Founders Lodge by Mantis

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Founders Lodge by Mantis Where it all began for private conservation in the Eastern Cape. The birthplace of conservation in the Eastern Cape.
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An exclusive 5-star, malaria-free reserve with intimate Big 5 safaris, seven suites, and a private Railway Carriage. Founders Lodge by Mantis offers luxurious hospitality that is focused on tailored service. This 7 suite wildlife safari lodge and the new exclusive use Founders Railway Carriage permanently stationed on a hill on the reserve, located in the Eastern Cape, just one hour from Gqeberha. Founders offers a luxurious safari experience with a flair of romance for couples, and an intimate social environment for families and friends travelling together. Founders Lodge is a celebration of essential beginnings in sustainable tourism, culture, conservation, and community inclusion. This lodge is a monument to conservation history, and it offers soul-reviving safaris in the place where Adrian Gardiner pioneered private game reserves and eco-tourism in the Eastern Cape. Guests enjoy intimate nature-inspired experiences focused on the smaller lesser known wildlife and ecology, as well as big five viewing on 4×4 guided game drives on 25000ha of game reserve.

Some views never lose their magic. On his second stay at Founders, photographer Georg of TimeScape Visuals found a quiet...
15/10/2026

Some views never lose their magic. On his second stay at Founders, photographer Georg of TimeScape Visuals found a quiet spot on the lawn to simply sit and watch as rhino and zebra wandered by. For someone who travels the world capturing remarkable places, there’s something rather special about knowing Founders is a place he chooses to return to.

Founders may be beautiful, but it’s what happens beyond the lodge that stays with you. Walking with rhino, following tra...
12/10/2026

Founders may be beautiful, but it’s what happens beyond the lodge that stays with you. Walking with rhino, following tracks through the bush, watching quietly from the hide, long game drives and dinners somewhere unexpected. And through it all, the people who make you feel completely at home. This is safari, the Founders way.

There’s something about Founders after the rain. The reserve seems a little greener, the mornings a little louder and ev...
09/10/2026

There’s something about Founders after the rain. The reserve seems a little greener, the mornings a little louder and everywhere you look, there are signs of new life. Spring has settled over our corner of the Eastern Cape, and it’s beautiful.

Even sitting this close, elephants are having conversations we can’t hear. Their deep, low-frequency calls can travel fo...
06/10/2026

Even sitting this close, elephants are having conversations we can’t hear. Their deep, low-frequency calls can travel for kilometres through the bush, allowing them to communicate far beyond what we can see or hear. A reminder of just how much of the wild exists beyond our own senses.

A walking safari asks something different of you. Move quietly, read the wind and always respect the animals around you....
01/10/2026

A walking safari asks something different of you. Move quietly, read the wind and always respect the animals around you. With our head ranger Sikhumbuzo leading the way, every step is considered and taken on the rhino’s terms. To stand this close to these remarkable animals on foot is an extraordinary privilege and one we never take for granted.

Some stories are worth returning to. This Heritage Day, a quiet reminder of the vision, people and wild places that have...
24/09/2026

Some stories are worth returning to. This Heritage Day, a quiet reminder of the vision, people and wild places that have shaped Founders and the story that continues to unfold around us today.

21/09/2026

Some of the best moments on safari come when you don’t rush them. Following a track, watching a little longer, waiting for the right photograph, or simply seeing where curiosity takes you. In the wild, there’s always more to notice when you give it time.

It’s the details that give Founders its feeling. Pieces collected over time, soft light falling into quiet spaces, lawns...
18/09/2026

It’s the details that give Founders its feeling. Pieces collected over time, soft light falling into quiet spaces, lawns that open onto the wild, and rhino, giraffe and other familiar visitors wandering past. Beautiful, personal and wonderfully at home in its surroundings.

11/09/2026

The magic of the wild never loses its wonder. Every story shared, every game drive and every thoughtful detail is driven by one simple hope: that you’ll leave Founders having fallen in love with the wild, just as we have.

04/09/2026

Your room with a view... just happens to include rhino. At Founders, some of the most memorable wildlife encounters happen without ever stepping into a game viewer.

Address

Founders Lodge
Sidbury
6131

Telephone

+27415550009

Website

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