FULL REVIEW | OCTOBER 2006 (DO16) | Ami Kapilevich

Nearest town Oudtshoorn
Contact Gerrie Ferreira
Tel 082 450 2110
Cell 072 742 4405
Email chandelier@absamail.co.za
Website www.chandelier.co.za
Best time of year September and October, when the eggs hatch
Maximum vehicles 10
Route distance Anything from 5 to 105km

Chandelier is on the N12 between Oudtshoorn and De Rust. It is billed as a “Game and Ostrich Show Farm”, which means that you can check out the game in the morning and then ride an ostrich in the afternoon.

The 3500ha farm is plum in the middle of the Klein Karoo – that succulent-filled stretch beween the Outeniqua mountains in the east and the Swartberg in the west.

There is no specific off-road trail as such on Chandelier. Instead, the farm is riddled with over 100km of tracks that range from well-graded gravel to diff-lock crunching rocky uphills. So you can either spend a couple of hours, or a morning, or an entire day exploring the region.

The farm is home to an increasing number of game: 23 species of antelope, including nyala and sable, as well as recently introduced giraffe. If you’re lucky, you’ll even spot one of the endemic leopards who sit in the koppies and drool over the fat bontebok scampering around below.

One of the great benefits of the place is the variety of activities on offer, from quad biking to paintball. This is a fantastic place for office teambuilding sessions. When you’re in the Oudtshoorn region, it’s ostriches all the way, and ostrich rides are a must for those who are inclined to sit on one of these large and dangerous birds.

From the moment my wife and I stepped into the fantastic, excellently-appointed luxury of the tented honeymoon suite, we knew that this was going to be an experience and a half. And so it was. The tented lodge is all en suite, with eight private tents joined by a wooden walkway perched above a combination of water and bush, making twilight game-viewing with a cold beer or a good bottle of wine the thing to do.

Dinner was served in the main restaurant with warm and lively conversation in front of a roaring fire. Owner Gerrie Ferreira recommends a delicious bottle of wine to go with a sizzling chunk of meat.

We have also heard that Chandelier is developing 24 private erfs for sale on the property. If this sounds like a brilliant retirement plan for you, ask them about that.

WHERE TO STAY
16 private, well-appointed luxury tented suites, all en suite.
One of these is the honeymoon suite – and comes highly recommended by Drive Out!
There might be a small problem with toddlers as the wooden walkways are set about half a metre above water in places, so ask Gerrie to put you up somewhere convenient according to your needs.
There is also a very rustic bush camp for larger groups.

WHAT ELSE
You name it! From hot-air ballooning to ostrich riding to paintball.
The folks at Chandelier are quite keen on quad bikes, with game viewing also available from these vehicles (don’t worry – you won’t actually hear them).
There is also mountain biking, bird watching and a baby zebra for the kids.

SPECIALIST PACKING
Binoculars are a must here, as well as a book about the succulents of the Klein Karoo. Plants can be fascinating when you know what you’re looking at.

THE COST

• R100 per vehicle, plus R20 per adult and R10 per child – to drive around to your heart’s content.
• Accommodation is R495 pps, including breakfast. Dinner is around R90 pp