Shamwari Game Reserve

Shamwari began in 1990 as a set of worn-out livestock farms in the Eastern Cape that were bought, cleared of fences and internal roads, and restocked - the whole reserve is a restoration project, and about 25,000 hectares of thicket, savanna and river valley now carry lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and both rhino species. The pitch that distinguishes it from Kruger-area reserves is practical: the Eastern Cape is malaria-free, so families with small children come here, and it is close enough to Gqeberha's airport for a short trip. Game viewing is on guided vehicles only, with rangers and trackers; there is no self-drive. Two big-cat sanctuaries operated with an international welfare organisation house rescued animals that cannot be released, and the reserve runs a rhino anti-poaching operation that it is fairly open about. Five biomes meet on the property, which keeps the vegetation varied. The reserve lies about 75 kilometres from Gqeberha and won the Global Nature Fund award for conservation practice in 2005.

The landscape

• The restoration story - exhausted farmland converted back into big-five bush since 1990.
• The malaria-free setting - the Eastern Cape advantage for families with children.
• Guided drives only - rangers and trackers, no self-drive anywhere on the reserve.
• The rescue sanctuaries - big cats from captivity that cannot be returned to the wild.

When to go

All year; winter gives thinner bush and better sightings. Two to three days.

What to expect

This is a lodge product, not a park - prices are per person per night with drives included, and there is no cheap way to visit. Drives run on a fixed schedule morning and evening. The reserve is fenced and stocked, which some travellers mind. The sanctuaries are enclosures, not wild sightings.

Nearby

Addo Elephant National Park is nearby; Gqeberha and the coast are south.

Key facts