Ant’s Hill

Authentic and rustic, guests who stay in the Eagles Nest will be met with unmatched views which sweep across the thick and vivid bushveld to the endless horizons. With exposed thatch ceilings, polished stone floors, and mahogany furniture the room feels traditionally safari chic, with comfortable touches such as patterned rugs and scatter cushions. A large double bed, which can be arranged into two twin beds, sits in the centre of the bright and spacious room.

This room comes complete with its own ensuite bathroom, and through large sliding doors which sit opposite the bed, guests can access the veranda area where they can spend the evening relaxing on the cosy day bed with a drink from their in-room mini-bar while gazing over the treetops of the bush.

Warm and cosy, the Lookout Cottage is so named due to its prime location looking directly over an active watering hole. Grand stone feature walls and an exposed thatch ceiling add authentic safari charm to the cottage, with wide sliding doors filling the space with bright and natural light. The cottage comes complete with a fireplace which offers the perfect place to cosy around on cold evenings.

A large double bed sits in the centre of the room romantically draped in mosquito netting. This cottage is perfect for honeymooners, but also has the option of configuring the double bed into two twins, and a daybed can create space for a child or a third adult. The cottage comes complete with an ensuite bathroom which comes complete with an indoor and an outdoor shower which overlooks the bush.

Guests can unwind on their private veranda, relax on the daybed or watch the watering hole for any meandering animals with a refreshing drink from their in-room minibar.

Accommodating up to 6 people across three bedrooms, the family cottage is perfect for families or groups of friends travelling together. The rustic stone cottage includes a spacious en-suite master bedroom with a comfortable king-size bed which is covered in crisp bed linen and swathed in mosquito netting. The ensuite bathroom includes a waterfall shower and a large bathtub with a view over the surrounding wilds.

The second bedroom can be either a twin or a double room, and the third bedroom is an authentic loft room. Both these bedrooms come with comfortable beds with draped mosquito netting for guests to have a bug free night’s sleep. The second and third bedrooms both share a bathroom.

Guests are spoilt for choice when it comes to downtime. Relax on the decked balcony where you can enjoy a drink from their mini-bar while gazing over the valley or can enjoy a warming tea or coffee while gathered around the crackling fireplace in the rustic sitting room.

Nestled into the vivid and indigenous woodland, the Hideaway Cottage is perfect for honeymooning couples, with the option to add a couple of child’s beds to create an exclusive family safari stay. The cottage is spacious and full of bright light and authentic decor, including a featured stone fireplace and exposed thatch ceilings.

The main bedroom comes complete with a comfortable king-size bed, which is shrouded in mosquito netting and offers guests a perfect viewpoint, through a gap in the trees, over the stretching bushveld. The ensuite bathroom is open plan, and includes French doors which open, filling the bathroom with fresh air, and working to bring the outside in. A deep, sunken bathtub is the main feature of the bathroom, which also comes complete with an indoor and outdoor shower.

French doors open up onto the expansive decking area where guests can find a curved day bed, perfect for a nap in the shade of the sun, and steps which lead down to a luscious private garden where guests will find a private pool, offering the ideal way to escape out of the heat of the afternoon – with a cooling dip in the sparkling waters.

Inviting, authentic, and rustic, this cottage is spacious and warm, perfect for families or couples travelling together. A large wooden framed bed sits in the centre of the master bedroom, covered in crisp and colourful bed linen. Polished wooden floors and exposed thatch ceilings add a touch of authentic safari style. The master bedroom comes complete with its own ensuite bathroom which includes a bath and shower, and doors that open onto a private balcony will reveal a unique outdoor bathtub, where guests can enjoy a soak while gazing over the horizon.

The second bedroom can be configured as a twin or double room, and comes complete with a comfortable bed which is draped with mosquito netting, allowing guests to have a bug-free night’s sleep. This bedroom also comes complete with its own ensuite bathroom, which includes a bath with a view, a shower, and an outside waterfall shower.

If the evenings are chilly then guests can gather in the sitting area, and snuggle around the fire with a glass of smooth wine from the in-room mini-bar, or a tea or coffee from the tea and coffee maker. The room comes complete with an expansive decking area with comfortable day beds, where guests can enjoy an afternoon siesta or can while away the evening watching the pink sunset tones blanket the bushveld, whilst keeping an eye out for wandering giraffes or zebras.

Guests can make their way to the main area of the lodge for mealtimes. A large decking overlooks the valley and offers guests a place to enjoy their meals when the weather is fine, surrounded by fresh South African breezes and with stretching views across the wild bushveld. The food is all cooked fresh, with comforting home-style dishes prepared by talented chefs who can cater for dietary requirements. Fine South African wines can be expertly paired with your meals.

With horses that are trained for professional riders and beginners alike, beginners can take part in a lesson before they go out, and more established riders can head out in the company of two guides to enjoy seeing the bush from this unique perspective. While riding through the wilds become a part of the wilderness and view animals undisturbed and in their natural habitat. While not being ridden, the horses at Ant’s Hill live and graze within the bush, meaning their presence isn’t startling to the other animals of the reserve.

Head out on a game drive, which is a traditional safari activity. Travel through the reserve in the comfort of a 4×4 safari vehicle and cover a large amount of land, creating the opportunity for some exceptional game viewing. With a knowledgeable and friendly guide, you will be taken to some of the best viewing spots, to possibly see lions, rhinos, zebras, giraffes, and many more wild animals. Guests can choose from a morning or an afternoon game drive, however, it is recommended to head out on both as such different experiences of the bush are offered on each.

Guests can head out on an immersive and interactive guided walk through the wilds of the bush. With knowledgeable and friendly guides guests can wander at their own pace, stopping to look at micro-ecosystems, such as insect life, or stopping to grab a pair of binoculars and look to the treetops for a colourful bird’s nest. This activity is the perfect experience for guests who love to walk and wish to feel at one with their surroundings.

For thrill-seekers,  mountain biking is available. With a range of terrain, guests can choose a gentle bike ride across the grassy plains, or can enjoy a rougher route through areas of woodland and dusty tracks.

Craig the guide is an expert snake handler, and can organise a snake-handling workshop, perfect for fearless children and interested adults alike. While handling the snakes, guests will learn all about this amazing species.

Guests can enjoy an afternoon spent trying to master the art of archery. This activity has to be arranged in advance so Ant’s Hill has time to prepare the equipment for the activity.

Children can remain at the lodge in the care of childminders if parents wish to go out on a slightly more challenging walk or horse ride. While at the lodge children can enjoy an afternoon spent in the pool, fun on the trampoline, a game of badminton or volleyball on the courts or reading through a selection of books available.

For guests who wish to explore the area further then local excursions can be arranged. Guests can go and view the historic thatched church which was built in 1914, and can meet some of the locals here too. If guests wish they can also be taken into the local town where they can meet more locals and can purchase some authentic African arts and crafts.

Ant’s Hill is part of the Waterberg Nature Conservancy which is an area of land which is made up of various private reserves, in total covering an area of 30,000 ha. Part of the membership duty of this group is to actively promote and conserve the wilderness of the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve.

Seeking to find a sustainable balance between education, conservation and community upliftment, past projects for the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve have included educating the local children on the importance of protecting the environment, removing an invasive species of Pompom weeds in Vaalwater, and modernising the infrastructure at Makapan World Heritage Site allowing more visitors to learn about the interesting heritage of this land.

Ant’s Hill employs most of the staff from the local community, and offers careers which are long-lasting. Further opportunities are offered by Ant’s Hill, with training and development offered to all staff in housekeeping, maintenance, kitchen work, and guiding. These opportunities are helpful to both staff and their families as it helps increase their employment options. Educational trips are also offered from Ant’s Hill. They believe that a desire to protect the environment can come from seeing the diverse and amazing animals in the wild. As such, they encourage school children from the surrounding areas to visit the reserve for the opportunity to see a rhino in the wild.

Close by to Ant’s Hill is the Waterberg Academy, which is an excellent school offering education from pre-prep to matric. With an active scholarship and bursary fund, guests of Ant’s Hill can sponsor a child through school, enabling them to receive a first-class education. As well as educating children to a high standard, this school is an eco-school and they are dedicated to teaching the importance of protecting the earth and conservation.

Founded in January 2020, Waterberg Rhino UK was set up to support the protection of one of the three largest remaining rhino populations which reside within the Waterberg, and the communities affected by the relentless horror of illegal poaching. The charity also works in partnership with other organisations within the Waterberg to support and ensure positive outcomes for the environment and communities, and to help improve the education on this subject matter.

Cape Buffalo wander around the reserve uninhibited due to their disease-free status. To maintain the healthy gene pool of buffalo, any animals which enter or leave the reserve are quarantined and tested for Tuberculosis, Foot and Mouth disease, Corridor, or Brucellosis to ensure no transmission is allowed into, or out of, the reserve.

After being hunted to near extinction, in 2001 the first sable antelopes were reintroduced to the Waterberg Reserve. Monitoring the herds, as well as translocating breeding groups has not only helped the population soar within the reserve, but has reintroduced new sable antelope populations throughout Africa.

Yellow and Red-billed Oxpeckers have always been a natural solution to the problem of ticks and ectoparasites on cattle, however, a decline in these birds saw farmers starting to use a dip which contained arsenic to de-tick their cattle. This only further damaged the number of oxpeckers within the area, and almost caused the yellow-billed oxpecker to become extinct. This decline in oxpeckers led to an increase in tick numbers. Ant’s Hill is constantly helping to create innovative natural strategies to de-tick local cattle which harms neither the animal nor the surrounding environment and are reintroducing oxpecker’s to the area. Oxpecker boxes have been installed around the reserve to help attract Oxpeckers back and assist them in their nesting season.

Ant’s Hill has installed Owl boxes near their stables to attract Barn owls to help naturally reduce the number of rodents which scurry around the stables. This way allows Ant’s Hill to completely stop using poison and traps and approach pest control in a more natural way.

Dams have been built in the erosion gullies of the reserve, which hold overflowing water from storms and safely lets the water flow back into the riverbed, or be absorbed by the soil. An effective method of erosion control has been implemented in the building of gabion basket overflows. Where patches of land have been overgrazed, bush packing is implemented, which helps to prevent erosion by stopping animals walking over the area, reducing surface water runoff, protecting the soil from the sun, and offering seeds a better environment to germinate in.

Various trees and plants within the Waterberg Reserve need fire to be able to reproduce correctly. The Protea Tree is one such example, with its seeds in fireproof cones. After a fire, the cones dry out and the seeds are released to germinate soon after the first of the rains. Controlled burning is dual purpose, as it not only allows for the regeneration of some tree and plant species but it also helps to clear dead grasses and plants which prevent new and important growth.

The Ant Collection focuses on the removal of alien species of plants which do not naturally occur in this region and they work to remove Eucalyptus trees, Prickly pears, Lantana, “Queen of the night,” and Fluff bush, from the Waterberg Reserve, to allow for the growth of naturally occurring species of plant.

All waste products from Ant’s Hill are recycled and divided into papers, cans, compost, bottles and plastics. Manure from their stables is collected and placed on a manure pile which is burned during the summer to help create compost. The compost created from this is used on gardens and lawns which help to keep them vibrant and fresh throughout the year.