Reviews of Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
(100%) From 8 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
| 
Best part of the trip
every aspect of this was great and so well thought out.
the staff were very attentive and helpful and the guides knowledgeable.
we were a liitle driving down their dirt road for 11km when the hire car people had given us stern warnings about NOT driving on dirt roads and the perils of invalidating the insurance.
as we did not need a car there I would suggest that you offer a driver to and from eg Port Elizabeth especially for anyone flying to and from PE
My only criticism is that there was not much physical activity available between 11am and 4pm . If like me you run or swim a lot, it was enjoyable reading, bird watching or animal spotting but two days was quite enough!
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve review
The lodge was outstanding, the staff gracious and the food was terriific.
Our highly knowledgeable safari guide was interested in making the trip fun for both the adults and the children. He showed great enthusiam which was made seeing the animals all the more exciting.
I 100% recommend this trip.
Kwande
This is a beautiful place run by beautiful people.
Our thanks to Claire for recommending it. We would love to return
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve review
The highlight of our holiday. Everyone was very welcoming, and couldn't do enough for us. This was our first safari experience, but it's hard to see how anywhere else could better Kwandwe - even the animals co-operated! It took some self restraint to say no to the constant supply of great food.
The ranger and guide who took us out on each day were brilliant - very knowledgeable and informative, and easy to get on with. We were fortunate that when the party who shared the first couple of drives with us had left, they were not replaced with a further party, and we had the vehicle all to ourselves, which made it even more special for us.
Finally, the lodge manager and staff put on a candle-lit dinner for us, as we had let slip that the trip was a special celebration for us. When we left, it felt as if we'd become part of the furniture - quickly corrected by the staff to "part of the family"!
Kwandwe - a walk on the wild side
Not the tailor-made safari we've experienced at other lodges where you fall over game as soon as you set foot outside, but this added to the adventure. Each trip felt like a real journey of discovery and on the whole we were richly rewarded.
All the staff were welcoming and again nothing was too much trouble. The atmosphere of the reserve grabbed hold of all of us and had us wanting more. The views from the northern hills were captivating.
Like at Hog Hollow we could easily have stayed longer and may just have to make a return visit.
Kwandwe for great game and birds
The perfect formula would be Samara lodge and rooms in Kwandwe reserve! A more compact reserve than Samara, the Kwandwe game and birdlife was plentiful, findable and approachable. Had the lodge been to the same standard this would have been unbeatable. However on day 2 the temperature went into the mid 30s and we, along with all the other guests, found the rooms built in such a way as to make air conditioning essential. We had it but it required the skill of an astronaut to work the controls and the conditioner outlet is cunningly sited behind a wall to make the bathroom area icy while making no impact on the heat in the bedroom. Moreover the design of both the main lodge and the rooms allows the sun to bake all the surrounding decking and heat up the concrete walls to provide highly effective radiators.
We then had a farcicle episode in which we were gradually deprived of first our face flannels then our hand towels on successive linen exchanges - a situation which the lodge management appeared unable to grasp when informed or then remedy. When they finally got the message we found that all the hand towels were in the laundry and there were insufficient clean ones to go round so we were left without. The same staff continually layed the tables for breakfast and lunch out in the sun on the decking only to be asked by guests to move them into the shade inside the lodge.
We also noticed that we and one other party were the only guests staying for 3 nights. All the others during our stay were one or two night stoppers. However in their wisdom the management had placed us in one of the rooms furthest from the lodge. A crippled back episode was not helped by the long walks to and from our room. The staff were however wonderfully helpful in replacing my exhausted supply of painkillers.
On the plus side we were lucky to benefit from a 'special deal' whereby we qualified for a private guide, tracker and vehicle for the duration of our stay. Even better was the fact that our guide was none other than the reserve's head ranger. Absolutely wonderful and our time on the drives amply compensated for th shortcomings with the rooms and housekeeping.
Left the best until last
All of the places we stayed at and visited were great but Kwandwe has to be rated as the best. Everything about it was memorable. The safari drives were very well done and we saw everything that we hoped to see - and lots more. They were fun, interesting and educational. The place itself is magical with great lodges, food and service.
Read more about the whole safariCan I live here as well
Great place to view animals, although hard to find in quantity, seeing perhaps one of the big five each day. Although did not see a leopard. Next time a park with more anaimals and the same viewing privacy (not many trucks/drives) was great would be ideal
The staff are wonderful and great lodges to stay in by the river.
Trackers are knowledgable and friendly, eating freshly made pancakes in the bush whilst watching wild animals was fab.
Staff were very friendly
We have always believed that acting responsibly is the only way to approach tourism and we're one of
the few companies to hold AITO's original coveted 5-star status for responsible tourism. It's a lead
that others are now following.
