Shamwari Game Reserve
Our amazing family experience started the minute we drove into the Riverdene Family Lodge. We checked into our family room which was as good as any 5* hotel that I have stayed in. My 9-year-old son was given his own on safari ruck sack containing a few surprises, a guide book and scrap book ready for his adventure into the bush. The Riverdene Lodge was well equipped with its own swimming pool, children’s supervised play room and jungle gym, bar and lounge, indoor and outdoor dining and of course a good Wi-Fi connection.
With excitement we joined our first game drive armed with Sam’s scrap book ready to tick off all the various animals that we hoped we would see. But more exciting than this we also had a list of Dung that we had to collect! We were introduced to our Game Ranger Vincent, who was just amazing. His knowledge and enthusiasm for his country was infectious. We were joined on our game drive by another small family making the experience very personal.
In no time at all and we had seen our first giraffe, such gracious creatures just passing the day eating the leaves from the tops of the trees. However, get two males together and that’s a different story. From a safe distance we witnessed a battle between the two until one admitted defeat and moved on.
The game drives are limited to the number of vehicles allowed in any one place at any one time, so we never felt that we were just on a conveyor belt. Vincent would receive messages over the radio informing him of where animals had been seen, one message was to say that a pride of lions with their cubs had been sighted in a certain area so off we went to view again from a safe distance. Unfortunately, we did not see a male lion, just the mums with their cubs. The wonderful thing about the open Land Rovers is that the animals do not see them as a threat so if you are very quiet and keep still you are almost guaranteed to see all the big five. Vincent taught us so much in a fun way, my son still refers to the warthogs that have such a small brain they start to run away from a lion only to forget why they are running stop and then get served up as supper for the lions. The Springbuck is known as fast food as it has what looks like the Golden Arches (McDonald’s) printed on its behind which stands out as they are running away.
We were privileged to a whole journey of elephants including a couple of baby elephants (do you know that it takes an elephant 15-20 mins to give birth having been pregnant for 22 months) These animals are truly breath-taking up close such magnificent creatures.
We were at Shamwari for four days with two game drives a day (early morning and late afternoon) which gave us so much time to really explore the reserve and experience the wonders of the bush. We sighted both the black and white rhinos, zebra, hippos and two cheetahs enjoying the remains of a recent kill. Each morning safari has a stop for coffee before returning for a hearty breakfast and the afternoon/early evening game drives always end with a sundowner. Your game ranger will find a spot perhaps overlooking a watering hole where you can stop enjoy a G&T and just watch the animals in all their glory. The evening ends with a first-class dinner served in the lodge dining room. All your food and drinks are included along with two game drives per day making it very good value for money.
What should you pack for your safari: • Cameras, lenses and binoculars • Light clothing for summer safaris • Bathing suits for the pool areas • Walking shoes • Sunscreen and hats • Warmer clothing for winter stays
On a more serious note Shamwari also works hard at conservation as well as having the Born Free Foundation located on the reserve. These centres based at various points on the reserve are very informative. We were given an insight into the horrific trade in ivory from the rhinos and elephants and how they are trying to work to combat this awful situation with illegal poachers. A truly moving experience.
So, what happened with the dung, with Vincent’s help we were able to collect samples from the white rhino, black rhino (the white rhino eats grass while the black rhino eats leaves and twigs) along with elephant and giraffe dung. We tracked animals by identifying their tracks and collected specimens of plants and learnt of their medical uses. Educational and fun, Sam’s scrap book is a wonderful souvenir from a truly memorable family holiday the best we have ever had.
On a final note, we visited Shamwari as a family which was magical. However, Shamwari has accommodation to suit all, from the Sarilli Lodge which offers fantastic accommodation for a large family or groups of friends who what to travel together, to Long Lee Manor offering luxury hotel type accommodation. Maybe you would like to stay a little closer to nature without compromising on standard then the Bayethe Lodge is for you offering luxury tented accommodation. Shamwari has something to offer everyone. A most amazing experience.
