Conservio

Your next getaway to nature

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Travel feels good, looks good and does good with Conservio

The founder’s fave listings and see how to get up to 55% off

Last updated: Tuesday, 27 May 2025

Travel is supposed to feel good from start to finish.

Yet, planning a trip can be stressful: Scrolling through an overwhelming number of listings, not knowing which ones you can trust, and with no one to call.

That’s the problem Conservio wants to solve. It focuses on feel-good getaways in nature, and all their properties are vetted. You’re not swamped with options, just given the really good ones. We spoke to founder Lara Dendy Young.

You can browse Conservio’s feel-good nature escapes here.

Fernhill Guest Farm, Knysna, Western Cape. Image: Fernhill Guest Farm

Feel-good travel is all about…

Travel that feels good from start to finish. You feel good when you book because it's a seamless, easy-to-navigate website that's backed by trust. You know that every listing is presented as it looks in real life.

You feel good when you’re there, knowing it's exactly what you expected. You’re also in the middle of nature in stylish, quality accommodation.

And when you leave, you feel good knowing you’re part of a bigger movement that uplifts local communities and drives conservation.

Kamoka Bush Camp, Hoedspruit, Limpopo. Image: Kamoka Bush Camp

We haven't built this for Americans coming to Africa…

Conservio is built by locals, for locals. Your feel-good traveller is not only the American or European tourist who can afford R100 000 safari holidays.

It’s your everyday traveller. People who want family getaways, baby moons, or to go away for an anniversary or 50th birthday. It's for the everyday working person who wants to travel, but wants it to be easy, affordable and frequent. Some of our listings are a few hundred rands a night.

We focus on more than just the popular spots where all the internationals go. We feature places like the Klein Karoo, Hazyview, Greyton, and St Lucia. It's travelling how locals travel.

Amava River Lodge, Kruger National Park. Image: Amava River Lodge

You don’t have to do endless scrolling…

Booking travel has stopped feeling good. People find getaways by scrolling through Instagram, Booking.com, and Airbnb, which is completely oversaturated with options, and can be overwhelming.

There’s also distrust. Am I actually booking what I think I’m booking? Are the pictures accurate? We make it easier to find reliable, feel-good getaways that are outside the city and close to nature.

River Edge Accommodation, Bainskloof Pass, Western Cape.

We handpick every single listing…

We select all the properties, vet them, and make sure that there is a barrier to entry. There’s no barrier to entry on other booking platforms, and that’s why they have tens of thousands of listings. We have about 800 listings and it's growing steadily with consideration.

We first look at the listing’s proximity to nature. What is the natural offering? Are they in a protected area? What's the relationship to its surroundings?

The other is style and design. We like high-quality offerings. This doesn’t mean it has to be expensive. It can be stylish and high-quality for R500 a night.

We also check if it actually looks like the pictures and has all those amenities. The online listing needs to be an accurate representation of what you’re getting. You don’t press “book” and hope it’s what you think it is.

Kudukloof, Cape Winelands, Western Cape. Image: Kudukloof

You can actually speak to someone while booking…

Booking on Airbnb or Booking.com can feel like entering into the abyss. You just feel like a cog in a machine, and it's very impersonal.

As soon as someone sends us an inquiry or booking, someone from our team makes contact with a phone call, WhatsApp or email. We ask questions like, How did you find the booking experience? Do you need any help? What are your questions?

It's not this hands-off booking platform where you’re left to fend for yourself.

Woodlands Self Catering, Knysna, Western Cape. Image: Woodlands Self Catering

Our booking platform makes it easy if you have any questions…

Once you’ve picked your dates and the listing, you can choose to either book or enquire. If you click “enquire”, your booking is held for up to two days without payment.

Someone from our team will then WhatsApp you, which allows you to ask us any questions before you actually pay. And your booking will be reserved, so you don’t lose it.

Motswiri Private Safari Lodge, Madikwe Game Reserve, North West. Image: Motswiri Private Safari Lodge

More travellers are looking for conscious experiences…

Tourism is the way that we can achieve conservation at scale. It protects wild spaces, supports local economies, and helps communities grow sustainably.

More and more conscious consumers are also thinking about the environmental consequences of international travel. I love that Conservio encourages you to experience what's on our doorstep. All this magic exists within an hour in every direction.

Moon Mountain Lodge, Solitaire, Namibia. Image: Moon Mountain Lodge.

Some of our most popular listings are…

You sleep right in the middle of the river, the banks are lined by willow trees, and you have views of the most gorgeous sunsets at Old Willow Houseboats, Free State.

These eclectic glamping tents are very Wes Anderson. And Camp Canoe in the Winelands is only 45 minutes from Cape Town.

At these cottages, the sea is right in front of you, and the surrounding private nature reserve feels unspoiled and serene at Romansbaai Collection, Overberg.

Some of the best land-based whale watching with rugged surroundings that feel like they’ve been that way for a thousand years. That’s Lekkerwater Beach Lodge, Overberg.

Romansbaai Collection, Overberg, Western Cape. Image: Romansbaai Collection

Most don’t know that we have a WhatsApp group with deals…

We’re always asking our property partners for special offers or last-minute availability because we want to support them getting business, especially off-season. When you join our WhatsApp group you get access to these specials. Some of them are up to 55% off.

It’s not a spam group, and only we can send messages. It’s easy to claim too because you just message us on WhatsApp to lock it in. You don’t even need to book on the website.

Join Conservio’s WhatsApp group here.

BOOK A GETAWAY WITH CONSERVIO

Conservio is built by locals, for locals, celebrating how South Africans truly travel, beyond the usual tourist spots.

Book or contact: Via the website, bookings@conservio.com, 066 029 8006
Follow them on Instagram: @conservio

By Saarah Gierdien

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