Lalibela Private Game Reserve is located in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, only an hour away from Port Elizabeth and close to the Addo Elephant National Park, which means it is not only malaria free, but spans 5 ecosystems, resulting in a breath-taking diversity of flora and fauna.

The word 'Lalibela' means "the bees recognise his sovereignty" in Old Agaw (a semitic language of Ethiopia) and the game reserve was named after the king of Ethiopia,Gebre Mesqel Lalibela who reigned in the early 13th century. He was given the name "Lalibela" due to a swarm of bees said to have surrounded him at his birth, which his mother took as a sign of his future reign as Emperor of Ethiopia. A stylized bee motif forms an intergral part of the reserve's branding and can be seen decorating areas from the reception building through to the lodges.

Lalibela Private Game Reserve consists of 10 500 hectares and is home to the Big 5 (lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo & leopard) as well as other predators like cheetah, hyena, jackal & lynx. All of the animals at Lalibela, including the predators, are free-roaming throughout the entire game reserve.

The 3 main aspects of any African safari are the game-viewing, the accommodation and the food. At Lalibela special care is taken to ensure that heartfelt service combines with these three “ingredients” to make your Big 5 African safari experience a memorable one.

Lalibela brings you the charm of authentic Africa and is a perfect blend of the formal and informal.

At Lalibela Private Game Reserve we pride ourselves on our ability to offer guests the best in Big 5 game viewing. We are blessed to have phenomenal sightings of the Big 5 as well as the various other species that visitors so enjoy seeing.

In addition to the larger, more known wild animals, Lalibela has various lesser-known species and our rangers delight in exposing our guests to these - the curious spring hare is as fascinating as the mighty African elephant!

Apart from the wide variety of wildlife, there is a plethora of birdlife to be found on Lalibela - the keen birder can expect to spot birds on safari, at the lodge or even from the viewing deck of their room!

Lalibela Game Reserve and Safari Lodge is located in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, which means it is malaria free.

Exciting Game Drives. Early morning and sunset game drives in an open vehicle with an experienced game ranger bring you face to face with a multitude of game species.

Excellent Game Viewing. Experience a multitude of game species ranging from the mighty elephant, lion, rhino and buffalo to the tiny blue duiker and rock hyrax.

Lalibela Game Reserve is also home to cheetah, hyena, hippo, giraffe, zebra, warthog and numerous species of antelope, such as eland, kudu, bushbuck and wildebeest.

On thrilling sunset drives under the vast African sky, we also search for the elusive bat-eared fox, aardvark, black-backed jackal, aardwolf and the curious spring hare.