Kwandwe Uplands Homestead
Eastern Cape, South Africa
Meet Matt
My rating
Exceptional
Price guide
£££££
$$$$$
Why we love it
Set in a remote and tranquil valley and available for the sole use of families and parties of up to six, Uplands offers a private safari experience complete with a full contingent of friendly staff, including a dedicated chef and butler to take care of your every whim.
This elegant 1905 farmhouse has been lovingly restored to retain all the charm and grace of yesteryear without losing any of its renowned warmth and ambience.
Uplands Homestead strikes a perfect mix between the genteel and the wild. The elegant and refined interiors, with their damask linens, antique silver and porcelain, create the ideal foil for the rugged bushveld and wildlife outside. Furnished with authentic antiques and memorabilia reminiscent of a stately Settler home from the 1820s, we have added stylish modern comforts such as exquisitely appointed bathrooms, air conditioning, private verandas for each suite and a contemporary farmstyle kitchen. There is also a full size swimming pool and gazebo set amongst rolling lawns, surrounded on all sides by sweeping slopes decorated with hundreds of aloes.
The heart of any farmhouse is its kitchen, and Uplands is no exception. With its wrought iron chandeliers and modern catering equipment cleverly represented as traditional cookware, the Uplands kitchen is the Homestead’s quaint and welcoming core. Your dedicated, skilled chef will create both old family favourites and sumptuous new dishes to inspire and delight. Meals are served in the dining area, where friends and family gather to share the day’s adventures. Plush chairs in the sitting room invite hours of relaxation, while the green lawns and sparkling pool create a perfect outlet for youthful energy.
Three suites with private bathrooms combine modern comfort with old-fashioned luxury and attention to detail. Antique mirrors, claw-foot bathtubs and yellowwood chests and wardrobes blend seamlessly with air-conditioning, in-room safes and other modern conveniences. Your dedicated 4×4 safari vehicle and private guide/ranger awaits outside, ready at any time to take you on a voyage of discovery through Kwandwe’s wild open spaces and return you to the warmly lit comfort of your Home away from Home.
In an open 4x4 safari vehicle, observe how Kwandwe predators graze in the morning before flocking down to drink from Great Fish River.
On foot, track white and black rhino, elephant and buffalo with a specialist ranger and tracker, before tucking into a riverside picnic.
Suitable for families, try bait fishing in a large dam or the Great Fish River, or fly rod in the biggest dam on the reserve.
With an armed ranger, get close to antelope, zebra, warthog and giraffe, as well as discovering hidden wonders of the bush.
Track rhino with an expert ranger and tracker. Learn about these fascinating beasts and Kwandwe's anti poaching efforts before refreshments in the bush.
On a three night safari, engage in the camp's thrilling rhino darting and ear notching efforts to protect these endangered animals.
From the comfort of your own suite, indulge in a range of luxurious treatments such as a massage with oil extracted from a baobab tree.
Learn to prepare and cook a traditional South African braai by barbequing meat on an open fire and serve it with local ingredients.
Start planning your truly bespoke itinerary by contacting one of our destination specialists.
Call +44 (0)203 137 1247
Call +1 (0) 800 635 8124
OR
Missy & Harry
Absolutely amazing holiday. Garonga is heaven! We did everything possible and our guide was brilliant and hilarious. I can definitely recommend True Travel for their excellent advice and professionalism – they clearly are very knowledgeable about where they send their clients and made sure we had a worry-free holiday that perfectly suited us. We were particular grateful for the collection off our flight and help onto our transfer in Johannesburg, which included a very nifty queue jump due to their reputation!
Start planning your truly bespoke itinerary by contacting one of our destination specialists.
Call +44 (0)203 137 1247
Call +1 (0) 800 635 8124
OR