South Africa Kwande Private Game Reserve
Kwande Private Game Reserve is the perfect beginning or end to a Garden Route journey in the Eastern Cape Province. It’s a hauntingly beautiful reserve of 54,400 acres where the area’s natural wildlife has been painstakingly and successfully restored. This conservation victory is today home to thousands of animals, including lion, rhino, buffalo, elephant and cheetah. Kwande is also a haven for many endangered bird species. A biological melting pot of various vegetation types, the reserve boasts a spectacular display of winter flowering aloes from June to August.
Kwandwe offers not only the Big Five, but a selection of rare and more seldom found wildlife. 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 offers some of the most magnificent cheetah sightings in Africa and is also home to the black rhino, one of the world’s most endangered large animals.
A safari lodge with an attitude, Ecca Lodge is seriously modern and trendy. Shut all the doors and draw all the drapes and you could be in a funky cosmopolitan penthouse, except that night noises at Kwandwe aren't traffic and sirens but yipping jackals and the crazy chorus of frogs in the reed beds along the Great Fish River. This cheerful lodge with a youthful, relaxed vibe is the perfect place for a wildlife experience for the young at heart.
Set in thick vegetation overlooking a dense valley, Ecca Lodge offers a breathtaking view onto an escarpment of steep shale cliffs. Expansive wooden viewing decks provide the ideal setting to soak up the bushveld atmosphere.
The six rooms are airy and open, with barely a barrier between the indoors and the African bush. Minimalist chic is the order of the day in the spacious bedroom that shares wraparound wooden deck with the suite’s private sitting room. The ultra-modern bathroom with its mosaic mirrors and glass shower refreshes and delights. An outdoor shower with a shiny tin tub tips a wink at safari tradition. Private plunge pools with solar heating create a dash of color on each suite’s wooden decks. A play centre for children keeps little hands busy for hours and a shared lodge pool provides the perfect place for a communal splash. An interactive kitchen tempts and tantalizes with colors and aromas, while the deep chairs in the open dining areas invite you to linger over flavors and textures.
At Great Fish River Lodge, the vastness of the wild continent is all around you, from the spectacular views from the lodge’s decks to the huge windows that let a sense of grandeur to your private suite. Stone walls, thatch roofs and long wooden walkways bring natural materials into the interiors, blurring the distinction between inside and outside. Everything takes place on a grander scale, imbuing the rugged landscape with the power to take your breath away. Set high up on a steep bank of the Great Fish River, the lodge offers majestic vistas stretching far into the horizon. With expansive viewing decks, every moment offers an opportunity to explore more of the wonders of the bush from a majestic kudu picking its way to the water’s edge to a pair of Cape clawless otters cavorting in the river.
Floor to ceiling glass doors give onto private balconies and offer splendid vistas from every corner of each of the nine suites. Even a soak in the bathtub lets you take in the view across the river, complete with wildlife coming down to drink. A private pathway leads toward the water, ending in an exclusive plunge pool for every suite. Meal times are arranged to surprise with thoughtful delicacies served on the viewing decks, in the dining room, by lantern light in the cozy walled boma or in any of a number of unexpected locations.
The welcoming Melton Manor enfolds up to eight guests in a warm embrace. This safari villa, where the smallest detail of your stay is planned according to your specific wishes, is perfect for family holidays or parties of friends. The manor’s inner courtyard provides a focal point for shared hours with stunning views of Kwandwe’s hills. Your bedroom offers a private refuge with a deep veranda, enormous bed and butler hatch for unobtrusive morning coffee service.
Your private safari vehicle, complete with team of tracker and ranger, stand waiting to begin your adventure as and when you please.
With sweeping views of the river and mountains in three different directions, Melton Manor is a whimsical mix of old and new, a contemporary frontier farmhouse with a modern touch. Antique settler furniture is given fresh life with a coat of colorful paint and quirky touches combine familiar objects with unfamiliar uses, shades or locations. High ceilings and deep verandas produce a sense of space, while deep couches, warm fireplaces and casual touches invite you to kick back and relax. The interactive farm-style kitchen invites you to try your hand at combining flavors under the cheerful guidance of your personal chef or simply to watch as meals or snacks expertly take shape whenever you want.
Uplands Homestead is an elegantly restored 1905 farmhouse which retains all the charm and grace of its period without losing any of its country warmth and ambiance. Set in a remote and tranquil valley, and available for the sole use of families and parties of up to six, Uplands will soon have you feeling master of all you survey. With a full contingent of friendly staff, including a private chef and butler, you’ll experience all the comfort and convenience of a genuine home. Three suites with private bathrooms create an intimate haven for personal moments that combines modern comfort with old-fashioned trimmings. Antique mirrors and claw-foot tubs in the bathrooms, along with yellowwood chests and wardrobes in the bedrooms blend seamlessly with modern comforts such as air-conditioning.
With rolling lawns dominated by a stately home cradled in a valley among the untamed hills of Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, Uplands Homestead strikes a perfect mix between the genteel and the wild. The heart of any farmhouse is its kitchen and Uplands is no exception. With its wrought iron chandeliers and pristine tiled walls, the room is a quaint and welcoming core. Delectable meals are served in the dining area. Clusters of comfortable chairs in the sitting room invite hours of relaxation, while the green lawns and sparkling pool create a perfect outlet for youthful energy. Your dedicated 4x4 safari vehicle awaits outside, ready at any time to take you on a voyage of discovery through Kwandwe’s wild spaces.