Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Eastern Cape
Features
- The 22,000 hectares (54 000 acres) of pristine wilderness is home to the famous Big 5 as well as a diverse number of smaller and more unusual species.
- Private wilderness where the Big Five once again roams freely.
- The wide open spaces and tranquil scenery belie the area’s turbulent history.
- Big FiveYes
- Off RoadYes (for Big 5 Sightings Only)
- Camp FencedVillas & Ecca Lodge
- Child PolicyChildren of all ages are welcome at Ecca Lodge, Uplands Homestead, Melton Manor & Fort House Villas
- PoolYes - Private Plunge Pool (not Heated)
- SPAIn Room Treatments
- AirconYes
- Cellphone SignalNo
- Malaria AreaNo
Location
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Getting There
Daily scheduled flight to Port Elizabeth and 1 hour 45 minutes by road. Light aircraft flight from Port Elizabeth to Kwandwe Private Game Reserve – 20 minutes.
Accommodation
KWANDWE ECCA LODGE – 6 Luxury intimate suites
GREAT FISH RIVER LODGE – 9 Luxury Suites
VILLAS – Sole use
UPLANDS HOMESTEAD – 3 rooms, max 6 guests
MELTON MANOR – 4 spacious en-suite bedrooms, max 8 guests
FORT HOUSE – max 8 guests
Rates & Special Offers
Deals By Date
RATES ABOVE ARE APPLICABLE TO THE KWANDWE GREAT FISH RIVER LODGE. RATES FOR ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST.
Please note:
- All rates are subject to availability.
- Proof of SA residency may be required at the time of booking or upon check-in at the lodge.
- Surcharges may apply on rates over peak holiday periods and long weekends.
- Unless otherwise stated, all rates listed are based on a minimum 2 night stay. Surcharges may apply for a 1 night booking.
- Rates quoted are only applicable to South African Residents. Special discounted rates for International Residents are available on request.
- Community & Conservation Levy of R 150 per adult per night applies to SA Residents. To be settled at the lodge direct and subject to change.
- Single accommodation rates are available on request. Please contact your BushBreaks & More consultant for a quote.
- Children of all ages are welcome at Ecca Lodge (in the Family Suites), Melton Manor, Uplands Homestead & Fort House.
- Please contact your BushBreaks & More Consultant for the applicable children’s rates.
- At Great Fish River Lodge children aged 12 years and older are welcome and pay the full adult rates.
- Children of all ages are welcome on the twice daily game drives.
About Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
ABOUT KWANDWE ECCA LODGE
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve offers innovative safari accommodation, set in spectacular African wilderness surrounds, this unique safari lodge boasts a revolutionary design – stone-and-mesh gabion walls, sliding glass, timber and gauze doors and corrugated iron roofing. Exquisite guest areas overlook spekboom valleys with a backdrop of the distant cliff-faces of ecca shale.|Ideal for family safaris|Six intimate suites|Air-conditioning and en suite bathrooms|Spacious sitting areas|Gorgeous rim-flow lap pool|Interactive kitchen|Unique interpretive centre
Ecca Lodge is fun, flamboyant and fabulous, with a “funk – meets-futuristic-farmhouse” ambience. Nestled into a gently sloping, densely vegetated hillside, the Lodge is airy and open with barely a barrier between indoors and the African bushveld.
Each suite features an en suite bathroom with spacious, plate glass-enclosed shower, bath, private w.c and twin hand-basins, as well as a sitting area which can comfortably convert into accommodation for children 11 years and younger. Overlooking rolling spekboom valleys, guest areas comprise a spacious sitting room with fireplace, dining room and bar area and deep veranda with expansive viewing decks. Delicious fresh farm cuisine is prepared in the modern, open-plan kitchen and an interpretive centre provides hours of entertainment for children of all ages.
ABOUT GREAT FISH RIVER LODGE
Malaria-free safari accommodation: Set along the steep banks of the Great Fish River in the scenic Eastern Cape, this extraordinary safari lodge affords spectacular views of the wild yet gentle African landscape.
- Nine air-conditioned suites
- En suite bathrooms, indoor and outdoor showers
- Private plunge pools
- Expansive game viewing decks
- African gift gallery
- Reception in historical fort
- Member of Relais & ChateauxThe Great Fish River Lodge is stylishly furnished in Frontier Settler style, integrating local African culture with colonial settler history. Elegant thatched stone and glass suites feature floor-to-ceiling doors which fold back to reveal uninterrupted wilderness vistas. Guest areas have a large fireplace with massive stone chimney, and a soaring thatched roof with imposing chandeliers.Sophisticated, glass-fronted sitting and dining areas boast expansive viewing decks with breathtaking river views. Delicious Pan-African cuisine is served on the private decks, in the candlelit dining room, or enjoyed in the boma (outdoor dining area). Kwandwe is renowned for its spectacular bush banqueting in surprise settings.Heatherton Towers is the main reception building, which is situated 40 minutes from the Lodge. It is, in fact, a Frontier War-era fortified homestead, complete with dramatic gun turrets and private chapel.ABOUT UPLANDS HOMESTEADYour private safari villa – This intimate lodge is a sensitively restored 1905 farmhouse set in a remote and tranquil valley, offering the ultimate personal safari in Kwandwe’s extraordinary African wilderness.
- Three air-conditioned, spacious bedrooms
- En suite bathrooms and private terraces
- Exclusive use of 4×4 safari vehicle
- Private butler, ranger and chef
- Large swimming pool and gazebo
- Member of Relais & ChateauxPerfect for the sole use of a group or family of up to six guests, Uplands Homestead is situated half an hour from Heatherton Towers (Kwandwe’s reception building) and 45 minutes from Main Lodge. Antiques and memorabilia reminiscent of an 1820s Settler home elegantly blend with comfortable, modern finishes. The sitting and dining areas feature high ceilings, wooden floors and beautiful fireplaces. A deep and shady veranda leads out to the large swimming pool and gazebo.In the modernised farm kitchen, Uplands Homestead’s private chef prepares delicious Pan-African cuisine and local specialities. Nothing beats a true CC Africa bush banquet in a surprise setting under the magical African sky.ABOUT MELTON MANORKwandwe Private Game Reserve, situated in the heart of South Africa’s malaria-free Eastern Cape, has officially opened it’s newest lodge, Melton Manor.
- Four spacious ensuite bedrooms
- An interactive kitchen
- Private butler, ranger and chef
- Member of Relais & ChateauxSet in a beautiful location overlooking the Fish river and afromontane forests Melton Manor has a large swimming pool and central courtyard and is the perfect escape for a family safari; accommodating 8 guests. The elegant and simple design will incorporate earthy, organic finishes; deep inviting sofas; gorgeous Nguni rugs; dramatic photography; and will celebrate the style of early frontier days.The four ensuite bedrooms will feature innovative “butler hatches” for discreet room service and the interactive kitchen will be a cosy place where guests can muck in with Melton Manor’s expert chef.
About Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve lies in the heart of South Africa’s malaria-free Eastern Cape near Grahamstown, and is a natural conclusion to a journey along the world-famous Garden Route. A victory for far-sighted conservation, 20 000 hectares (49 000 acres) of farmland in the Great Fish River region were restored and restocked with African wildlife. Today, thousands of animals including lion, black and white rhino, buffalo and elephant roam this diverse and fascinating reserve.
Kwandwe aptly means “Place of the Blue Crane” in Xhosa (South Africa’s highly endangered national bird) and is home to a population of these rare birds. It offers an exceptional safari experience in a region steeped in history and culture. The Great Fish River was a hotly contested border during the Frontier Wars of 1779 to 1878 between the Xhosa nation, Dutch farmers and the 1820 Settlers from England. Kwandwe’s reception building is a Frontier War-era fortified homestead, and the Reserve boasts its own intimate chapel.
Additional Activities
- Extra activities available at Kwandwe at an additional charge & subject to availability:
- Save the Rhino Drive – Spend 3 – 4 hours tracking rhino with a specialist ranger and tracker team.
- Private Vehicle – Led by a dedicated ranger and tracker team, ensuring a private game viewing experience throughout your stay.
- Private Specialist Safari – Customise your safari experience dependent on your interest, led by a specialist private ranger, tracker and vehicle.
- Photographic guide/ Specialist – Tailor-made to suit the experience level of participants, the photographic guide advises guests of appropriate camera settings at different scenarios, providing compositional ideas and to answer any questions relating to photography.
- Walking specialist – A professionally qualified and experienced trails guide will enable you to experience Kwandwe on foot.
- Birding specialist – Spend as much time as you like looking for those elusive specials and add to your knowledge of South Africa’s birdlife.
- Fishing specialist – Kwandwe offers a variety of fishing options, either in still water or in the Great Fish River.
- Rhino Conservation Safari- This experience offers the opportunity to participate in Kwandwe’s exciting rhino-darting & notching conservation programme, under the supervision of experts.
- Campfire Cooking: exciting opportunity to learn about cooking authentic South African braai’s & favourite dishes.
- In-room Massage Treatments – A variety of treatments are available in the privacy of your room.
Getting There
From Port Elizabeth to Kwandwe
Distance: 160km
Travelling time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- From Port Elizabeth travel eastwards along the N2 towards Grahamstown
- Travel past Grahamstown and the Settlers Monument, ignoring the ‘Beaufort Street’ and ‘R67 Port Alfred’ turn-offs
- A few kilometres past Grahamstown turn left onto the road at the ‘R67 Fort Beaufort’. It should be approximately 10km between the Settlers Monument and the Fort Beaufort Road turnoff
- Wind your way through the Ecca Pass for approximately 19km. On your right you will see a large sign indicating ‘The Great Fish River Reserve’. Turn left onto a gravel road opposite this sign. There are two smaller signs on the left marked ‘Kwandwe’ and ‘Kranzdrift’.
- Travel about 5km to reach the Kwandwe gate, and continue straight along that road for a further 6km
- The first house on the left is Heatherton Towers Reception area, where you will check-in and leave your car. You will then be transferred to either Great Fish River Lodge, Ecca Lodge, Uplands Homestead or Melton Manor, which is between 15 and 30 minutes drive away.
From East London to Kwandwe
Distance: 185km
Travelling time: 2 hours
- From East London travel along the N2 towards King Williams Town and then on to Grahamstown
- Before reaching Grahamstown turn right onto the road at the ‘R67 Fort Beaufort’
- Wind your way through the Ecca Pass for approximately 19km. On your right you will see a large sign indicating ‘The Great Fish River Reserve’. Turn left onto a gravel road opposite this sign. There are two smaller signs on the left marked ‘Kwandwe’ and ‘Kranzdrift’.
- Travel about 5km to reach the Kwandwe gate, and continue straight along that road for a further 6km
- The first house on the left is Heatherton Towers Reception area, where you will check-in and leave your car. You will then be transferred to either Great Fish River Lodge, Ecca Lodge, Uplands Homestead or Melton Manor, which is between 15 and 30 minutes drive away.
Please be aware, as you approach the Lodge that you are in a wilderness area where predators and high-profilegame roam freely. Do not leave your car for any reason.
Wherever possible and available, we do provide covered parking for guest vehicles but please be advised that we cannot be held responsible for theft, loss or damage, howsoever caused, whilst vehicles are parked on our premises.
Rooms Found, Nights, 2 Adults
We Accept:
