What guests have to say about Shamwari Private Game Reserve is clear: there is a demand for high-end family bush experiences, and those that offer an immersive tented experience with uncompromised luxury.
Joe Cloete, CEO of Shamwari Private Game Reserve, says, “We were confident when we developed the Riverdene Family Lodge & Sindile Tented Lodge that we’d set new standards in both child-friendly travel and tented luxury for couples.
“What we hadn’t perhaps fully anticipated was the enthusiasm with which the two new lodges would be received by guests. It’s also gratifying that guests who’ve stayed with us before have remarked that the new facilities raise the bar even for Shamwari.
“A number of our visitors have had plenty of exposure to luxury wilderness offerings around the world, but were unequivocal in their feedback: each of the facilities is unequaled in thoughtful attention to detail,” adds Cloete.
Riverdene Family Lodge is focused on family safari holidays. The Kids on Safari Adventure Centre is a massive play-area, with age-appropriate facilities which are supervised at all times. The in- and outdoor facilities include climbing-walls, rope-bridges and trampolines.
All this takes place in a lodge designed and services with sumptuous luxury and attention to detail, surrounded by the natural beauty of the Eastern Cape and its abundant and diverse wildlife, including Africa’s iconic Big Five.
That uncompromising approach holds true for Sindile Tented Lodge, with just nine luxury free-standing tents elevated over the surrounding bush. It’s ideal for couples, its position mimicking a solitary leopard’s sanctuary, with the focus on privacy and unsullied views.
Built with the minimum environmental footprint, the camp offers an “Out of Africa” experience, immersed in the wilderness but with a focus on tasteful opulence.
Over the past 25 years Shamwari has restored much of the ecology and attracted or re-introduced an abundance of indigenous game and birdlife, from the big five to the humble ox-pecker and the flightless dung-beetle.
Last year Shamwari opened its new R5m Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, at which injured, ill or abandoned animals are treated and cared for before released back to the wild. This operation has become an epicentre for successful wildlife rehabilitation.
The team applies and shares its accumulated experience, knowledge and expertise with professionals across Southern Africa and beyond. It’s also integral to the Shamwari experience, providing a rare insight into the complex business and day-to-day realities of environmental conservation.
The Born Free Foundation, which jointly funds two sanctuaries at Shamwari, provides lifetime care to several big cats which have been rescued from poor conditions in circuses, zoos or private owners around the world.
Shamwari has refurbished its lodges, upgrading all aspects of the reserve’s operations to new standards in luxury, service and hospitality. These include new menus, wine lists, a new coffee experience and a new spa brand. The sumptuous accommodation and catering compliment the unsurpassed, malaria-free game viewing with the country’s top rangers.
Shamwari, meaning “my friend” in Shona, is the pinnacle of private game reserves and home to Africa’s iconic Big Five. It’s a place where guests can exist in harmony with nature, where wildlife roam under the relentless African sun. Located in the heart of the malaria-free Eastern Cape, the reserve offers abundant wildlife, fauna and flora exclusive to the area and unforgettable encounters with nature.
Shamwari has seven lodges – Eagles Crag, Long Lee Manor, Bayethe, Lobengula, Sarili Private Lodge, Riverdene Family Lodge and Sindile Luxury Tented Camp – as well as the Explorer Camp.
Its lodges each provide distinct experiences: from exclusive tranquillity, effortless family enjoyment or the back-to-nature appeal of a luxury tented camp, all complemented by the very best local cuisine and thoughtful service.