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Home of two Born Free big cat sanctuaries, the Shamwari Private Game Reserve boasts an impressive 25,000 hectares of land, bursting with free roaming wild animals, birdlife and indigenous Flora and Fauna. Game-drives leave twice a day with your specialist Ranger in open 4x4 vehicles, during the morning and early evening with sightings of the ‘Big Five’ plentiful. Guided walks are also a fantastic way to get to grips with your stunning surrounds and make sure you visit the brand new Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. Accommodation is of the highest standard throughout the seven lodges with Eagles Crag lodge recommended for those who adore privacy and serenity. Families are also more than welcome at Riverdene Family Lodge, offering a range of child-friendly activities to take advantage of (kids aged 4 and over are welcome on family game-drives too). As well as the wildlife, there’s a swimming pool with shallow area just for them, a kids club and outdoor adventure centre. Long Lee Manor offers the feel of a bygone era and Bayethe tented lodge offers a wonderful ‘back to the bush’ experience never to be forgotten. Sarili Lodge offers an intimate experience with only five rooms, perfect for families, groups and friends with a large deck overlooking the Bushman’s River. Meals can be enjoyed in your lodge, the dining room or in the boma, feasting on traditional African dishes from the barbecue.
Amenities
Wheelchair access
Safari
Bar
Restaurant
Spa
Where is it
On 25,000 hectares of bushveld in the Eastern Cape. Driving time from Port Elizabeth Airport: 1 hour.
Hotel information
There are 8 different lodges in total: Riverdene - is perfect for families, with a very exciting and complimentary children's programme. This is a wonderful lodge with relaxed loungers, offering the perfect stay for families, with interconnecting rooms, childcare facilities and an exciting new outdoor kids activity centre, child-friendly game-drives for children from the age of 4 years, a child friendly dining room, pool and a place to relax and enjoy the bush. There are only 9 rooms, all with private facilities, air conditioning and TV, sleeping maximum 2 adults and 1 child.
All Inclusive of: meals and selected local beverages. All game-drives and visits to Education Centres and Animal Rehabilitation centre.
Long Lee Manor - has been completely refurbished and has recently re-opened. This colonial building offers a traditional stay in either a room or suite and has amazing views over the open plains with game wandering across throughout the day and night. With a rim-flow pool, a garden lounge and spa* you are sure to feel at home in this gracious manor house. Offering accommodation in 17 beautifully decorated rooms and one 2-bedroom villa with a private pool. All with air-conditioning, TV, heating and en-suite facilities.
Sarili - suitable for older families, couples or small parties. This luxury lodge consists of 5 Luxury Rooms sleeping a maximum of 10 people. Enjoy Bushman's River and plains view on the deck of this African thatch design villa. There are bar/lounge and dining areas and a child friendly swimming pool. Choose from a Luxury Courtyard Room (rooms are interconnecting via a passage so are suitable for a family) or a Luxury River Room, each sleeping maximum 2 adults.
Bayethe - recently refurbished, this wonderful and popular tented lodge is nestled along the riverbed and overlooks a busy waterhole, here you can enjoy drinks with the wildlife after dark, and relax in one of the 12 luxury tents. All with en-suite facilities, private outdoor shower, plunge pool and viewing deck.
Eagles Crag - this premium lodge, which has been newly refurbished, is for the traveller who wants to enjoy contemporary and modern African design alongside the traditional chic of the African bush. The upper level offers a great dining area and lounge with individual 'dining pods' that look over cliffs. There is also a spa* for extra relaxation - and with only 9 rooms, you are sure to be spoilt. Secluded by natural vegetation your suite offers privacy and tranquillity, with your own private deck and heated plunge pool, indoor and outdoor shower and luxury en-suite facilities. Sleeping maximum 2 adults.
Sindile - Shamwari’s new, ultra luxurious tented camp offers superior accommodation, all in a a great location. Premier Luxury Tents are elevated high above the bush and feature a private deck with heated plunge pool and lounging area under a pergola. Sleeping maximum 2 adults.
Explorer's Camp - from October to May, Shamwari Private Game Reserve expands its offering even further by opening the Explorer Camp. The camp is located on a plateau set among the only basalt and granite extrusions on Shamwari, a truly magical setting. This once-in-a-lifetime experience takes guests on a guided walking safari of the surrounding land, allowing you to get up close and personal with nature. These tents feature two single beds, and en suite bathroom with shower, sleeping maximum 2 adults.
Traditional African bomas. African barbecues. Game-drives take place in the early morning and late afternoon. Guided walks and night drives. Kids on Safari programme. Eagles Crag, Bayethe and Long Lee Manor all have a spa* but spa treatments are available at all lodges. Complimentary WiFi. 2 night Explorer Camp experience*, in dome tented lodges, is also available. Guided walking safari (available Oct-Apr). Born Free and Animal Rehabilitation Centre. New Welcome Lounge (for guests staying at Long Lee Manor, Riverdene, Sarili, Sindile and Explorer camp).
Wheelchair adapted rooms with partially accessible amenities or facilities available on request (Riverdene and Long Lee Manor). Please note that these rooms are subject to availability and may be restricted to specific room categories and bedding arrangements. Rooms and facilities vary between hotels so please check at the time of booking. For more information and contact details please check out our Special Assistance page
2 nights between 1 May-20 Apr.
* Denotes local charge.
Based on 1420 reviews
Rating summary
Location
Sleep Quality
Rooms
Service
Value
Cleanliness
Traveller rating
Excellent (1301)
Very good (81)
Average (24)
Poor (10)
Terrible (4)
Already planning our return!
Aug 31, 2024Laura V
We stayed at the Riverdene lodge which caters for children. It has a kids club with a large playground full of hanging bridges, rock climbing wall, zip wire, etc. They also had staff that would play board games and football with our children. There were also little touches like on arrival. The kids found backpacks, hats and activity books…
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We stayed at the Riverdene lodge which caters for children. It has a kids club with a large playground full of hanging bridges, rock climbing wall, zip wire, etc. They also had staff that would play board games and football with our children. There were also little touches like on arrival. The kids found backpacks, hats and activity books related to the upcoming game drives waiting for them in their bedroom which they loved.
The game drives were amazing. We had brilliant sightings on every drive even on the day where there was bitterly cold wind. Our guide Monde was engaging with the children, he had a good sense of humour which went down well with the kids, he was friendly, answered all our questions with enthusiasm and interest, and made every effort to help us enjoy our stay as much as possible. Both kids are now smitten with doing Safari holidays.
The lodge itself was beautiful with fantastic views. The staff were very welcoming and friendly. They were attentive to little details. The food was amazing and they're certainly was a lot of it. This is definitely a five-star experience and we loved it so much. We are already planning our return.
Fyi our kids were 7 and 10yrs.
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Once in a lifetime experience!
Aug 27, 2024travellingteacher199Leeds, United Kingdom
Where to begin!? Shamwari is beyond phenomenal! We stayed at the Sindile lodge on our honeymoon and it truly was the most British place I’ve ever seen! The rooms are beautiful- we had a private pool and balcony looking over the watering hole so saw elephants, zebras, warthogs, buffalo etc while staring in our room! It was truly breathtaking. In…
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Where to begin!? Shamwari is beyond phenomenal! We stayed at the Sindile lodge on our honeymoon and it truly was the most British place I’ve ever seen! The rooms are beautiful- we had a private pool and balcony looking over the watering hole so saw elephants, zebras, warthogs, buffalo etc while staring in our room! It was truly breathtaking. In addition, in this lodge you have your own butler which was incredible- they really go the extra mile to make your stay extra special. For example we received private dining, surprise cocktails and baths run for our return from game drives. Our stay was all inclusive (I believe this is always part of the package) and the food and drinks were outstanding- we didn’t even need to order drinks most of the time as our butler would just keep topping us up or bringing us surprises! Finally, the thing that really makes Shamwari worth the visit has to be the animals- our ranger was incredible and was able to track everything- we were so lucky with our sightings! Most importantly though, when you visit here, you can see how the money is spent ensuring the conservation of this area and you are given opportunity to visit some of these projects and feel a part of something really special. We 100% will return in the future for a special occasion!
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Simply Amazing
Jul 15, 2024Martin B
We stayed for three nights at Riverdene lodge which was an amazing experience. Right from the start being picked up by our ranger from the welcome lodge to the very end.
We had a very warm welcome from the staff Food and accommodation were faultless. Highlight was Anele who kept our glasses topped up at all times!
Our ranger Dale was…
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We stayed for three nights at Riverdene lodge which was an amazing experience. Right from the start being picked up by our ranger from the welcome lodge to the very end.
We had a very warm welcome from the staff Food and accommodation were faultless. Highlight was Anele who kept our glasses topped up at all times!
Our ranger Dale was exceptional. Within 10 minutes of our first game drive we were up close and personal and the sightings came thick and fast for the reminder of our stay. Dale worked very hard on all of the game drives to give us some encounters we will never forget.
We also toured the wildlife rehabilitation centre and Born Free Sanctuary which we would definitely recommend taking the time to do!
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Outstanding game lodge
Jul 10, 2024DaveNKentGravesend, United Kingdom
We had a room at Riverdene Lodge which was excellent. The room had everything you could expect and more besides. There was a lounge area in the room. The bed was large and comfortable. The bathroom spacious. Most of the drinks, snacks etc in the room were complementary. Additionally there were two, south facing, sun loungers outside.
In the main…
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We had a room at Riverdene Lodge which was excellent. The room had everything you could expect and more besides. There was a lounge area in the room. The bed was large and comfortable. The bathroom spacious. Most of the drinks, snacks etc in the room were complementary. Additionally there were two, south facing, sun loungers outside.
In the main building food and drink were always available, again mostly complementary. All three meals were excellent with a good choice of food and drink. The staff were unfailingly cheerful, friendly and helpful. All the grounds were immaculate and the deck in front of the Boma had a spectacular view.
We were lucky to have Raymond as our ranger personal ranger on all six game drives. He was extremely knowledgeable, often identifying even small birds before we had even spotted them. Seeing a lioness care for her two cubs was one of the many highlights. On our last game drive within less than five minutes we had seen lion, elephant, rhinoceros and buffalo. Even on our way back to our car he spotted a hippopotamus with her calf. He also took us to the Rehabilitation Centre and the Born Free Foundation, thanks to Glen for his time there, which gave us a more complete picture of the conservation work done by Shamwari.
A truly memorable experience which we hope to repeat in future.
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Trip of a lifetime !
Jun 30, 2024Beth MIreland
We had the most magic three days in Bayethe at shamwari on our Honeymoon. Hands down the best experience of our lives ,thanks to our incredible ranger Sihle!
His enthusiasm, knowledge , passion, warmth and great humour made every drive unforgettable, so enjoyable and exciting !
It is hard to explain how incredible our stay was …The service was…
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We had the most magic three days in Bayethe at shamwari on our Honeymoon. Hands down the best experience of our lives ,thanks to our incredible ranger Sihle!
His enthusiasm, knowledge , passion, warmth and great humour made every drive unforgettable, so enjoyable and exciting !
It is hard to explain how incredible our stay was …The service was exceptional. All of the staff in particular Mauveen, Sedonia and Sino went above and beyond to make our stay a trip of a lifetime. The food, staff , game drives and accommodation was 10/10 . Couldn’t recommend enough !!
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Already planning our return!