Shamwari Long Lee Manor

“Simply unbelievable”

We have just come back from 2 weeks in S.A. including 3 days at Shamwari and our stay there was the standout highlight of our trip by a country mile. We stayed at the Eagles Crag lodge it everything about it was magical. The service was exceptional, the food was outstanding and the villa was luxuri… more

We have just come back from 2 weeks in S.A. including 3 days at Shamwari and our stay there was the standout highlight of our trip by a country mile. We stayed at the Eagles Crag lodge it everything about it was magical. The service was exceptional, the food was outstanding and the villa was luxurious and a wonderful place to stay. From a practical perspective, I would suggest that 3 nights is the perfect length of stay. As wonderful as the game drives are, the days are pretty full on with the morning and evening drives and I think any more than 3 nights would get a little exhausting. In fact my wife and I only went on 1 of the 2 drives per day, simply because we wanted to enjoy our surroundings and the facilities, so we went on 4 of the 6 available game drives. The reserve itself is beautiful and the wildlife is spectacular. It was amazing being no more than 10 feet away from lions, cheetah's, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, etc etc. There are leopards there but that was the only 1 of the big 5 that remained elusive during our stay. If you are trying to decide on a safari location then I urge you to pick Shamwari, you won't regret it, it is one of the best things we have ever done.

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“Magical”

We cannot say enough about our magical stay at Shamwari! Everyone we met at Bayethe was genuinely warm and welcoming - they made us feel like family. The food was amazing and no request was too difficult. One of our daughters is vegetation and has a severe dairy allergy - not a problem for our tale… more

We cannot say enough about our magical stay at Shamwari! Everyone we met at Bayethe was genuinely warm and welcoming - they made us feel like family. The food was amazing and no request was too difficult. One of our daughters is vegetation and has a severe dairy allergy - not a problem for our talented chef! They even packed us box lunches for our trip to the airport. The tents were luxurious and thoughtfully appointed. We never wanted for any creature comfort. The best part of our trip was our guide, Patrick. We got up close to so many animals - lions, rhinos, cheetahs, giraffes, buffalo, antelope, warthogs- and we learned so much about the animals from Patrick. We had 6 game drives and each one was amazing- especially being in a field while a herd of elephants went around our jeep. He made our trip even more amazing than we had thought possible. Thank you Patrick and everyone at Bayethe!

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“Warm feelings of home”

What is there to say? We stayed in Riverdene in three adjoining rooms as we were there with additional family. From the moment we arrived and were greeted with a warm tisane to the moment we left, we all were made to feel like we were part of a different world. A world of nature and purity and c… more

What is there to say? We stayed in Riverdene in three adjoining rooms as we were there with additional family. From the moment we arrived and were greeted with a warm tisane to the moment we left, we all were made to feel like we were part of a different world. A world of nature and purity and calm. My children fell in love with the staff, including our exceptional host and ranger, Abel, and the head of the children's facility, Leanco. My parents who, while spry still have age-related challenges, were handled with care. My husband and I enjoyed the on site spa (as did the kids with kiddie massages). We don't usually go to an all-inclusive 5* property like this, so we were not prepared for what to expect. Amenities is a given from the star-rating. But we did not expect to learn so much and to feel such warmth from the staff. On a side note, my father and I did damage in the boutique which has appropriately-priced outerwear for chilly morning and evening game rides. I was so busy enjoying myself that I forgot to take photos of the property itself. The website has ample as do other travelers here. Tips: -RESPECT YOUR RANGER; he/she is the leader of your pack so treat them as such; listen to them for your own personal safety and also for the safety and sustainability of Shamwari; if accidents happen on their watch, it puts the livelihoods of all the people at the property at risk -listen to your ranger and don't rush to tick off boxes for species of animals; if they are stopping to check something out, it probably means it's something unique and worth waiting for; don't rush! -dress in layers; mornings and evenings in 2h October are COLD! Windbreakers, layers, and a light hat are essential. -bring binoculars - two pair if you can, esp if you have more than 2-3 people in the vehicle -keep your body parts and blankets inside the vehicle; letting things hang out invites animals to attack/defend themselves (part of respecting your ranger) -make time for stargazing, esp if you're from the northern hemisphere; your ranger will know the southern skies, I wish we had made more time for this -be curious/ask lots of questions all the time; in our experience, anyone we asked about nature or civics or society in South Africa, including the uncomfortable topics of class, poverty, segregation, were met with openness and a willingness to give frank opinions -with children, Riverdene is a dream; make time for them to enjoy the great play structure and facilities -both the boutique and spa are reasonably priced in my opinion, esp given the nature of the property;

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“Top package with great nature experience and top hotel”

1. Hotel: absolutely phantastic. Very spacious and comfortable rooms. Although the style of the premises is not African, you feel relaxed and easy. The hotel is accessible with any kind of car. 2. Food: top cuisine. Healthy and all fresh. Light lunch. Dinner à la carte. All inclusive. 3. Game driv… more

1. Hotel: absolutely phantastic. Very spacious and comfortable rooms. Although the style of the premises is not African, you feel relaxed and easy. The hotel is accessible with any kind of car. 2. Food: top cuisine. Healthy and all fresh. Light lunch. Dinner à la carte. All inclusive. 3. Game drives: our guide (Nikkita) was very good. She showed us not only animals but explained a lot of things about plants and nature as well. If you stay long enough, we recommend to do a full day trip instead of two drives (morning and evening) because the area is so big. 4. Staff: all extremely friendly and helpful and you feel that their only goal is to make you happy. 5. Specials: I went to a back and neck massage which was very good. You will also find a sports pavillon. Not cheap but top quality in any sense.

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