Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Kwandwe means "Place of the Blue Crane" in Xhosa; Blue Crane being South Africa's endangered national bird. The reserve is home to a population of these rare birds. Guests are ensured of an exceptional safari experience in a region steeped in history and culture.
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve Highlights
Kwandwe means "Place of the Blue Crane" in Xhosa; South Africa's endangered national bird. The reserve is home to a population of these rare birds. Guests are ensured of an exceptional safari experience in a region steeped in history and culture.
Kwandwe Game Reserve offers luxurious and elegant accommodation and promises to be a memorable safari and wildlife experience in the heart of the Eastern Cape in South Africa.
- The meaning of Kwandwe in isiXhosa is “Place of the Blue Crane”, South Africa's national bird.
- A sanctuary to threatened bird species including the Knysna woodpecker, Cape grysbok, black wildebeest, crowned eagle and black-footed cat.
- A world-class Big Five safari experience in 22 000 hectares of malaria-free pristine private wilderness.
- Four award-winning lodges offer a range of accommodation in understated luxury with exquisite scenery and prolific wildlife.
Ecca Lodge is ideal for family safaris; it is small and intimate and offers spectacular game viewing opportunities in a unique setting.
Great Fish River Lodge guests can take a closer look at the intricate details of the bush on a leisurely walk amongst dense euphorbia thickets, revealing a secret world of lichen, mosses and ferns.
Melton Manor accommodates on a per-suite or sole-use basis, and sees that the smallest detail is planned according to guests' specific wishes. Perfect for family holidays or parties of friends.
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve Game Viewing and Activities
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve offers a fantastic variety of wildlife. The reserve consists of 22 000 hectares (54 400 acres) of farmland in the Great Fish River region. The area ensures unbeatable game viewing opportunities and guests can expect to see lion, cheetah, hyena, leopard, black and white rhino, fascinating nocturnal wildlife and fantastic bird-watching, approximately 238 bird species can be found in the reserve.
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.
Two game drives a day are offered, morning as well as evening drives in open 4x4 vehicles.Guided bush walks as well as fishing are also available; the scenic Great Fish River is a highlight and all game viewing activities are lead by experienced and knowledgeable