Kwandwe - Gets it Right

by David Ryan

Having been in the industry for several years now, I have had the privilege of visiting most of the lodges in Southern Africa and along the way I have developed somewhat of a reputation for my brutal honesty in letting the lodge owners and marketers know where I think they getting it right and wrong.

This reputation is not without justification however, as our understanding of the guest experience, combined with local destination knowledge and first hand product experience is what sets Rhino Africa apart, forming the cornerstone of our trustworthy and comprehensive service delivery.

With this as the back drop, I set off for Kwandwe Game Reserve this past weekend, staying at the exclusive-use Melton Manor. To be quite honest, having visited everywhere from the Okavango to Kruger, I wasn’t completely convinced an Eastern Cape Reserve could really “pull off” an authentic safari experience, but fortunately I was proved wrong - very wrong!

At a little over 20 000 hectares, the Kwandwe reserve is every bit an African Safari as any of the more famous reserves around Southern Africa. I’m always conscious that fenced reserves have the tendency to be a bit “zoo-like”, but I was extremely impressed by Kwandwe’s land and animal management. From a scenery perspective, the reserve is beautiful, and one could quite easily drive around the undulating terrain without having to see animals, however impossible that may be. Having relocated around 6000 animals into the reserve, Kwandwe boasts healthy populations of the Big 5, in addition to both Cheetah and Giraffe.

I think what sets the reserve apart for me, and which is a unique selling point, is the abundance of plains game, which included species such as Springbok, Red Hartebeest, Black Wildebeest and Oryx, none of which are found in Kruger, dispersed amongst a healthy population of predators. Having been on more game drives than I can remember, it takes a lot to impress me, but having done five drives at Kwandwe, I can honestly say that each of the game drives were exceptional.

While the game experience only makes up a portion of the Safari experience, add great rangers, exceptional staff and magnificent accommodation to the mix and you are in for the experience of a lifetime, a mix that CC Africa seems to have gotten just perfect at Kwandwe.

Melton Manor, the latest addition to the Kwandwe family is an eight bed, exclusive-use lodge, situated along the Fish River. The rooms and facilities in this modern manor house are exceptional, and having taking my mom and her twin brother along to celebrate their 70th Birthday, I have to say this new concept in safari is simply fantastic and comes highly recommended to families or small groups looking for a bush escape.

Your host Ross, private chef Nobbs, butler Chris, ranger Alfie and tracker Vusi, will seamlessly make sure that every aspect of your holiday is taken care of in order that you can truly sit back, unwind and enjoy your African safari. I believe the concept behind the exclusive-use “Safari Villa” is exceptional, and we look forward to opening a whole new “Safari Villa” section of the Rhino Africa website in the coming months.

Kwandwe offers two exclusive-use lodges – Melton Manor and Uplands Homestead, the latter being a beautifully restored turn-of-the-century homestead. For the more traditional guest travelling alone, as a couple or in smaller groups, Great Fish River Lodge and Kwandwe Ecca Lodge (or Ecca – cellente as they preferred to be called) both offer exceptional alternative safari options.

All in all, Kwandwe exceeded all my expectations, and with the bonus of being malaria-free, it comes highly recommended as a premier safari experience, and, if not above, it is certainly on par with some of the very big names in the safari industry. The people, the hospitality, the accommodation and the game experience make this a very special place, a true credit to both our industry and our beautiful country.

With booking agents a dime a dozen, in order to call oneself Safari Experts, we at Rhino Africa believe and invest heavily in experiencing and understand the hotels and lodges we recommend and partner with. When not on organized group educationals, our Travel Specialists are encouraged to get out of the office and experience the wide array of quality products Southern and East Africa have on offer, all in the interest of understanding the guest experience.

We look forward to continue sharing our experiences and knowledge with you as we tailor-make your holiday to our beautiful continent.

2007/09/10 | permalink |

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Kwandwe - Gets it Right

by David Ryan

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