KWANDWE GREAT FISH RIVER LODGE
Garden Route, Eastern Cape
Kruger Park, South Africa

Introduction

Kwandwe’s magnificent Great Fish River Lodge is set along the lush green banks of the Great Fish River, studded with euphorbia and aloe. From the Lodge’s expansive viewing decks, guests can observe splendid kudu making their way down to a sandy cove to slake their thirst, and hear the splashing of a Nile monitor lizard or a pair of Cape clawless otters in the water. The guest area features a beautiful thatched roof, soaring grandly overhead, adorned with imposing chandeliers. Large fireplaces with massive stone chimneys cast warmth and light over the richly woven rugs, yellowwood kists and wardrobes, handstitched damask linen and the antique china, pewter, and silver typical of a Settler farmhouse from the 1820’s. Each of the nine luxurious suites boasts a swirling overhead fan and air conditioning. The ensuite bathrooms, complete with bath and indoor and outdoor showers, offer unmatched views over the wild yet gentle landscape. Floor-to-ceiling doors fold back to reveal uninterrupted wilderness vistas. Each suite also features a spacious thatched deck, and private plunge pool with river deck terrace. Delicious Pan African meals are served on private decks, in the candlelit dining room, or in the boma under a magnificent starlit sky. Friendly, attentive staff ensure a welcoming, memorable Kwandwe experience.

Camp Description

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 & Chateaux

The 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.

Game Viewing

Kwandwe Private Game Reserve Wildlife Habitats:

Kwandwe is a biodiversity ‘hotspot’ with six of South Africa’s seven biomes converging in this region of the Eastern Cape. The bushclump savanna-thicket dominates on flat terrain and north-facing slopes with euphorbia, euclea, schotia, carissa and three species of tall aloe abundant. Tall succulent-thicket grows on steeper south-facing slopes with tall river euphorbia, honey euphorbia and Cape candelabra growing alongside sneezewood and other trees. Riverine thicket forms a narrow band along the Great Fish River, with Cape bushwillow, karee and sweet thorn dominant trees. Grassy dwarf-shrubland is an open habitat of sparse tussock grasses and stunted shrubs. The level of the Great Fish River fluctuates markedly, such that broad sand bars are exposed or covered. From June to August, the Reserve boasts a spectacular display of winter flowering aloes.

Mammals at Kwandwe Private Game Reserve: Kwandwe is a victory for far-sighted conservation with the successful reintroduction of over 7000 larger mammals taking place prior to the Reserve opening in 2001. Today, herds of elephant and buffalo frequently drink and mud-bathe at waterholes, and cheetah and lion are regularly encountered in open habitats. The home ranges of both black and white rhino are well known and these bulky herbivores are often seen, whilst hippo move between the Great Fish River and larger waterholes. Springbok are the most abundant antelope, with good populations of greater kudu, oryx (gemsbok), red hartebeest and eland. Bushbuck and Cape grysbok keep to dense thickets. Abundant termites provide food for the nocturnal aardwolf, aardvark and bat-eared fox. Black-backed jackal, Cape fox and caracal are commonly encountered smaller predators. Family parties of suricate (meerkat) provide entertaining viewing. Rock hyrax, red rock-rabbit and elephant-shrew live in rocky terrain.

Birds at Kwandwe Private Game Reserve: There are 238 species recorded to date at Kwandwe. Ostrich, secretary bird, blue crane, Stanley’s bustard and crowned lapwing are conspicuous in open habitats. Raptors include jackal buzzard, martial eagle, Verreaux’s (black) eagle and pale chanting goshawk. African fish-eagle hunt along the Great Fish River, where giant kingfisher, reed cormorant and green-backed heron also fish. Malachite, amethyst and greater double-collared sunbirds feed on the nectar of aloe blooms, and the strident calls of bokmakierie, Karoo robin and acacia pied barbet ring out across the plains and valleys.

Other African Wildlife: Tent, angulate and parrot-beaked tortoises occur alongside the more widespread leopard tortoise. Dwarf chameleon, southern rock agama and rough-scaled lizard are other interesting reptiles found in the Great Fish River. The giant bullfrog is among 16 species of frog which emerge after rainfall. Abundant termites provide a food source for many animals and their conical mounds are seen all over. Colourful lichens cloak tree trunks, stems, boulders and rocks.