Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
EASTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA
Set in 30,000 hectares of private wilderness, Kwandwe is one of the largest private Big 5 game viewing areas in South Africa.
With only 2 lodges and 3 exclusive villas, safari activities include morning and afternoon game drives, walking safaris, birding and conservation programs.
CONSERVATION safari in A private wilderness
Kwandwe is a celebration of what conservation can achieve through regeneration. Once farmland, the reserve is rich in biodiversity and lies within the Eastern Cape, where 7 of South Africa’s 8 biomes meet. The diverse and undulating landscape is home to several endangered species, including black and white rhino, and cheetah.Â
Through the centre of the reserve the Great Fish River meanders for 30kms and along its course, you find Great Fish River Lodge. Further west lies Ecca Lodge, and in prime locations are the exclusive villas: Fort House, Melton Manor and Uplands.Â
Renowned for quality guiding, understated luxury and the thousands of animals and wildlife that call the reserve home, Kwandwe offers a range of safari activities and accommodation options to make every African dream come true.
In July 2012, Kwandwe was brought by USA-based investors, the Chouest Family. Conservation and communities lie at the heart of the Chouest’s investment in Kwandwe. The family visit on a regular basis to enjoy all the reserve has to offer.
FAST FACTS
RATES
Rooms:
R 15 200 – R 22 100 per person per night
Villas and Ecca Family Suite:
R 63 600 – R 154 500
per villa/suite per night
ACCESS
Fly:
Scheduled flights from Port Elizabeth Airport or a quick 30 minute helicopter flight to Kwandwe’s private airstrip are available. A 2km tarred runway is available for private charters.
Drive:
2 hrs from Port Elizabeth.
CHILDREN
Villas and Ecca Family Suites:
All ages
Great Fish River Lodge: 12 years+
Kwandwe is one of the best family safari experiences in Africa. Designed for families by families and a malaria free destination.
What we love
EXPLORE
One of South Africa’s largest privately-owned Big 5 reserves.
bio-diversity
View a wide variety of wildlife species and eco-systems in one unique location.
GET INVOLVED
From hands-on wildlife conservation to community involvement, you too can make a difference
LODGES & VILLA
From couples and honeymooners to families and groups of friends, there is something for everyone.
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
The impact of your stay
Kwandwe is committed to biodiversity conservation and rural livelihoods. This is enabled through a sustainable tourism business, which is underpinned by a leading safari experience. In these challenging times, their robust business model together with a dynamic management approach preserves Kwandwe for generations to come.
Kwandwe, unlike any other safari experiences in Classic Portfolio, is privately owned and managed land and wildlife. While this model gives great flexibility, it also comes with great responsibility.
Every stay contributes through:
- Paying R 700 (2024) & R 1500 (2025) per person per night (50% of this rate for children 16 years and younger) Conservation, Community Levy and Reserve Fee. 2025 Fees see a split to Rhino Conservation Trust (R375), Ubunye Foundation (R375) and Kwandwe Reserve Land Management (R750).
- Over and above the levy, 35% of the accommodation rate paid by guests is allocated towards Kwandwe’s 5 Pillars of conservation.
- Guests can get involved in the 5 Pillars through:
- Grow: Conserving bio-diversity and the ecology of the area. Re-plant spekboom, a wonder plant that is endemic to the Eastern Cape, on game drives and walking safaris and observe flora rehabilitation in action.
- Protect: Safeguarding vulnerable species. Take part in a rhino conservation drive and track the endangered animals on foot. Join a specialist Rhino Conservation Safari (extra cost) and get hands on with DNA sampling, micro-chipping and notching rhinos.
- Engage: Supporting and developing the local community. Visit the Mgcamabele Centre and the Ubunye pre-school located on Kwandwe, and learn more about their community projects in the Eastern Cape.
- Collaborate: Expanding wildlife populations beyond the borders of Kwandwe. Wildlife swaps ensure genetic diversity and translocations support moving animals to other protected areas. Request to be added to the conservation mailing list and keep up to date with planned projects and how to get involved.
- Research: Partnering with academic institutions to conduct biodiversity research. Set up a camera trap and inspect other footage to understand how we use motion detection cameras to survey moments and territories and understand more about certain species.
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Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
LODGES & VILLAS
Something for everyone
KWANDWE PRIVATE GAME RESERVE
Great Fish River Lodge
This founding lodge features a classic-contemporary style of simple elegance that embraces the lodge’s splendid setting high up on a bank overlooking the Great Fish River. Recently updated, the colour palette is light and bright while the furniture brings clean lines and a calm elegance, all meant to soothe and relax. Additionally, a new central bar has been created in the main lounge as the perfect place to gather at the end of the day.Â
Designed to blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living, each suite has floor to ceiling French doors allowing the sunlight to stream into the chalets overlooking the Fish River. There is an indoor and outdoor shower as well as a bath, plus a private plunge pool perfect for unwinding in the privacy of your own suite.Â
SEASONALITY: Open all year
CHILDREN: 12+ years
Great Fish
River Lodge
9 Suites
KWANDWE PRIVATE GAME RESERVE
Ecca Lodge
Set in vegetation overlooking a beautiful valley, Ecca Lodge offers breathtaking views onto the escarpment below. Expansive wooden viewing decks provide the ideal setting to soak up the bush with a leisurely lunch or sundowner drink. Rooms are airy, with barely a barrier between the indoors and outdoors, with decor inspired by the natural tones and textures of the continent. Highlights of the guest areas include the gorgeous rim-flow lap pool, wine ‘cellar’ and cosy private dining room with space for 8.Â
Each of the stylish suites features a spacious en-suite bathroom, indoor and outdoor showers, separate loo, and twin hand basins. Wraparound wooden decks lead from sitting rooms and bedrooms to private plunge pools and outdoor showers.
3 of the suites accommodate families and can sleep 2 adults with 2 children (kids beds in the lounge area). These suites are allocated a private guide and vehicle for a private family safari.
SEASONALITY: Open all year Â
CHILDREN: All ages
Ecca Lodge
3 Suites &
3 Family Suites
KWANDWE PRIVATE GAME RESERVE
Uplands Homestead
Uplands Homestead strikes a perfect mix between the genteel and the wild. The elegant and refined interiors, with their damask linens, antique silver and porcelain, create the ideal foil for the rugged bushveld and wildlife outside. Furnished with authentic antiques and memorabilia reminiscent of a stately Settler home from the 1820s, stylish modern comforts have been added, including a swimming pool, gazebo, and boma set amongst rolling lawns, surrounded on all sides by sweeping slopes with hundreds of aloes.
A dedicated chef and villa team create the ideal bush home, while a private guide and tracker lead safaris at your own pace.Â
One master suite and two en-suite rooms are perfect for one family of up to 6 people.
SEASONALITY: Open all year Â
CHILDREN: All ages
Uplands Homestead
Exclusive Villa
3 Rooms
KWANDWE PRIVATE GAME RESERVE
Melton Manor
With sweeping views of the Afromontane forests, Melton Manor at Kwandwe is a contemporary frontier farmhouse with a modern touch. This sole-use safari villa, where the smallest detail of your stay is planned according to your specific wishes, is perfect for family holidays, parties, or groups of friends.Â
The welcoming villa with its four en-suite bedrooms is cleverly designed around the central courtyard and a large, inviting swimming pool. In the bedrooms, the interiors humorously combine traditional mid 20th century furniture with the latest in South African design.
Our favourite is the interactive farm-style kitchen, which invites guests to try a hand at combining flavours under the cheerful guidance of the personal chef. Or, for a more relaxing time, simply watch as the chef cooks up wholesome and delicious snacks.
Melton Manor is perfect for families or a group of friends of up to 8 people.
SEASONALITY: Open all year Â
CHILDREN: All ages
Melton Manor
Exclusive Villa
4 Rooms
KWANDWE PRIVATE GAME RESERVE
Fort House
Kwandwe Fort House is situated on a knoll overlooking the wide open plains of the 54 000-acre reserve. This is a sole-use safari villa in a private setting with sweeping views of the Great Fish River valley. Fort House discreetly combines the very best of an exclusive safari lodge with the latest conveniences of a modern home, and offers total privacy and an abundance of space to reconnect with loved ones.
Further features include a heated swimming pool, dedicated spa treatment room, wine cellar and guest pantry as well as indoor, outdoor and covered outdoor dining areas. Its central location allows for easy access to the prime game viewing areas of Kwandwe, while also being far from any of Kwandwe’s other lodges, affording guests ultimate privacy.
Fort House is ideally suited for families of up to 8 people, comfortably accommodated in 2 master bedrooms and 2 twin bedrooms, all of which are en-suite.Â
SEASONALITY: Open all year Â
CHILDREN: All ages
Fort House
Exclusive Villa
4 Rooms
KWANDWE PRIVATE GAME RESERVE
Into the Wild @ Galpin Tented Camp
Kwandwe’s Into the Wild program will equip you with the skills and attitudes that might one day save your life in the bush, as well as helping you connect with nature, and get to grips with what it takes to run a game reserve in South Africa, conservation work and all.
Into the Wild is focused on personal development through fun, adventure and challenge. During the four days, you will learn the fundamentals of:
- Kwandwe’s conservation efforts and rare species protection.
- What and who make a game reserve work by spending time ‘behind the scenes’.
- Building and starting a fire (matches not included!).
- Reading and using the wind and the weather to your advantage.
- Following tracks and interpreting the signs of the bush.
- Understanding dangerous game and how to read and manage situations (elephants, buffalo and black rhino).
- Identifying bird calls and what they mean.
- Large animal immobilisation and the processes involved (focus on rhinos)
Into the Wild is ideally suited for families with older children, a group of friends or a group of 16-18 year old children.
SEASONALITY: Available in the cooler months May – September.
CHILDREN: 16+ years
Into the Wild @ Galpin Tented Camp
Exclusive 4-day conservation experience
3 Tents
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Featured Offer
Take 20
Stay 3 nights and save 20%Â on accommodation
Valid:Â 1 Nov – 15 Dec 2024 & 2025
Stay 4 nights and save 20%Â on accommodation
Valid:Â 1 May – 30 Sep 2025
Valid for stays in lodges and villas.Â
Not combinable with other offers.
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Suggested Itinerary
Wilderness & Wild Coast
Embark on an extraordinary land and marine safari, spanning two destinations teeming with remarkable biodiversity and awe-inspiring scenery.
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Location
Getting there
FLY
The closest commercial airport is Port Elizabeth.
Scheduled flights or Helicopter flights from Port Elizabeth Airport to Kwandwe’s private airstrip are available. There is also a 2km tarred runway for private charters.
Private charters can also be arranged from Johannesburg and Cape Town.
DRIVE
From Port Elizabeth, it is a 1 hour and 45 minute drive; transfers can be arranged. Self-drive guests leave their vehicles in the car park at Heatherton Towers, and are transferred to their lodge or villa.
Availability
Contact
Email:
reservations@kwandwe.co.za
Tel:
+27 46 603 3400
Office Hours:
Monday to Friday, 8am – 5pm. Based at Kwandwe.