Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, South Africa
Kwandwe Ecca Lodge
Spekboom safari lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, South Africa
Renovated
2014
Price
$$$$
Rated for
Design Luxe LocalOutside the door
The house
KwandweSpekboom safari lodge
The atmosphere is playful and easygoing, gathering guests around interactive open-kitchen cooking, fireside braai dinners, and broad valley outlooks.
“Each of the six suites is luxuriously appointed and spacious, with a separate living room, an enormous bathroom, and indoor and outdoor showers.”
What it’s good at
Notable
Guided tracking of resident black rhinos and blue cranes through indigenous spekboom valleys.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
Also in Condé Nast Traveler and AFAR.
The six suites at Kwandwe Ecca Lodge near Grahamstown offer an unforgettable view over a private reserve of thick vegetation and steep shale cliffs in southern South Africa.
Tucked away
A place apart: the property is the destination.
Set in a 22,000-hectare private reserve along the Great Fish River, surrounded by spekboom valley thickets.
1 of 6
The rooms
Each suite opens onto a timber deck with a private plunge pool, and an outdoor shower looks toward the shale cliffs.
The pool
Bring a swimsuit.
A rim-flow lap pool stretches along the timber deck, looking out across the reserve's valley thickets.
Spa treatments
Therapists bring massages and wellness treatments to private suite decks, looking out over the rolling bushveld hills.
At the table
Pan-African dishes are served out on the viewing deck, and cocktails are mixed at the stone-walled bar.
Six colorful and contemporary suites make for deeply romantic hideaways, with large living rooms and private decks boasting plunge pools, outdoor showers, and views
How it began
The reserve was assembled from six degraded goat and ostrich farms, removing two thousand kilometres of fences to revive the wild bushveld.
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.