Kwandwe Ecca Lodge

Nestled in the heart of South Africa’s unspoilt Eastern Cape province lies Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, a world-class Big Five safari destination.

The 22,000 hectares of pristine private wilderness stretches either side of the Great Fish River which meanders for 30 kilometres through scenic landscape and comprises just thirty rooms split across six very individual and distinct safari lodges, camp and villas, affording it one of the highest land-to-guest ratios in South Africa.

Renowned for quality guiding, understated luxury and the thousands of animals and wildlife that call the Reserve home, Kwandwe offers a range of safari activities and accommodation options to make every African Dream come true.

Location
Set in the heart of the Private Reserve in thick vegetation overlooking a dense valley, Ecca Lodge offers breathtaking views onto an escarpment of steep shale cliffs.

With only 6 suites, of which 3 are dedicated to families, the lodge is intimate, relaxed and trendy, with decor inspired by the vibrant colours and textures of the African people. Highlights of the guest areas include expansive wooden viewing decks with exceptional views, open interactive kitchen and a rim-flow lap pool.

Accommodation
Airy and open, Ecca Lodge offers an indoor-outdoor lifestyle embracing the African wilderness. Featuring six suites, of which three are dedicated to families. The double suites can accommodate 2 adults each and the family suites accommodate 2 adults and 2 children (under 16 yrs on day beds in the lounge).

Family suites also include a private vehicle and ranger. Ecca Lodge is an intimate retreat complete with private plunge pools and outdoor showers to enhance the connection with nature.

Activities
Twice daily game drives, nature walks accompanied by an armed ranger, big game walking safaris (tracking white rhino, black rhino, elephant and buffalo on foot, accompanied by an armed specialist ranger and tracker team) are all included in your stay.

Back at the lodge a play centre for kids keeps little hands busy for hours and a shared lodge pool provides the perfect place for a communal splash. Family activities include kite building, board games, scavenger hunts & more.

Wellness
A variety of wellness treatments is available to be enjoyed in the privacy of your suite. Our product of choice is TheraNaka™, meaning ‘Beauty of Africa’.

TheraNaka™ incorporates only the finest natural ingredients from the best selection of African plant extracts supporting organic certification, sustainability and Fair Trade.

Products do not contain harmful alcohols, artificial fragrances, colorants, harmful petrochemicals or mineral oils, and they have not been tested on animals. Since the earliest time, Africa’s original inhabitants lived in harmony with nature.

Our treatments and rituals were inspired by, designed and based on Africa’s rich heritage and created to celebrate mother earth and her connection with life.

Only the finest natural ingredients available from nature are used in our products, including oil from the Marula fruit, Mongongo nut oil, healing Shea butter, oil from the Baobab tree, ointment from the African sausage tree and Mafura butter, to name but a few.

SAFARI ACTIVITIES
We are passionate about sharing our knowledge and understanding of the bush and its fascinating inhabitants with our guests. Kwandwe offers guests a diverse and flexible safari experience with a team of highly qualified and experienced rangers.

Included in every stay is the opportunity to experience a Big Game Walk (to view elephant, buffalo or black and white rhino on foot), a fishing safari or a night drive.

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, providing the opportunity to see predators winding up their nocturnal hunts and settling in for the day. 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. Night drives produces some unusual sightings, including aardvark, aardwolf, bat-eared fox and porcupine.

Big Game Walking Safari
Experience the thrill of tracking big game (white rhino, black rhino, elephant and buffalo) on foot in the wilderness, accompanied by an armed specialist ranger and tracker team. The walk lasts 3 to 4 hours; not suitable for children under 16 years of age.

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 ‘up close and personal’ sightings of various antelope species, giraffe, warthog or zebra. Not suitable for children under 12 years of age.

Fishing
Kwandwe offers a variety of catch-and-release fishing options, either in still water or in the Great Fish River. Try your hand at catching Large Mouth Bass on artificial lures or fly rod in the reserve’s largest dam. A fun activity for children as well as adults.

SPECIALIST SAFARIS
Kwandwe offers guests a diverse and flexible safari experience with a team of highly qualified and experienced rangers. Guests have the option to request a dedicated specialist ranger (at an additional rate) with a private vehicle for the duration of a stay, for a completely flexible and tailor-made walking, fishing, birding, photographic or rhino conservation safari experience.

Rhino Monitoring Drive
Spend 3 – 4 hours tracking rhino with a specialist ranger and tracker team. Learn about the habits of this threatened species, the issue of rhino poaching as well as Kwandwe’s own conservation efforts. The experience ends with refreshments at a scenic spot in the bush. All ages welcome.

Private Safari
Tailor-make your own safari led by a dedicated specialist ranger and tracker team, ensuring a private game viewing experience (subject to the availability of a private vehicle being available at the time of booking).

A private safari vehicle has to be booked for the duration of a stay; a safari day runs from 12h00 (check-in time) to 12h00 the following day. All ages welcome.

Private Photographic Safaris
Tailor-made to suit the experience level of participants, the photographic guide advises guests of appropriate camera settings at different scenarios, providing compositional ideas and to answer any questions relating to photography.

Alternatively simply sit back and enjoy the connected experience of your safari while your specialist guide takes the pictures for you. Includes a private vehicle, edited photographs in electronic format along with a complimentary Kwandwe digital photobook. Must be booked for the duration of your stay and includes a private vehicle, edited photographs in electronic format along with a complimentary Kwandwe digital photobook. All ages welcome.

Private Walking Safari
A professionally qualified and experienced trails guide will enable you to experience Kwandwe on foot. Choose whether to view large game such Black and White Rhino, Elephant or Buffalo on foot, or simply absorb the beauty of nature while walking through the fascinating environments with your armed guide.

You decide when to walk, or when to drive as your heart desires. For a fully private experience this must be booked for the duration of your stay. Not suitable for children under 16 years of age.

Private Fishing Safaris
Kwandwe offers a variety of fishing options, either in still water or in the Great Fish River. Try your hand at catching Large Mouth Bass on artificial lures or fly rod in the reserve’s largest dam.

Coarse (bait) fishing can also be tried in either the Great Fish River or one of the other large dams to target Yellowfish, Carp, Sharptooth Catfish and more.

Spend as much time as you like fishing with your private guide while surrounded by the beauty of Kwandwe’s big 5 wilderness. For a fully private experience this must be booked for the duration of your stay.

Rhino Conservation Safari
A recommended three-night, four-day safari offers you the opportunity to participate in Kwandwe’s exciting rhino-darting and notching 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.

The best time is generally 1 May – 30 September due to cooler weather conditions, however it can be done all year. The procedure is always subject to the availability of the wildlife management team as well as the availability of rhinos that need to be notched for conservation purposes.

Private Birding Safari
Spend as much time as you like looking for those elusive specials and add to your knowledge of South Africa’s birdlife. Your specialist guide has detailed knowledge of where, when and how to find what bird you are after with their intimate knowledge of Kwandwe’s 315 recorded species of bird. All ages welcome.

FAMILY SAFARIS
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve is a wilderness playground for a family getaway. Each family is different, and we tailor every safari to suit yours.

From the young years to the young at heart, we have experiences which allow for the whole family to connect with one another and the wild spaces all around them at Kwandwe. There is an abundance of things to do at Kwandwe Private Game Reserve to suit the whole family’s sense of adventure and holiday ambitions.

Guests of all ages are welcome on the daily game drives around the private reserve, and for those parents wanting a special date night, child-minders are available with prior arrangement at no additional cost.

Exclusive-use bookings at the villas can design their own family safaris, with no minimum age restrictions, and game drives at flexible times anytime of the day.

CELEBRATIONS ON SAFARI
With the introduction of Ilze Curling, our dedicated Celebrations Co-ordinator, combined with three elegant safari villas, two intimate lodges, a private airstrip and abundant wildlife, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve is one of the South Africa’s most sought-after destinations for the ultimate celebration.

Personal consultations ensure that each birthday, anniversary, proposal, and wedding is perfectly crafted to deliver a creative and seamless celebration that also reflects your personality.

Thus, whether a cherished celebration for two or a festive affair for sixty (the full accommodation capacity of the reserve), special occasions abound with meaningful experiences and captivating moments within the African wilderness.

Kwandwe has a holistic approach to environmentally responsible practices and support of our community which is carried through to our style of celebration. In collaboration with local farms, villages and businesses, cuisine served at each event is fresh and locally sourced reducing food miles and decor accents, flowers and more are locally produced.

A safari at Kwandwe is fun, immersive with flexibility at the core. Whatever the occasion, rest assured that your special event will be original in design, flexible in execution, environmentally conscious and memorable without exception.

SAFARI NUPTIALS
Inspired by the pristine natural surrounds and composed around Kwandwe’s ethos of ‘connected experiences’, weddings are designed to be filled with moments celebrated together in a way that is authentic to each couple, no matter the size of the celebration.

Highly personalised ceremonies within the open African bush, surrounded by nothing but miles of wilderness, are contrasted with multi-day celebrations featuring a diverse array of safari experiences and get-togethers.

Game drives, Big Game walks, fishing and birding may be interspersed with cigar and whisky lunches deep in the reserve for the groom and his stags whilst the ladies enjoy spa treatments, a harvest table of freshly prepared seasonal delights and South Africa’s best sparkling wine back at one of the lodges.

A purposefully designed boma, inspired by a traditional open-air corral, is available on the banks of the Great Fish River with space for a dance floor and seating for up to 80 guests or larger, star-lit celebrations and ‘wild’ parties.

Out on the reserve sandy river banks, escarpment plateaus with views to eternity and open kopjes provide a choice of magical wilderness settings for smaller gatherings. No two events will ever be the same with over 54 000 acres of wilderness on offer.

HONEYMOON SAFARI
If you are planning your honeymoon, Kwandwe offers a romantic getaway for two. Indulge with a pamper box on arrival, romantic turndown with sparkling wine and in-room massage treatments. Unwind in the peace and solitude of the African bush where time simply stands still.

A honeymooner’s escape, Great Fish River Lodge overlooks the waters of its namesake. Each room is blessed with its own plunge pool, some of which rest just metres from the river itself. The suite’s balcony looks across to the high river banks, where antelope, zebra and giraffe graze in full view of sublime outdoor showers.

GET DOWN ON ONE KNEE
Getting engaged is one of the most memorable experiences of your life, and with 54 000 acres of private wilderness, the landscape at Kwandwe offers a multitude of options to get down on one knee.

From pledging your love at sunset after an afternoon game drive, to dining under the vast night sky by candlelight – the options are endless.
Keep the romance going with breakfasts in the bush, locally made gin and craft beer tastings, couples spa treatments, or quiet moments by the pool.

PRIVATE ESCAPES
Plan the perfect bush anniversary escape at Kwandwe Private Game Reserve. Suites at both lodges are spaced out well, creating some much-needed privacy and ensuring minimal light pollution. The sense of isolation and the deep, imposing quiet make stargazing an immersive experience.

In-room (or on-balcony) spa treatments for an evening wind-down are the perfect way to end your day on safari. Whimsical lunches out on the reserve can be orchestrated for anniversary celebrations where bird song provides a natural recital.

Share an unforgettable African sunset coupled with signature cocktails and quiet conversation. Go on a big game walking safari and experience our wildlife on foot.

ANOTHER YEAR WISER
Whether you’re celebrating someones 5th or 50th, our Celebrations Co-ordinator can tailor make the perfect birthday party, ensuring fond memories for years to come.

Enjoy exclusive use of the entire reserve to celebrate milestone birthdays, like a special 60th or a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, and have a party it up in complete privacy.

Children and their folks will love our scavenger hunts across the reserve with thought-provoking clues to seek hidden items which will help you in your next task, or treasure hunts during a game drive which teach basic navigation using a sun-compass and how to use major landscape features in order to find the treasure! Top it all off with Big Five birthday cake decorating.

FAMILY GATHERINGS
With families scattered across the globe, it becomes important to get together and reconnect once in a while. The two lodges and three villas accommodate fifty-two people in total, and are located close enough for larger parties to all feel part of the action.

With freedom to choose families can explore the natural splendour of Kwandwe on early morning and late afternoon / evening game drives in an open 4×4 safari vehicle; experience the thrill of tracking big game on foot in the wilderness with our Big Game Walking Safaris; or select specialist safari experiences.

CAMPFIRE COOKING
Learn to master the art of barbequing while on safari! Few countries are as renowned for their barbeques as South Africa. Kwandwe provides an exciting opportunity to learn about preparing and cooking authentic South African ‘braais’ and favourite dishes with local ingredients.

Spend time with one of Kwandwe’s head chefs cooking over an open flame and learning about this local tradition that unites South Africa.

VOLUNTEERING AT KWANDWE
The Ubunye 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.

Guests at Kwandwe have the unique opportunity to participate in volunteering towards the Ubunye Foundation by donating items, getting involved in activities and/or financial donations.

CONSERVATION AT KWANDWE
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve is a conservation victory. Comprising just 30 rooms split across six intimate lodges, villas, and camp, providing understated luxury and one of the highest land-to-guest ratios in South Africa.

The successful development of this high yield/ low impact conservation model is key to furthering our numerous conservation initiatives. The 22,000 hectares (54 000 acres) of pristine wilderness is home to the famous Big 5 as well as a diverse number of smaller and more unusual species.

Thousands of animals including lion, black and white rhino, buffalo, elephant and cheetah roam these expansive plains. The Reserve is also sanctuary to numerous other threatened and endangered species.

OUR CONSERVATION VICTORIES

• Reclaiming 22,000 hectares (54 000 acres) of farmland and placing it under wildlife conservation
• The reintroduction of the endangered black rhinoceros
• Returning cheetah to the Great Fish River Valley for the first time since 1888
• The reestablishment of populations of disease-free Cape Buffalo, Cheetah, Lion, White Rhino and Black Rhino on many game reserves in South Africa from Kwandwe’s founding stock
• Reclaiming areas of intense and often damaging agriculture
• The reintroduction of small and mostly rare felid species eradicated from the area, such as the Serval, African wildcat and Small Spotted Cat
• The reintroduction of more than 7000 wild animals, including elephant, both species of rhino, hippo, lion, leopard, brown hyena etc
• Providing a breeding refuge for the Blue Crane
• Eleven post graduate research studies conducted on wildlife and vegetation on Kwandwe
• On average sub-tropical thicket stores 40 tons of carbon per ha. Kwandwe has in excess of 13,000 hectares of sub-tropical thicket, amounting to 520,000 tons of carbon being stored on the property
• Providing a refuge for the sensitive sub-tropical thicket vegetation

COMMUNITY AT KWANDWE
Kwandwe is committed to making a positive and lasting difference in the rural Eastern Cape, one of South Africa’s least developed provinces.

Working through its social development partner, the Ubunye Foundation, Kwandwe invests in projects that improve lives and create sustainable livelihoods opportunities in marginalised rural communities.

Every guest staying at Kwandwe makes a direct contribution to community development through the Conservation and Community Levy (funds raised from this levy are split equally between these two initiatives)

THE SOUL OF KWANDWE
The Ubunye Foundation was established by the founders of Kwandwe in 2002 as an integral part of their commitment to the local area and has grown to become an independent non-profit organization with a reputation for work that is innovative and rooted in a genuinely developmental approach.

The Eastern Cape is by many measures the poorest province in South Africa with approximately 60% of its population of 7 million people living in rural areas. Ubunye (meaning ‘togetherness’ in isiXhosa) is committed to the idea that our wellbeing as human beings is interconnected and their programmes focus on community leadership; savings and financial education; livelihoods; early childhood development and health.

They initially worked with people living within Kwandwe’s boundaries and as word spread they were invited to expand their work into other communities.

Whilst the relationship with Kwandwe remains very strong, Ubunye has expanded its reach beyond the reserve and currently works in nearly 30 communities in the Makana and Ngqushwa Municipal Districts.

GETTING THERE
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve is located approximately 65 km from the east coast of South Africa, close to the renowned Garden Route, in the malaria-free Eastern Cape.

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.

From there, it is 2 hours by road to Kwandwe Private Game Reserve. The reserve also has a private airstrip; please enquire for details on charter flights and GPS coordinates.

Self Drive
The distance from Port Elizabeth to Kwandwe is approximately 160 km (100 miles) and can be comfortably covered by road in an hour and 45 minutes. From East London to Kwandwe is 185 km (115 miles) and will take approximately 2 hours.

The roads are in an excellent condition and a 2-wheel drive vehicle is sufficient for the journey.

Road Transfer
Numerous car rental agencies are located at Port Elizabeth Airport, however should you prefer a chauffeured transfer we will gladly organise this. Please enquire upon making your accommodation reservation.

Guests who self-drive will leave their vehicle at our car park at Heatherton Towers and will be transferred to their lodge by closed, air-conditioned safari vehicle.

Fly-in Safari
There are regular flights from both Cape Town and Johannesburg international airports to Port Elizabeth on the Garden Route. Our reservations team will gladly assist with flight information to/from Kwandwe. Private charters can be arranged from anywhere in Southern Africa.

Website: www.kwandwe.com

Rooms: 6

Price: from 730 EUR per night