Tim and Angelique Carr are your hosts at Reflections Eco-Reserve. This is the story of how they are restoring and rehabilitating the land.
We met over 20 years ago while working at a private game lodge in South Africa. Back then, we realised that we shared a passion for conservation and the beauty of wild, open spaces. So, it became our dream to develop and create our own space.
We wanted it to be accessible to South Africans and to be as eco-friendly as possible, with a light ecological footprint.
We wanted a property that would promote biodiversity and contribute to the eradication of alien, non-native vegetation.
Reflections began as 27 hectares of degraded pine plantation in the Garden Route. It was impenetrable and completely overgrown with alien species. We immediately started an aggressive clearing programme and an ambitious replanting plan to speed up recovery of the native vegetation.
In restoring and rehabilitating the land, we have planted over 3 500 trees. Our property has expanded to 42 hectares within the Wilderness Lakes District of the Garden Route National Park. With our eco-chalets and luxury glamping tents, we have created an environmentally friendly, sustainable, and comfortable holiday experience just 4,5 hours from Cape Town.
Located on the Rondevlei and surrounded by the Garden Route National Park, Reflections Eco-Reserve has access to it all: beaches, forests, mountains, birding and fantastic walks are all very accessible from the reserve.
The Rondevlei is part of a series of estuarine lakes that contribute in a large way to the Garden Route’s fame as South Africa’s favourite holiday destination. Because it is a designated Ramsar site – a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention – no boating or fishing is permitted. This ensures a tranquil and peaceful environment with fantastic birdlife. Besides nesting resident Fish Eagles we boast about 140 species of birds as well as Cape clawless otter, water mongoose, caracal, bushpig, grysbok and grey duiker.
We are passionate about what we do and extremely proud of what we have achieved at Reflections Eco-Reserve and we can’t wait to share it with you.
