tsessebe, Common Reedbuck, Mountain Reedbuck and more. And there’s the smaller mammals such as Aardvark, Aardwolf, Pangolin, Civet, Badger, Serval and others.

The dry winter months, with less dense vegetation, makes for more successful game-viewing. Summerplace Game Reserve is one of the few game reserves in South Africa where you can enjoy wildlife encounters while riding a mountain bike, running or walking on our broad network of purpose-built trails. If you don’t own a mountain bike, you can hire a regular mountain bike, a kids mountain bike or an eBike (electric-assist) from our fleet of Specialized rental bikes.

Our relaxed game drives are also a great way to enjoy wildlife encounters. Our knowledgeable guides are able to offer useful information on the animals you see from the comfort of our game drive vehicle.

Summerplace Game Reserve is also home to a wide range of trees and bird species. There are at least 130 different types of trees and at least 107 bird species, including several raptors, making it an ideal destination for dendrophiles and birders. Summerplace Game Reserve is also where you will find the tallest Aloe in South Africa.

A Bushveld break at Summerplace Game Reserve can be ideal for couples or families. Ideal lodges for couples include, Hideaway (10 ultra-luxury glamping tents, launching late July 2024), as well as New Wine, The Shed 2 and Saringa lodges. Family-friendly accommodation includes camping, Rosemary Cottage, Marula Cottage, Bushwillow, The Shed 1 and 3, Yorks View, Summerhill and Summerview lodges.

Most of our accommodation is self-catering but we also offer meals twice a day at our Bike Village restaurant with brunch/lunch and dinner. The Bike Village, which has plenty of comfortable seating inside and on the veranda, also has a fully stocked bar and coffee station, a big-screen TV and free, uncapped WiFi. There’s also a shop where you can buy Summerplace-branded apparel and mementos as well other useful items.

Whether it’s during the school holidays, a quick mid-week break or a lazy, long-weekend escape, a winter break in the Waterberg is best enjoyed at Summerplace Game Reserve.

To book your winter escape, see the range of Summerplace Game Reserve accommodation here.

INTRODUCING THE NEW ORANGE MTB ROUTE

There’s a new route at Summerplace Game Reserve that’s instantly broadened the riding options to a greater range of mountain bikers. The 22km Orange Route is ideal for lesser skilled recreational riders, but it also adds great value to experienced riders and wild-life lovers.

Already a premier mountain biking destination, Summerplace now offers even more to mountain bikers. During the summer, trailmaster, David Baber and his team added more than 25km of new mountain bike routes to the reserve’s trail network. Most of these additional kilometres went into the new Orange Route, which explores a fresh section of the reserve.

As you drive into the main gate at Summerplace, the land to your right, which includes a decent sized hill, now has many kilometers of engaging mountain bike trails. You need at least -4% gradient to create good flow and this slope ranges from -4 to -25%, which means plenty of flow.

We’ll get back to that hill in a bit though. It’s important to know that the Orange Route is a route that’s ideal for most mountain bikers. It’s got a couple of steep bits that might be a bit intimidating for some, but these are quite easy to dismount and portage. Ninety percent of the route is unintimidating and ideal for most mountain bikers.

The Orange Route starts near the Bike Village on the road that heads to the main gate. It hugs the side of the hill on a trail called Spook Huis, where many rocks have been cleared to ensure as smooth a ride as possible before it joins onto Drop to Gulley trail.

This piece of trail rolls gently down the slope in the direction of the main reserve road for a few hundred metres before it takes a left onto a trail called Old School. This is a completely new trail that winds its ways gradually in a northerly direction down to the low ground and then up the opposite slope, which is very slight in terms of gradient. It then turns east and takes you on an engaging path before turning north to join a gravel road.

You follow the gravel road for a while until you reach a boundary fence, turn right and then right again to begin the first of three ascents of the large hill that dominates this section of the reserve. David has masterfully crafted trail to make the most of this elevation, which delivers a moderate climbing challenge and stunning views.

The first descent is on a trail called Mountain Oak, which starts off steep, but which eases as you reach the gravel road where you can take a drink, chat excitedly to your mates about that cool descent before turning onto a long singletrack trail called Easy Going, which lives up to its name and allows you some freedom to enjoy more game-spotting.

The second ascent is more direct and on a jeep track road, which has some steep pitches but is superbly rewarding once you begin the second descent, which takes you about halfway down the slope before tackling the final ascent. This ascent brings you to the top of the hill again where you can appreciate some superb vistas to the south and west before dropping down the final descent on a trail called Ball Itch.

The name may be uncomfortable, but the trail is a delight! It drops 100 metres in 2km, has an average of -4.6 percent gradient and delivers some classic David Baber flow! This is sure to become one of the new favourite trails at Summerplace because no matter what your skill level, it’s so much fun.

The fun does end though, right in the dip, but you do get to take a steady pedal back to the end of the Orange Route on the gravel road, where you can process what you have just ridden or contemplate a second lap!

The Orange Route is mostly rideable for newer mountain bikers, but expect a couple of short portage bits. It’s all part of the adventure and it does allow you to pause and take in the natural beauty around you. For Intermediate and Experienced mountain bikers, the Orange Route is an absolute gem! The balance of climbing, descending and singletrack is just right and, like a small slab of your favourite chocolate, leaves you feeling both satisfied and craving more…

The Orange Route can also be considered a Mountain Biking Safari. A wide range of game can be encountered on this route, including Giraffe, Zebra, Roan Antelope, Impala, Kudu, Sable Antelope, Eland, Tsessebe, Warthog and Reedbuck, partly because the route covers a large area and partly because the vegetation isn’t too dense, which makes it easier to spot wild animals from your saddle.

For experienced/fit riders, the Orange Route is a great start or end loop as either a long warm-up or cool-down to a longer ride. It’s a highly engaging way to add another 20-odd kilometres of distance without too much toil.

To experience the new Orange Route – and all of the other mountain bike routes and trails at Summerplace Game Reserve, book your accommodation here. https://summerplacegamereserve.com/accommodation/

SUMMERPLACE – THE SCHOOL HOLIDAY SOLUTION

While school holidays are great for kids, they can be a real challenge for parents. You want your kids to have an enjoyable, wholesome experience during their mid-year break, but you’re not exactly able to take much time off work. Summerplace Game Reserve offers a school-holiday solution!

Less than a three-hour drive from Johannesburg and shorter from Pretoria, a couple of nights at Summerplace Game Reserve may only require taking a Friday afternoon off work to create an experience that is meaningful and memorable, for your kids and for you.

Our high-quality self-catering accommodation makes it relatively cost effective too. You have to eat every day anyway, right? Why not prepare your family’s food on a gas stove or over a fire and enjoy it in the quiet of the beautiful Bushveld?

Here are a few more reasons it makes sense to book a Summerplace Game Reserve visit during the school holidays:

It’s safe

Summerplace Game Reserve has a secure boundary fence with access control as well as regular security patrols. The reserve itself is very safe for families and children.

There’s so much space

At 3500 hectares, there’s plenty of space for kids to roam and experience the feeling of freedom. No walls, fences, or gate remotes here!

Bicycles for the win

As a premiere mountain biking destination, we have built a world-class trails network. Several of the trails close to the accommodation are ideal for kids. The flowline between the Bike Village and the campsite if very popular with small kids, who can spend hours rolling down the gently sloping trails.

Bikes for hire

While most kids bring their own bikes, we do also have several kids bikes for hire. They’re high-quality models from Specialized that are very stable and easy to handle, with excellent braking power. We also have range of adult Specialized mountain bikes and eBikes for hire so you can do fun rides with your kids.

Exploring is fun

Safety and space make exploring the reserve a fun activity for kids. Whether on their bikes or on foot, they’ll find plenty of natural features to keep them engaged and connected to nature.

Wildlife

With more than 40 species of large mammals, including a wide range of Antelope, Zebra, Giraffe, Warthog and scores of bird species, a visit to Summerplace Game Reserve always delivers several memorable wildlife encounters. We also offer game drives which is a great experience for families.

Unlimited Wi-Fi

Although we’re far from any cities, we have unlimited Wi-Fi which is ideal if you need to keep on top of your work while visiting our reserve.

No load-shedding

With our own solar-power grid we are not affected by load-shedding, which most city visitors find refreshing! We also use gas-powered geysers and borehole water, making our reserve entirely self-sufficient and offering peace of mind for our guests.

DSTV

While our lodges don’t have televisions, we do have a large-screen TV with DSTV at the Bike Village, so any important sports events can still be enjoyed during your visit to Summerplace Game Reserve.

Catered meals

Of course we know that a break from the city grind is even better if you don’t have to cook all meals! We have a chef that makes the most tasty, nourishing dishes which you can order in advance and either eat at the Bike Village or have delivered to your lodge.

Cooling off

Some of our lodges have private swimming pools but there’s also a swimming pool at the Bike Village for any guests to use. Even in winter we get some hot days and a dip in the pool is most welcome.

Drinks galore!

Our drinks bar serves great coffee in all its forms, most cooldrinks, popular beers and gin and a range of cocktails and wines to help you unwind on our comfortable couches or pool recliners.

We currently have some vacancies over the July school holidays so be sure to plan ahead and secure a short – or long – visit to Summerplace Game Reserve. They’ll remember that school holiday forever and you’ll return to the city feeling refreshed.

To see our range of accommodation that suits all budgets, click here.

10 REASONS SUMMERPLACE IS THE IDEAL EASTER ESCAPE!

You may think that Easter Weekend is a long way away, but it isn’t! Easter Weekend this year is from 29 March until 1 April. It’s worth noting that Thursday, 21 March, is also a public holiday, essentially lining up two successive long weekends at a traditionally good-weather time of year. A good time to visit Summerplace Game Reserve. Here are 10 reasons why…

IT’S NOT TOO FAR

Summerplace Game Reserve is located in the Waterberg region of Limpopo province. It’s a 2h15m drive from Pretoria and less than 3 hours from Johannesburg. Most of the route is good quality N1 toll road. It’s not that far away from the big cities, but its far enough away to feel like another world!

IT’S A COUPLE’S RETREAT

Because our lodges are spaced to ensure privacy, Summerplace Game Reserve is perfect for a couple’s escape. You can either self-cater or book your meals in advance. We deliver meals to your lodge so that you can focus on relaxing and being present for your significant other. Walks in the bush, sundowner game drives and stargazing from the hot tub are all sure to elevate the romantic getaway to be a memorable one.

IT’S TRANQUIL

No matter what New Year’s Resolutions you made, it doesn’t take long to build up post-Festive Season stress. The city buzz gradually sucks you into chaotic routine that involves meetings, deadlines, school runs, traffic and loadshedding. There’s complete tranquility at Summerplace Game Reserve where the only delays are caused by wild animals crossing the road or trail…

IT’S FAMILY FRIENDLY

Summerplace Game Reserve is ideal for families. We love to see kids enjoying the outdoors and ensure that that there’s loads of space for them explore the freedom of the bush. They can ride their bicycles on fun trails right in front of The Bike Village, they can swim in our pool or play on the jungle gym. Whether you book a camping site, or one of our lodges (some of which have outdoor wood-fired hot tubs), you can be assured that kids will love their time at Summerplace!

WORLD CLASS TRAILS

If you are a mountain biker, then you’ll love our network of world-class mountain bike trails. We have trails to suit all levels of skill and fitness and because we don’t have Big Five animals on the reserve, the riding is safe – although you are likely to encounter wildlife on your rides as we have more than 40 species of large mammals at Summerplace Game Reserve. Find out why mountain bikers love Summerplace here.

MOUNTAIN BIKE HIRE

We have a fleet of high-quality mountain bikes for hire. These include regular bikes and eBikes, making it possible for anyone, even non-mountain bikers, to enjoy the freedom of a bushveld ride. Find out more about our rental bikes here.

ACCOMMODATION TO SUIT ALL BUDGETS

Whether you’re on a tight budget or have no budget limit, there’s top-quality accommodation to suit everyone at Summerplace Game Reserve. From our beautifully maintained campsite under the shady trees to our high-end luxury villa and everything in between, you’ll get the very best Bushveld escape experience. Find out more about our accommodation options here.

ABUNDANCE OF TREES & BIRDS

If you’re dendrophile or an ornithophile, you’ll love the variety of tree and bird species at Summerplace Game Reserve. While it’s situated in the Bushveld, Summerplace Game Reserve also enjoys some elevation, which see a wider range of vegetation and birdlife than most of the region. Find out more about our tree and bird species here.

WIDE VARIETY OF GAME

With over 40 species of large mammals, Summerplace Game Reserve is home to a variety of wildlife. Expect to see many species of antelope, including Kudu, Eland, Sable Antelope, Tsessebe, Roan Antelope, Waterbuck, Impala, Bushbuck, Mountain Reedbuck, Common Reedbuck and more! There are also the visually impactful Giraffe and Zebra as well as elusive creatures, including Pangolin, Aardvark and Leopard. Find out more about our wildlife here.

WE ARE PET-FRIENDLY

Several of our lodges are fenced, making them perfect for pets. It’s not always possible to take your pets away with you, but Summerplace Game Reserve is a fast becoming a favourite pet-friendly game reserve. The pet-friendly lodges are popular, so ensure you secure you Easter Weekend booking soon!

To be honest, there are a lot more than 10 reasons Summerplace Game Reserve is the best place to spend the Easter Weekend, but these are personal and developed by the hundreds and hundreds of guests that keep returning to invest their time in a place where peace is a priority.

To book your accommodation, check out the various options here.

SUMMERPLACE LEADS THE WAY WITH MOUNTAIN BIKE HIRE

Mountain bike hire is a relatively new concept in South Africa, and Summerplace Game Reserve is leading the way. Whether you’re a non-mountain biker just keen to enjoy the experience of riding casually in the bush, a committed rider eager to shred some quality singletrack, or have kids that love being active outdoors, Summerplace has a bike in its rental fleet for you.

If you’re a seasoned mountain biker, hiring a mountain bike is something you generally don’t consider. Firstly, most rental mountain bikes are relatively low-quality hardtails. Secondly, a hire bike feels different to your own bike. And mountain biking confidence requires a reasonably high level of familiarity. All of this was carefully considered when investing in a fleet of rental mountain bikes for Summerplace.

We have a wide range of eBikes, trail bikes and kids bikes for hire at Summerplace.

The other consideration is that Summerplace Game Reserve has a trails network that includes a high volume of challenging climbs. A few hours of riding in the morning can leave you spent for the remainder of the day. And then of course there are those that don’t mountain bike at all, but would like to experience it while visiting one of South Africa’s premier mountain biking destinations…

As a result, the Summerplace Game Reserve mountain bike rental fleet comprises both regular bikes and eBikes. All the bikes are from Specialized, one of the world’s leading performance mountain bike brands and the pacesetter when it comes to eBikes.

We ensure you get the right bike for your ability and fitness level, even if you’re not a mountain biker. We also hire out helmets.

In terms of eBikes, there’s a size curve of Turbo Levos, which are full eBikes. They have a large motor and generous battery range. These are ideal for those who are not conditioned to mountain biking as they offer ample pedalling assistance up steep and long climbs. Then there’s a size curve of Turbo Levo Super Light (SL) eBikes, which are lighter with a small motor, but which ride with the same agility as a regular trail bike.

And then there are Stumpjumper trail bikes. These aren’t eBikes, but regular mountain bikes that are designed to climb smoothly, corner with stability and descend with fervour. The Stumpjumper was chosen because it’s a superb allrounder and easy for anyone to find a good ride feel on the Summerplace Game Reserve trails.

We recently added several youth bikes to our mountain bike rental fleet.

For those who aren’t mountain bikers, but are active and would like to experience our world-class trails network with a good chance of wildlife encounters, you can either choose to self-guide or book one of our local guides for your mountain bike ride. We have marked routes of varying distance that are ideal for self-guided rides and which can deliver a wonderful feeling of adventure in the Waterberg bush. If you’re more into controlled experiences, a guide will ensure you have all the support you may need, allowing you to simply pedal the bike and absorb the experience.

We recently added several youth bikes to our rental fleet. We now offer Specialized Riprock hardtail mountain bikes for hire. Available in 24-inch and 20-inch wheel sizes they’re ideal for kids aged 6-12 years. The Specialized Riprock bikes are designed to give kids confidence and feature a relaxed headtube angle, short stem, Plus-sized tyres, hydraulic disc brakes and single-chainring drivetrain with a wide gear range. Made from A1 Premium Butted Aluminium, the frames are both durable and light, making it an ideal bike for kids to enjoy hours of fun.

Our fleet of rental mountain bikes are kept in excellent condition.

Our rental fees are based on a half-day or full-day system and are reasonable for both local and international guests. Our bikes are kept in exceptional condition with regular servicing and maintenance and our experienced staff will ensure you are set up correctly as well as educate you on the controls, brakes and gearing of your rental bike before you begin your ride.

Our rental bikes all have flat pedals, but you can bring your own pedals and swap should you be intending to hire a bike while visiting.

For more details on our mountain bike rental options, click here.

We have an expansive trails network that is suited to all levels of mountain biker. You can examine the details on our Trailforks Profile Page here.

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