Welcome to Samara, an award-winning conservation journey in a heart-stoppingly beautiful setting. Born in 1997 of a desire to restore the Great Karoo to its former glory, Samara has pioneered the rewilding of a landscape that had been turned over to agriculture for the best part of three centuries.

Once a thriving semi-arid ecosystem of astonishing diversity, the fortunes of the Great Karoo region changed with the advent of fences, firearms and farming. The once-epic springbok migrations vanished, as did the predators that stalked the herds. The ecosystem faltered; grassland slowly turned to dust.

Assembling 11 farms totalling 67,000 acres, Samara’s founders vowed to restore the magic of this place, embarking on an ambitious programme of land restoration and wildlife reintroduction. Today, thousands of wild animals roam this born-again wilderness and Samara is working with local stakeholders to extend the conservation ethic to over 3 million acres.

26 guests at a time are invited to join Samara’s conservation journey and help to shape it for the future. Two intimate owner-run lodges with a true sense of place offer a quintessentially warm Karoo welcome, with myriad activities on offer to explore, entertain and educate.

In staying at Samara, every guest plays a role in safeguarding the landscape in perpetuity. Yet for those who visit, Samara’s magic extends beyond its conservation importance. To immerse oneself in this soulful landscape of infinite horizons is to experience a recalibration of the frantic modern mindset, a deep reconnection with Nature and a heart-lifting vision of hope for the future.