Kwandwe Uplands Homestead, Eastern Cape

rooms

The 3 suites can accommodate up to 6 guests plus one infant 2 & under in a cot. They are furnished with beautiful antiques, yellowwood chests and wardrobes, along with claw-foot bathtubs in the bathrooms and amenities include air-conditioning and in-room safes. Each suite has its own veranda with a wonderful outlook.

facilities & activities

There is a large inviting swimming pool, open verandas and an extensive lawn.  The dining and sitting areas feature lovely high ceilings, wooden floors and beautiful fireplaces. For relaxing between game activities the Lounge has a TV with a library of DVDs and games.

Private 4WD game drives in your own safari vehicle, guided walks (12 years & over) and Big Game Walking Safaris (16 years & over) are all included. For an additional charge you can enjoy a 'Save the Rhino Drive' and spend 3-4 hours tracking rhino with a specialist ranger and tracker team (restrictions apply).

dining

In the contemporary farm kitchen, your private chef prepares delicious pan-African cuisine and local specialties. Nothing surpases a bush banquet in a surprise setting under the magical African sky.

A children’s menu is available, including fun and nutritious mealtime options such as fish cakes with veggies and homemade chips; vegetable soup and freshly baked bread; DIY pizzas with fun toppings; freshfruit salad; homemade chocolate brownies and more!

family

Uplands provides ideal family accommodation for those travelling as a group or with children. The sole-use lodge includes use of a private safari vehicle, ranger and tracker which enables even children under the age of 6 years to join the game drives.

Children are given a warm welcome at the lodge. On arrival they receive a welcome gift which includes a Blue Crane Conservation Guide comprising animal checklists, themed games and activities, and a pledge to 'live green', Colouring pencils, water bottle, and a 'Frolicking Rhino' range of bath products are also included.

Families can participate in the new range of ‘Eco-nect’ fun and adventurous activities on the reserve, including kite building, pellet gun shooting (a simulation of the ranger shooting assessments and a fun activity for both young and old, where shooting is at a circular target); scavenger hunts and treasure hunts out on the reserve (during a game drive, which will require some basic navigation using a sun-compass and major landscape features in order to find the treasure!).

Children will love the special kids programme, with everything from a ‘Bugs & Bones’ walk (a great way to stretch little legs and learn all about this ecologically diverse reserve whilst searching for insects, bones and skulls and being taught how to identify animal tracks and droppings (yes - really!), to sand art, face painting, making moulds, beading, chocolate fun, Minnow’s fishing trip with a ranger, baking and pizza making with specially designed ‘Chefs in Training’ aprons, DVDs and popcorn, eco educational board games and African bedtime stories.

Children are encouraged to offset their own (small!) carbon footprint with the opportunity to plant Spekboom - a prolific type of thicket vegetation, and one of the top five carbon-storing vegetation on the planet. Families can also participate in Kwandwe’s voluntourism activities through the reserve’s Ubunye Foundation, which works with communities living in and surrounding the reserve.

Please note the swimming pool is unfenced.

location

Kwandwe is located in the malaria-free Eastern Cape near Grahamstown. The nearest national airport is in Port Elizabeth, which lies 160 km (100 miles) from the reserve. There are daily scheduled flights from both Cape Town and Johannesburg international airports to Port Elizabeth. 

A daily scheduled flight operates from Port Elizabeth and Plettenberg Bay directly to the Kwandwe airstrip. The reserve lies approximately 65 km from the coast and is located in close proximity to the renowned Garden Route.

rates & specials

Long Stay Specials:

Stay a minimum of 4 nights & receive a 15% discount OR Stay 6 nights & only pay for 5.

Valid 1 Apr - 30 Sep 17 (close out June)