Antares Bush Camp & Umgede Hide

We spent 8 days at Antares Bush Camp over the Xmas period. It was a truly memorable experience. From the moment we arrived we felt at home. Ian and Mel Owtram are exceptional hosts, always making sure that we were enjoying the facilities and that there weren’t any issues. The game drives with Ian were the true highlight for us - he is extremely knowledgable about wildlife and the area. We all learned a lot from him and he entertained us with great bush stories. The other highlight is the Umgede hide - it was really great to view the animals that come to drink water at such close quarters. If you love the bush and want to have a great experience I can highly recommend visiting Antares.

What a lovely place, we booked this place to start off our safari holiday and it didn’t disappoint. We are lucky enough to visit South Africa (Kruger area) every year now and we stumbled across this place while looking at some new places to stay and we have already booked it again for our next trip in 2025. We did a few game drives with the very knowledgeable owner/manager and you can feel the passion he has for the area & animals that are around the area. The hide is a great part of the holiday home if you are interested in that and for us was a big part if not the main reason we booked this place. The house & rooms are nicely decorated and has everything you need to have a great stay, we did self catering which was perfect for us for our 3 night stay. We loved our stay and were already looking forward to being back at Antares next year.

My wife and I spent 4 nights at Antares Bush Camp. The first big plus for us was the policy that once you have made your booking, the lodge is for your exclusive use, in other words Ian does not mix groups at all. The Lodge facilities are a treat, comfortable and spotlessly clean. There are 4 rooms all en suite, kitchen, dining room, lounge, outside deck overlooking the braai area and pool, and then of course Umgede Hide, eye level with the water hole. The hide is a fantastic experience, both for it's fittings and amenities, as well as the up close encounters with the varied wildlife and birdlife that visit the waterhole. Be prepared to photograph elephant literally 2 to 3 meters away at times. Added to that, the waterhole is floodlit at night, making night photography an absolute pleasure. The hide is well equipped for photographers, with bean bags, gimbals, WiFi and charging points provided. Seating is comfortable, sleeping or resting on the day bed is a pleasure, and tea and coffee making facilities with a fridge are also catered for. Ian is a first class host, and is an excellent source of knowledge with regard to all of the wildlife and photographic aspects that you will experience at Antares, and more. This, owing to his experience in training field guides and his many years spent in the bush himself. Antares is a special experience, and whether you go for the photographic experience, or just to enjoy the experiences of being close to nature at the waterhole and spending quality time in the bush, you're wishes will be satisfied!