Valentine's Day Inspiration from Samara Karoo Reserve
With love on everybody’s lips, now is a good time to remember that the planet also needs our love. We sit at a critical juncture in Earth’s history. One where we must try to remain hopeful that people around the world will take the right actions and stand up for the environments, animals, places and people that they hold dear.
As conservationist Isabelle Tompkins, a custodian of the family-run Samara Karoo Reserve in South Africa shares, ‘Already countless acts of love have preserved precious woodlands and water catchments, saved iconic landscapes, halted extractive development in irreplaceable ecosystems. Love is the most powerful of human emotions, and can be an important driver of positive change. Indeed, it is the reason Samara is where it is today.'
So, this year, as you toast your loved one, reflect on the time you have spent together in Nature and the places you love. Take time to walk in your local forest, visit a nearby beach, breathe in the clean air of the countryside. Or plan a trip to travel further afield to a rejuvenated wilderness like Samara, plant a Spekboom to support their incredible conservation efforts and salute the stars from the comfort of their star bed – the ultimate in romance.
Stargazing Star Bed
Sleeping two, Samara Karoo Reserve’s ‘Star Bed’ on the Milk River provides a wilderness experience to take your breath away. Arrive at sunset for a picnic dinner and drinks, then watch as the local wildlife descends to the water holes. Take in spectacular views over the mountainous landscape and watch the night sky fill with stars. This is one of the best places in the world for stargazing thanks to the low light pollution. Awake to the big skies and birdsong of the Karoo as another day dawns in South Africa.
To stay at Samara is to become part of a bigger story with the purposeful intent to conserve this magical landscape for posterity. Samara Karoo Reserve is a leading conservation journey to restore 67,000 acres of South Africa’s Great Karoo and beyond through rewilding and responsible tourism. Staying at one of Samara’s lodges acts as a direct contribution to this vision.
Nightly rates from £333 (R6,825) per person in Karoo Lodge. A night in the Star Bed is an additional £244 (R5,000) per couple, subject to a minimum 3-night stay in Karoo Lodge or The Manor. Available October to May.
Visit www.samara.co.za
