Kwandwe Great Fish River Lodge

Kwandwe was as all reports suggest just on another level. The guides (Nico and Ivan) were fastidious in making sure we saw anything that we especially wanted to see, although the bat eared foxes lead us a merry dance. OH, I must just tell you about our flight into Kwandwe. We were met at the airport with the doubtful expression on our pilot’s face saying that he might have to cancel or if we did take off then we could be returning in 20 minutes to take the road option, ‘ how adventurous were we?’ Well we were all up for trying, having set off a slight bit of turbulence didn’t deter and with Fran at the controls (hair-raising) we pressed on. Landing at Kwandwe was ‘exciting’, a wheel burst on touch down sending us sideways across the landing strip heading straight for our guides and the awaiting land rover!! The rest of our stay was somewhat subdued in comparison.

Really enjoyed Kwandwe, another lovely trip to SA.

Words fail me as to how good this place was. I just can't find anything to moan about (however hard I try). We were treated like royalty the whole time we were there (and indeed I was informed that Royalty have actually stayed there!). The food was exceptional; they just kept on feeding us and every bit of it was brilliant. The game drives were incredible – the ranger we had, Grant, was brilliant and we told him so. We went on 8 game drives in total (three of which ended up being ‘private’ because other guests dropped out / didn't show up). We managed to see pretty much every animal they have to offer at that park. Again, we met some great people here as the process of being out on the game drives is quite a bonding experience so we ended up having dinner with several different couples whilst we stayed. The room was just exceptional – with our own private pool and patio – just the height of decadence. It's not often that a place looks great in photos / brochures but actually manages to exceed your expectations when you get there. My other half cried the day we left – make what you will of that!?

The four days at Kwandwe was perfect – had a wonderful guide – Ben. Ben was perfect both in the morning and evening…..and only 23 years old. I cannot imagine doing more with another guide. In fact, Kwandwe was terrific….and cannot imagine doing more anywhere.

Great Fish Lodge was just beautiful. The drives were spot on; the staff was top notch; food was excellent and the accommodations were excellent.

Kwande – fantastic place. My wife loved it here. Impressive rooms, careful staff, excellent game viewing – didn’t expect all of this together!

The Lodge and rooms were A+++++ My PPP (Private Plunge Pool) was so private and so wonderful. The housekeeping was the fastest I’ve ever seen and they did it multiple times a day. The staff were extremely attentive and remembered everything about you.

The highlights of the trip for me were the game drives at Kwande. The staff was knowledgeable and we saw LOTS of wildlife (including leopard, lions with cubs, black rhino, hippos, etc).

I can’t even begin to tell you how much we loved Kwandwe, I can’t think about it without getting emotional and I actually cried when we had to go home.