ACTIVITIES
Everything you need to know about the true Kwandwe experience
Safari enthusiasts from around the world visit Kwandwe to view Africa’s famous Big Five – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino – but the Reserve is also home to a wealth of other unique and interesting animals.
Species such as kudu, grysbok, aardwolf, aardvark and caracal, which had always existed freely in the area, are once again thriving in their natural habitat. Kwandwe offers some of the most magnificent cheetah sightings in Africa and is also home to the black rhino, one of the world’s most endangered large animals. As Kwandwe is a private reserve, night drives are a daily feature and often result in unusual sightings such as the rarely spotted porcupine and the aardwolf and aardvark.
At Kwandwe, we are passionate about sharing our knowledge and understanding of the bush and its fascinating inhabitants with our guests. Our highly trained rangers and trackers do their utmost to delight guests with a choice of the following wildlife adventures:
Twice daily game drives
Explore the natural splendour of Kwandwe on early morning and late afternoon / evening game drives in an open 4×4 safari vehicle.
An armed ranger and tracker team share their extensive knowledge of the bush with you as you track the Big Five, as well as a variety of other wildlife.
Morning drives begin as dawn breaks over the Great Fish River, and guests have the opportunity to see daytime predators, including big cats, gearing up for the day’s hunting and other activities.
Many animals take advantage of the cool morning hours to graze before the heat of the day. In the late afternoon wildlife can often be spotted coming down to the river to drink. Enjoy a boat ride on Galpin Dam to the moored floating deck for a drinks stop. Night drives produce some unusual sightings, including aardvark, aardwolf, bat-eared fox and porcupine.
Interpretive bush walks
In between game drives, take a closer look at the subtle, unseen wonders of the bush on a leisurely walk within easy reach of your lodge.
Dense euphorbia thickets are best explored on foot, revealing a secret world of Lichen, Mosses and Ferns. Various birds of prey and other species nest in the taller trees or in the spiny canopy.
An armed ranger guides guests through sightings of occasional buffalo herds, elephant bull, black and white rhino, bushbuck or bushpig.
At Kwandwe, we are passionate about sharing our knowledge and understanding of the bush and its fascinating inhabitants with our guests. Our highly trained rangers and trackers do their utmost to delight guests with a choice of the following wildlife adventures:
Rhino Monitoring
From R1 390 per person, min 2 / max 8 guests
Spend 2 – 3 hours tracking rhino with a member of Kwandwe’s rhino monitoring team. Learn about the habits of this threatened species as well as Kwandwe’s conservation efforts.
Available all year, children 12 years and older welcome.
Rhino Darting
From R18 360 per group of up to 8 Guests
A recommended three night, four-day safari offers you the opportunity to participate in Kwandwe’s exciting rhino-darting programme.
Under the supervision of experts, the rhino is darted in order to plant microchips into the horns and perform ear-notching for future identification – an essential task to ensure the preservation of this endangered species.
Available all year round, however May – September is preferable due to the cooler temperatures.
Children 12 years and older welcome.
(Price excludes accommodation)
Private Safari
From R4 500 per day, per group of up to 6 guests
Tailor-make your own safari led by a dedicated specialist ranger and tracker team, ensuring intimacy and a private game viewing experience. Children must be 6 years and older.
Big Game Walking Safari
From R1 390 per person, min 2 / max 6 guests
Experience the thrill of tracking big game (white rhino, black rhino, elephant and buffalo) on foot, accompanied by an armed specialist ranger and tracker team.
The walk lasts 3 to 4 hours and ends with a picnic lunch on the banks of the Great Fish River or at a scenic spot in the bush. Available all year, children 16 years and older are welcome.
Flight of the Blue Crane
From R4 600 per group of up to 4 guests
Enjoy an hour’s flight in a fixed wing aircraft over the Frontier Region.
Fly over whales and dolphins along the coastline and soar over the largest active sand dunes in the Southern hemisphere, following the route taken by the early settlers.
Wildlife Management Safari
From R16 440 per adult sharing for 4 nights (Launches April 2013)
Ideally suited to couples or families with teenage kids (12yrs+). The 4 day safari provides a deep insight into what is involved when managing and caring for a wildlife reserve.
Led by the reserve’s Wildlife Manager and resident ecologist, and working alongside the Wildlife Rangers (once farmers who grew up on the lands and since embraced the conservation side), the group works as a team to partake in anti-poaching exercises; camera trap set-up and inspection; elephant and rhino tracking, identification and monitoring; fence line patrolling and mending; carnivore research monitoring and game counts, as well as learning bush survival skills.
Accommodation is split between 2 nights in Ecca Lodge and 2 nights staying in the new Research Camp – a temporary no frills tented camp situated in the far reaches of the reserve that includes bucket showers, no electricity and a mess tent.
At Kwandwe, your days are designed to thrill you with intimate wildlife encounters and your evenings to delight you with the indulgence and romance of the African night.
Morning game drive
As dawn breaks over the African bush, a friendly phone call will wake you to the pleasures of a new day.
Explore Kwandwe’s diverse terrain in search of cheetah, black rhino, buffalo, lion, leopard or elephant.
Set out in an open 4×4 safari vehicle in the company of a ranger and tracker team, who will attempt to track your favourite animals. Explore Kwandwe’s diverse terrain in search of cheetah, black rhino or elephant.
Breakfast
Return to your lodge for a delicious breakfast, with platters of fruit and cheese followed by a selection of hot breakfast dishes. Choose from eggs, oats, waffles or a number of other options.
Lunch
If you wish, you can walk off your breakfast on a short walk near your lodge, accompanied by your ranger, who will share his insight into the smaller animals and vegetation in the area. Return to the lodge in time for a delicious lunch.
Afternoon tea
Cool off with a refreshing dip in the pool or indulge in an afternoon siesta. Over a late afternoon tea, your ranger will discuss what you hope to see during the afternoon game drive.
Evening game drive
This game drive begins in the late afternoon and lasts until after dark, when spotlights are used for a glimpse into the nocturnal bush life.
Spot the rarely seen porcupine, aardwolf or aardvark. Enjoy sundowners in a scenic location as the sun slowly sinks beneath the horizon.
Dinner
Return to your lodge for a mouthwatering dinner around a blazing fire in a boma or in your lodge’s dining area.
Kwandwe is an ideal and stimulating location for children. Not only are there a host of tailor-made activities on-site designed to keep little ones enthralled and entertained, but our malaria-free status and proximity to a range of family and child-friendly activities in the area make this a safari experience without parallel for kids.
- Children of all ages are welcome at Ecca Lodge, Uplands Homestead and Melton Manor. Children 12 years and older are welcome at Great Fish River Lodge.
- Kids are a big focus for us at Kwandwe – activities for children include ‘poo safaris’ and spoor tracking with the ranger and tracker, Minnow’s fishing trip with the ranger, finger painting, making animals from clay, daily treasure hunts, special game drives outside of normal times where available, baking, pizza-making competitions, DVDs and popcorn, chocolate mould making, creature cookie baking and bedtime stories with milk and cookies.
- Children receive ‘Rangers in Training’ backpacks with bug collectors, magnifying glass, booklet for identifying wildlife, and a special craft pack made by the community centre – a journal-making kit for the girls, and a door sign making kit for the boys. On the last day, the ranger signs a certificate confirming that the proud child is now a Ranger in Training.
- Children of all ages are welcome to join a ‘Horns & Stripes’ adventure which is a daily one hour morning game drive after breakfast with or without their parents to view ‘non-aggressive’ game such as giraffe, zebra, monkeys, warthogs etc at no additional cost. Children aged 6 to 11 may also join their parents on game drives at the lodge manager’s discretion. For safety considerations, children 5 years and younger may join game drives only where a sole use vehicle is booked. When available this will be provided at no charge – ideally during the day so as not to clash with scheduled game drives (early morning and evening).
- Sole-use bookings for Uplands Homestead and Melton Manor can design their own family safaris, with no minimum age restrictions and game drives at flexible times to suit their needs.
- A special children’s menu is presented on arrival at the lodge.
- Experienced childminders are available by prior arrangement, at no additional cost. All childminders are first-aid trained.
Trip to Angus Gillis Foundation.
The Angus Gillis Foundation is our social development arm. Established in 2002, the Foundation is an independent, non-profit, charitable trust that currently invests in the development of nine rural communities, two of which are located in the Kwandwe reserve.
The Foundation enables communities to identify their assets, evaluate their needs and strengths and make decisions that will positively mould their future. A range of self-help and income generating activities have been implemented, including soap making, doll making, weaving, beading, bee-keeping and ‘spaza’ shops.
Jump in the Landrover and enjoy an informative and enriching visit to our Foundation site, where you will be given a special tour of the Mgcambele Community Centre to see community empowerment in practice and meet some of the local people involved in breaking the cycle of poverty in rural communities.
Volunteering at Kwandwe.
Guests at Kwandwe have the unique opportunity to participate in volunteering towards the Angus Gillis Foundation by donating items, getting involved in activities and/or financial donations.
Please contact Lucy O’Keeffe on +27 (0) 46 622 7896 or email lucy@angusgillisfoundation.co.za for further information on how to get involved.
www.angusgillisfoundation.co.za