Kwandwe Private Game Reserve is a private game reserve, northeast of Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The 54,000 acres of the Kwandwe Private Game Reserve offer one of the best safaris in South Africa's Eastern Cape. Rehabilitated from farmland in the 1990s, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve continues to expand and now covers a huge 300km² of near-pristine, indigenous vegetation, making it one of South Africa’s largest ‘Big Five’ reserves and certainly the Eastern Cape’s most wild and authentic safari experience.
The name Kwandwe means Place of the Blue Crane in the local language. Meaning "Place of the Blue Crane" in Xhosa, Kwandwe Game Reserve is a haven for a population of these rare, highly endangered birds (South Africa's national bird). The reserve covers an area of 30,000 ha (74,000 acres), almost divided in half by the Great Fish River.
Located at the heart of the malaria-free Eastern Cape, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve is within easy reach of South Africa's spectacular coastline and provides the perfect beginning or ending to a journey along the famed Garden Route. An easy two hours drive away from Port Elizabeth, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve encompasses 220km2 of former farmland, which the Great Fish River meanders through.
South Africa safari holidays are perfect for anyone and everyone from families, romantic couple getaways, solo travellers, and friends travelling together. There's so much to see and do, that everyone will have something to enjoy!
The Blue Crane, South Africa's national bird, is a symbol of Kwandwe.
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Climate and Best Time to Visit
The January maximum temperature varies between 28°C and 32°C, while the July maximum temperature goes between 21°C and 25°C. The July minimum temperature is 2°C to 5°C.
We have only ever visited South Africa in their winter, around July/August. This time of year, the weather can be a bit back and forth. We’ve experienced chilly, windy rain and warm, dry sunshine. Layers are essentials, as well as raincoats. Kwandwe provides blankets, hot water pads, and rain shawls if the weather decides to take a turn.
While it can be a bit unpredictable, I would say we have gotten lucky every time we’ve visited, with MOST days being lovely. It’s very similar to a Southern California winter - brisk mornings and a bit of a chill in the shade, but warm sunshine during the day. Mornings are always chilly, and wind can make it worse. Still, by late morning if the sun is shining, it feels absolutely incredible. When the sun starts to set, be prepared for a bit of chilly ride back. It’s worth it for the sunsets over the river.
Lodges and Accommodations
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve includes two lodges and three villas for a total of only 26 rooms, so you won't encounter any crowds here. There are 2 lodges and 3 private villas on the reserve, making for an intimate experience during your entire stay.
Listed below are our favorite places to stay in this region:
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- Ecca Lodge: Ecca Lodge is one of our favorite choices for a family safari in South Africa. The lodge has no age restrictions and offers flexible game drive times, private plunge pools, and children's activities. Kwandwe Ecca Lodge is a smart, chic lodge and is located in the superb malaria-free Kwandwe Private Reserve.
- Great Fish River Lodge: Great Fish River Lodge located on the riverfront is a better choice for travelers without children because of its style and tranquil riverfront setting. Great Fish River Lodge is a superb lodge built on the edge of a gorge overlooking the river and is located in the Kwandwe Private Reserve.
- Uplands Homestead: During our first visit in 2011, we stayed at Uplands Homestead, a charming 3-bedroom restored farmhouse. Uplands Homestead is a restored farmhouse and is located in a remote and peaceful valley in the Kwandwe Private Reserve.
- Melton Manor: We brought more family on the following two trips to the reserve, so we stayed at Melton Manor. This slightly more contemporary style house is a bit bigger with 4 bedrooms but just as much character. Sleeping a maximum of 8 people, Melton Manor is an exclusive use villa located in the superb malaria-free Kwande Private Game Resertve.
- Fort House: Fort House is another option for private lodging on the reserve.
- Galpin Tented Camp: Galpin Tented Camp is a a comfortable exclusive use set up in malaria-free Kwandwe Private Reserve.
You have an entire staff, including a butler, chef, house manager, tracker, and ranger. Massages and gym-in-a-bag are available at request. Everything you could ever want is at your fingertips.
Kwandwe Ecca Lodge.
Wildlife and Ecology
The reserve is located on either side of the Great Fish River and is home to thousands of animals, including elephants, giraffes, and lions among others. For the first time in over a hundred years, guests can witness lion, cheetah, elephant, black and white rhino, and buffalo wandering free in the valley thicket fringing the Fish River.
The undulating, Karoo-like landscape is an arid, slow-growing ecosystem. Although devoid of many tall trees, its vegetation is highly diverse and supports incredible game and bird life. For the most part, the land is dotted with resilient spekboom succulents, termite mounds, low-growing shrubs and dense thickets. But these are interspersed with dramatic views of the deeply incised Great Fish River, which meanders for 18 miles through the reserve, and wide-open plains, the backdrop for grazing antelope and spectacular predator hunting.
And the wildlife is superb: Kwandwe is a wonderfully game-rich environment! Although the Big 5 animals are all resident, to consider it as just that is to miss much its charm. In fact, a remarkable 7,000 large mammals translocated to Kwandwe over the years, with all now breeding and flourishing. From black and white rhino, sightings of whom are blissfully frequent, to herds of buffalo, elephant and impressive antelope gatherings of kudu, eland, red hartebeest, giraffe and gemsbok.
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There are predators galore with cheetah, lion and leopard and glorious opportunities to spot nocturnal wanderers such as aardwolf, aardvark and bat-eared foxes on spotlit night drives. Kwandwe is also home to many endangered bird species: black stork, the occasional martial eagle, kori and Stanley’s bustards and of course the endangered and very beautiful blue crane, after which the reserve was named: ‘Kwandwe’ is Xhosa for ‘Place of the blue crane’.
The reserve is home to the famous ‘Big Five’ and lots of other wildlife. A conservation victory, Kwandwe Game Reserve is home to thousands of animals, including lion, black and white rhino, buffalo, elephant and cheetah, as well as Africa's famous Big Five. Species such as kudu, grysbok, aardwolf, aardvark and caracal, which had always existed freely in the area, are now thriving in their natural habitat.
Kwandwe is one of the leading reserves in conservation. They have one of the highest guest-to-land ratios in South Africa, which is essential for maintaining the environment and wildlife in the area. They also offer a conservation safari where you can help with rhino conservation during your stay.
Days at Kwandwe are filled with game drives, delicious food, and free time to relax, read, work out (maybe?), play a game of Backgammon or football (soccer, duh). On the morning drive, you’ll stop for coffee, hot chocolate (maybe with some Amarula?), and homemade muffins. In the evenings, you can enjoy a gin and tonic with a view of the sun setting over the river and homemade biltong; the boys couldn’t get enough.
Because Kwandwe Game Reserve remains privately owned, spotlit night game drives are possible and will give you the chance to see nocturnal species such as aardwolf and aardvark.
Kwandwe is also home to many endangered bird species like black stork, the occasional martial eagle, kori, Stanley’s bustards and of course the endangered and very beautiful blue crane, after which the reserve was named: ‘Kwandwe’ is Xhosa for ‘Place of the blue crane’.
The graceful kudu, with their majestic twisted horns, are one of the most abundant and conspicuous antelope at Kwandwe Game Reserve. Small family groups of females and bachelor herds of males can be encountered moving through their home ranges in search of food.
African Buffalo in Kwandwe Private Game Reserve.
Activities and Experiences
At all the lodges on the Kwandwe Private Game Reserve the activities are similar, concentrating on day and night game drives as well as walks with an armed guide. The guiding here is of a high standard and a tracker always accompanies the guide in the vehicle. Special safaris include rhino monitoring, big game walking safaris, private safaris and rhino darting.
On our first night, we watched a big male leopard stalk through a ravine. Our other family members, who had never been to Africa before, saw the big 5 within the first two days. Rare! Kwandwe has it all, though. We had incredible game viewing every single day we were there.
Even one drive that we were told would be the “scenic” drive, more focused on views of the reserve than animals, we rolled right up to a male lion that had been kicked out of his pride. He roared and roared, looking for his females, and even chased our car down the road a bit.
After spending most of the day searching for the infamous black rhino on another evening drive, we went around a corner to find a feisty one. Our tracker (the poor guy’s first week on the job) was still on the front of the jeep. Typically, when encountering a more dangerous animal, the tracker goes inside. But our guide and tracker handled the encounter incredibly.
Instances like this aren’t uncommon, and we had quite a few - another night being stuck on the road between two bull elephants, not a place you want to be. And while it definitely brings your cortisol levels up and gets that adrenaline pumping, you are in safe hands.
There are electric fences around the lodge perimeter so you can safely walk from room to room (although don’t be surprised if you see a leopard just outside the fence in the early hours of the morning. Do NOT try to approach it like somebody I know…). The trackers and guides go through extensive training and are well equipped to handle these wild animals. And honestly, they’re well equipped to handle a wild family like ours.
If you want to explore more of the Eastern Cape, spend a night or two in Gqeberha, formerly known as Port Elizabeth, for great seafood and surfing. A river runs through the reserve, making for beautiful views and fun jeep rides over bridges and great fishing. Bird watching is also huge here, and there are countless numbers. If bird watching isn’t your thing, ask your guide about the various plant species and take a bite off the “bacon bush.”
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Community and Conservation
This land was special to our founder Carl DeSantis. His eyes would light up when he described his time in Kwandwe. During his time in South Africa, Mr. DeSantis also saw a need to help people become economically self-sufficient. He established a foundation that taught job and business skills. To honor his legacy and leadership, a memorial plaque was erected long thin rock on one of the tallest points in Kwandwe. The memorial overlooks all the valleys of a beautiful land that Mr.
Because we feel very fortunate to explore a place like this, we try to find ways to give back to the community or support local projects. On Kwandwe’s property is a community center for the staff and local village children. We spent one rainy afternoon touring the school and putting covers on books. If you have some extra time, even just an hour, I highly recommend a visit to the community center while you’re there.
If you have even more time, there is a village outside of Kwandwe supported by the Ubunye Foundation. The Foundation has various ongoing projects and would be incredibly grateful to help you set up a visit to volunteer.
Getting There
Kwandwe is on the Eastern Cape of South Africa. When you picture Africa, you might think of a large, flat, dry savannah. However, the Eastern Cape is somewhat similar to San Diego, with high hills and valleys not far from the coast.
My family was coming from Botswana this time, so we took a short plane ride back to Maun then another flight to Joburg. If we were coming straight from the US, we would fly into Capetown or Johannesburg then hop on a short flight to Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth).
Because of the many flight cancellations from COVID, we had to spend the night in Joburg this time. There’s an Intercontinental right across the street from international arrivals. They even have day rooms (do NOT try to go to the hotel inside the international terminal. It isn’t open). We went to Marble in Joburg and had a wonderful meal overlooking the city.
The next day we hopped on a short flight to Gqerberha (Port Elizabeth), where a driver picked us up and took us to Kwandwé Private Game Reserve. It is about a two-hour drive to Kwandwé. There is an airstrip on the reserve if you choose to fly directly.
While a two-hour drive isn’t the first thing you want to do after traveling, you’ll get a feel for the Eastern Cape from the car window. We had finally convinced my aunt, uncle, and cousins to join us, so they flew from LA, meeting us in Gqerberha for the drive.
If on self-drive, you will leave your car at Heatherton Towers, the main reception of the reserve. It is an old restored fortified homestead, dating back to the Frontier War period - with gun turrets still intact! From there you will be transferred to your lodge in an open-topped 4WD vehicle.
Mini FAQ:
- What do I bring??Scroll down for a packing list ;)
- I don’t eat *xyz. Will I be able to eat?Absolutely! Between 12 of us there were so many dietary requirements and restrictions and they were extremely accommodating to each one. One year I forgot to warn them before we arrived that I don’t drink milk and later that afternoon a jug of almond milk arrived from town.
- Can I bring my kids?Again, absolutely! Kwandwe is kid-friendly and has various activities for those young rangers to keep them busy and engaged.
- Should I take anti-malaria medicine?Nope, this is a malaria free zone. No nausea for you!
- Do I need any vaccines?Talk to your local travel vaccination clinic for up-to-date information. We had our routine vaccines such as chicken pox, polio, etc. We were also recommended to get hep A, hep B, and Typhoid. But like I said, talk to your doctor and local clinic before scheduling.
- Do I need a visa coming from the US?Not if you are traveling for less than 90 days. A negative COVID test is required to enter South Africa (restrictions may vary based on which country you are coming from) and PCR testing is widely available.
- How many days do you recommend?100? Kidding! Although I wish I could stay that long. The first time we visited we spent 4 nights but wanted more. The next trips we spent 6 nights, which is definitely on the upper end.
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