Kwandwe Private Game Reserve

About Kwandwe Private Game Reserve

Kwandwe, translated as 'place of the blue crane' in isiXhosa, flanks both the north and south banks of the Great Fish River, near Grahamstown, roughly two hours' from Port Elizabeth.

Did you know? Kwandwe, means 'place of the blue crane' in isiXhosa.

The 22 000 hectare reserve is home to thousands of animals that include the Big Five, cheetah and a few threatened species like the Knysna woodpecker, Cape grysbok, black wildebeest, crowned eagle, black-footed cat and the blue crane from which it takes its name.

The malaria-free game reserve is close enough to the Garden Route to make a safari filled couple of days an easy end or beginning to your holiday.

Game drives are conducted in the early morning and evening by well informed rangers, and accommodation is divided across two lodges, a manor and a homestead.

Children are welcome and former guests have given rave reviews about the amount of game they are easily able to spot, and the professionalism of the staff.

Activities include game drives, interpretive bush walks, fishing, historic tours to learn more about the Frontier Wars that took place around here, birding, rhino tracking and childrens' activities.

The walks through the euphorbia thickets explore the lichen, mosses and ferns, allow you to spot birds of prey and other species that nest in the taller trees, as well as buffalo herds, the occasional rhino, bushbuck or bushpig.

Because of where it lies, Kwandwe's south-facing slopes are directly affected by the ocean, as sea breezes blow through here. They are thus covered in denser vegetation and forest-like thickets of Euphorbia trees, particularly on the higher slopes, whilst the north-facing slopes are drier and more open. Evenings and early mornings may be cooler than anticipated.