Experience Nature in all its beauty and practice your photography skills:

Saamrus is all about tranquillity, solitude and reconnecting with nature. Get down to earth and leave behind the stresses of the city. Explore nature and find yourself again. Appreciate the abundant birds, indigenous trees, grass and plants on the hillside walks or just watch nature from a chair on the patio. Book now for a self catering weekend spent in nature.

Both the amateur and professional photographer will be inspired to take pictures of birds, veld flowers and trees, views as well as family and dogs enjoying themselves. Please send us your pictures. We would like to include some of them in our photo gallery on the website.

Blesbok, rooibok, kudu, warthogs, porcupines, jackals, duiker, rabbits, dassies (rock rabbits), mongooses, leguans, frogs, bats, spiders, butterflies, moths, praying mantises, and hundreds of birds have been sighted or heard at Saamrus by visiting guests. Of course that would require walking and not just watching from the patio! 

Not to mention the snakes (that feed the mongooses), the ticks (that feed the tickbirds) the mosquitoes (that feeds the bats) and the flies (that feed the spiders and frogs). Isn't nature wonderful?

If you want to see more game (big five) you can always go on a game drive at a neighbouring game farm. See other activities in the Magliesburg area.

Nature is alive and well at Saamrus!

At Saamrus you'll find yourself in unspoiled nature, discovering many creatures that are part of a natural life cycle. Here are some facts about the nature of nature, to not only make you more aware of nature, but to make you stay at Saamrus more meaningful.

Jackal: You will hear the eerie sound of jackals calling in the evenings and during the night. Relax, they're not dangerous. They hunt guinea-fowl and rabbits and they've helped themselves to most of our chickens and geese. We sometimes see one on the farm road driving in or out.

Guinea-fowl & Francolin: The most traffic you'll encounter on the farm road is a flock of guinea-fowl. You'll hear their calls in the early mornings. See if you can recognise their sound.

Other birds: Saamrus is truly a birder’s paradise. Because of all the trees and natural grasses, you will see and hear literally hundreds of them if you pay attention. Sit quietly and listen. It's bird music.

Frogs: In the summertime, they are everywhere, from tiny ones, to big bullfrogs. They don’t bite, and aren't poisonous. They catch thousands of mosquitoes, flies and other insects that would otherwise pester you even more. Listen to their night songs.

Snakes: Yes, we do have them at Saamrus, and some of them are venomous. The good news is that you will seldom come across one, as they're more scared of you than you are of them. They'll hear/sense you or your dog coming, long before you get there, and prefer to get out of the way. The snakes eat frogs and field mice, and will only attack humans or dogs when surprised or threatened.

Bats: We have a number of them during summer – some of them nest in the thatch roofs and ceilings of our cottages. They are harmless insect-eaters, and not related to rats or vampires. We have tried in the past to relocate them, but they prefer to stay here as we have plenty of the creatures they like to eat (that life cycle we mentioned). One bat can eat thousands of mosquitoes or moths in a night. Most bats are endangered species, so we don't want to harm them. Should a bat come into your cottage, immediately switch off the ceiling fan, and then try to encourage it to leave the cottage, with the kitchen broom. Otherwise just leave them alone, they will settle down once the lights are switched off. They won't approach you while you are sleeping. (They eat insects, not human blood).

Mosquitoes: Make sure you cover your arms, legs and all exposed skin with mosquito repellent, before sitting outside at the braai at night. We supply pure citronella oil in a little spray bottle which can be rubbed into arms and legs to repel them. Keep all windows and doors closed and lights off for as long as possible before going to bed.

Spiders: There may be an insect-eating spider somewhere on the wall in your cottage. It is completely harmless. However if you are seriously arachnophobic, please call and we will send someone to remove it without killing it.

Flies: From time to time, the flies become very irritating. You have to realise that you are on a farm and our neighbours carry on with normal farming activities. We try as much as possible to control the flies for your comfort. If you smell something bad when the wind turns, it is a fly trap. We put them up in strategic places to attract the flies away from the cottages. Citronella oil sprayed onto counter tops and tables and even your arms and legs, keeps the flies away.