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.

What you actually see

• 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.

Honest expectations

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.