Guest Book

As promised, we want to tell that we still enjoy our beautiful safari experience at the Eagles Crag resort in Shamwari. We have enjoyed all the service and well-being we received, and in addition the game drives with our game ranger Frans. He has given us so much beautifull nature to see and especially of course very interesting animals as the big five, which was a very special experience for us that we won't forget. We also hope that the injured Hippo that we have seen a few times hopefully is still alive and well recovered. Ineke, Tilly and Jurgen, Amsterdam/Netherlands

"Best day of my life" my 8 year old son commented while we were staying at shamwari Riverdene. And I agree, our stay was truly amazing, we saw so many animals it was almost hard to keep up with. The rangers know the reserve like the back of their hand and are in the right place at the right time a lot of the time. One morning we saw Elephants, Lions, Giraffe black Rhino and cheeta all in 20 min, amazing. Then we stopped at a view point and the back of the car became a coffee bar ! well appreciated as the game drives start early. Upon return that (valentines) day a warm bath was waiting in our room, complete with champagne and two glasses. Life does not get better than this. Also we learnt a lot about the joys and challanges of running a reserve. The Shamwari team is very knowledgable and just so friendly, helpful,, genuine, making our entire stay a true pleasure. A special thanks to the chef at Riverdene. we love good food and you rock ! can't wait to be back one day.

We found a piece of heaven when we stayed at the Long Lee manor this month and fell in love with South Africa. All the staff at the manor were so welcoming and made us feel so special. Our room was first class and very clean, food was delicious but best of all was the game drives our ranger Harry made these very special and we were so lucky to find the animals and learn so much about them from Harry. If you want to find heaven then this is the place we will be back x

We stayed at Shamwari at Bayethe for the last part of our honeymoon and it was incredible! We had a fantastic time and our ranger, Jan, was excellent. Bayethe is just perfect. Hope to be back!

Together with two friends, Brian and Sheila WALLIS we stayed at Shamwari from Friday 28th September – Monday 1st October with the holiday arranged by Trailfinders. Having now returned home we wanted to write and thank you and all the staff at Shamwari for a wonderful stay that exceeded any expectations we ever have had. The accommodation, catering, attentive staff and attention to every detail were excellent. Our Ranger, ABEL was incredible, with all of us receiving a lesson in nature, animal behavior and ecology – he is a very fine communicator and in our opinion would make be an excellent ambassador for Shamwari and the region should there be the opportunity for him to give talks/lectures on the reserve. He really was first class in our view. We have signed up for your newsletter and will now start to save for a return visit sometime in the future to what was without doubt the highlight to a magnificent holiday in South Africa. Thanks to all your staff that made it so memorable. We hope to see you again. With our thanks and kind regards Brian and Carol Jeffries,

Thanks for making us feel at home. We love your place and will definitely come back!!!

What an indescribable experience we had at Shamwari! Made extra special by the excellent game viewing, exquisite food, incredible 40th birthday celebration of our friend and five star treatment by all staff. The highlight of the weekend has to be the lioness killing the warthog which we witnessed with our super-guide Ntobeko. What a thrill! We will treasure our Shamwari experience forever.

We stayed five nights at Sarili Lodge. Our thanks to Yolanda and her staff at the Lodge for making us feel so welcome everything about it from the hospitality to the food was out of this world, none of us wanted to leave. The picnic we had on our last day was truly amazing and the memories will stay forever. Sean our ranger was excellent we saw the most amazing sights and nothing was to much trouble. The beautiful things we saw and the evening sunsets, it must be one the best places in the world.

We have just returned to Scotland after holidaying in South Africa, and the highlight of our holiday was our 3 days spent at Eagle's Crag. The lodge was exquisite, but this was even bettered by the warmth and generosity of spirit of the staff we met. Our game drives have left memories we will remember for the rest of our lives. In fact we cannot get the animals we saw and the insight into their lives out of our minds. Thank you Jan for making this possible, and working so hard whilst always being pleasant and understanding exactly the viewing experiences that suited us. This was an experience of a lifetime, which we hope to repeat by returning in the future. Many thanks to all, Anne & Adam

What an amazing 4 days, thank you to all at Riverdene for a wonderful experience. Big thanks to Ntobeko for fabulous drives and big 5 game viewing. We'll definately be back to find that black Rhino

Thank you Bayethe for a memorable weekend. The Staff, each and everyone of you, and particularly Ryan our Ranger , helped make our time at Bayethe unforgettable. If we have the opportunity to return to Shamwari, Bayethe will be our first choice!!!! Outstanding commitment to excellence all round.

We had a wonderful moment at Eagles Crag. The staff was superb, service was par excellence. Looking forward to coming back. Joe (Tshangisa), your staff is excellent. Food excellent. We are coming back

Our Adventurous Honeymoon!!! Thank You Shamwari. My husband and I have returned back home with the most beautiful memories of our 2 nights stay at the Long Lee Manor at the Shamwari game reserve. Its set in the midst of the reserve with all the mordern ammenities to offer. Right from greetings to goodbyes we had it all taken care of for us. The food was mostly continental and every alternate day is barbeque night at the barn. Where we were able to taste some local african delicacies. Our room was spacious, with a large balcony facing the reserve. About the room service - whatever the time of the day we always remembered coming back to our room that was well settled for us to retire after a long drive out. We were assigned to Ranger Matthew, Matt is very diligent and passionate about his work. He has a vast knowledge about the animals and birds, it was a pleasure to spend time with him. He even drove us to explore the reserve by night as well as a day walk in the wild, which was a wonderful experience. We saw 4 of the Big 5, sadly for us we reached the spot a bit too late for the Leopard sighting. The reserves eco-system supports a variety of plant, bird and animal life. The rest of the staff at the Long Lee Manor were also very helpfull and saw to our every need. It is truly a magnificient place and I would definitely recommend visiting the Long Lee Manor. Its expensive - but worth it!

What an awesome experience. Thank you to all the staff at Bayethe Lodge that made it an extra special stay. Met lots of new people and the Game Rangers were top notch. We are from Port Elizabeth are feel extremely proud that this is the kind of calibre and beauty we have in our country. Many thanks from my wife and I for a magnificent experience.

I would like to thank all the team in Eagles Crag for their Great Hospitality and friendliness of everyone , I want to say one word about shamwari it a true wildlife marvel thanks and see you soon

We had a wonderfull time at the Long Lee Manor lodge. We stayed for two nights in the new renovated suite which is really beautiful. The staff was very hospitable and friendly. Dodana was our ranger and he made the game drives an experience never to forget. Especially because of walking to cheetahs he spotted. We would love to go back!

My wife and I stayed at Bayethe between 11th & 15th November for our tenth wedding anniversary. We wanted tell let you know how much we enjoyed our stay. The staff were very welcoming, attentive and professional, and our tent (No 4) was always pristine. Our main reason for contacting you though, was to let you know that our ranger, Jacques, was the person who made the experience truly memorable. His enthusiasm, knowledge and professionalism are worthy of note. His attitude and interaction with us was great and he ensured we had stunning views of, and encounters with the animals on the reserve. Witnessing the birth of an elephant and being allowed to watch was a privilege we will never forget. He is a great ambassador for your company and we would like you to pass on our comments, and thanks to him – he is –to use an English phrase – a ‘top bloke’ ! We now intend to arrange another safari in the future Thank you again

I have never missed a place as much as I miss Shamwari, it was probably the most beautiful experience of my life. My children have been wanting to go back ever since we arrived back home in Singapore. My younger daughter Aarushi cries for us to take her back and my elder daughter Shreya watches atleast two episodes of the Shamwari Wildlife DVD everynight. We miss our friendly ranger Tobago and the warm hospitality extended to us by the staff of Riverdene Lodge. One could not think of a better holiday, as for me I miss the tranquility of the place, the cold crisp wind, warm rays of the sun, wine, and most importantly the majestic wild life we got to see. I know that we will return one day just to soak back all the wonderful things this amazing place has to offer.

Shamwari changed my life. Seriously. It was the most beautiful place I've ever been, and I've been to a lot of places... My uncle and aunt took 15 people with them to South-Africa, all friends and family, to celebrate my uncle's 50th birthday. We travelled from Cape Town to Port Elisabeth, and we've been to several guesthouses and lodges. The last part of the one week journey(way too short of course!) was ment to be a safari. We went to Bayethe, Shamwari, the last 3 days of our visit. When we arrived there, I immediately was stunned by the magnificent view! Because we were with a group of 17 people, the whole camp was reservated, so there were no other people. My nephew and I had tent no. 1, the last in the row. It was placed between the bushes, and you were just separated from all the other tents..We had a beautiful view when we laid in our bed, because if your rolled the curtains up, you'd see the valley. There were monkeys on our "porch"...They said there could be elephants around your tent, and that you just had to stay in your tent then. A minute after we arrived in Bayethe, there was an elephant which destroyed the watersupply of one tent. So yes, there were elephants. It was so natural, so free, there were no fences around the tents, you could easily walk in the valley (although that wasn't allowed..) and animals could easily come to your tent. And I loved it. Everybody did. One night we went for dinner after the noon safari, around 8 o'clock. My nephew and I were a bit late, but when we were walking the wooden trails to the mainlodge, we didn't hear a sound. I was a bit worried actually...but when we arrived at the platform terrace which was in front of the lodge, my mom came to me like "Sshhh...". So we walked silently on the platform, and when we arrived at the edge, everybody was looking stunned to the valley beneath us....Giraffes. There were giraffes 20 meters away from us. They were just grazing there, and we watched them in silence. It was just...wow. After 15 minutes or so, we went inside to eat dinner. Everybody was flabbergasted sitting around the square table. The fireplace was crisping behind us, in the high-topped wooden space. The whole frontside of the space was made out of glass, so we still could see the terrace and the valley. We ate the delicious food, the children (including me) drank the alcohol free-cocktails we got, sat by the fireplace and drank the hot chocolate milk. The people who worked there sat with us, sang songs, told stories and learned us to speak all weird languages of South-Africa. Afterwards we went back to our tents, and my nephew and I had to go the the most dark place in the valley to reach it. And I was glad we were inside, because I didn't see a thing. We showered in the outside shower, bathed in the egg-shaped bath and went to the heated bed. And that was just one night. And I didn't even mention the safari, bushbreakfast, campfires, bush dinner and incredible tents. Doesn't that sound like the time of your life? Thanks to everyone from the Shamwari Game Reserve, the people of the Bayethe camp, the cleaninglady who put extra chocolate in our beds, and especially Sean, Jamie and Shumi (I know that's not his name ;)) our fantastic guides in the jeeps during the safari, and Sean, thanks for the extra jacket you brought everyday for my little sister ;). You guys inspired me so much. Kisses from Mieke, Bert, Isa, Anne, Jasper, Hellen, Ron, Marianne, Louis, Jenny, Jo, Wim, Ingrid, Yves, Suzan, Janou and me, Ella.

IN 2008 AND AGAIN 2009, MY LATE HUSBAND AND I WERE FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE MOST SUPERB OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT SHAMWARI, THE FOLLOWING YEAR WE BROUGHT OUR SON & GRANDSON FROM AMERICA WITH US - THIS WAS EVEN BETTER. THE ACCOMMODATION, THE SERVICE THE STAFF ARE IN A CLASS OF THEIR OWN PLEASE DONT LET US SOUTH AFRICANS BE WITHOUT THIS AMAZING PARADISE AND THE RANGERS ARE PROBABLY THE BEST YOU CAN GET ANYWHERE. WE MY DAUGHTER AND I ARE HOPING TO VISIT ONCE MORE TO REVITALISE OUR SOULS AND FOR ME TO SEE MY MIGHTY ELEPHANTS, AND OBTAIN ANOTHER PICTURE BY RANGER DAVE OLSEN. LONG LIVE SHAMWARI AND WHAT YOU OFFER AND GIVE OF YOURSELVES TO US. THANK YOU.

What impressed us most was the quiet efficiency with which the lodge operates. Thank you for your well trained staff and the friendliness of everyone.

Thank you so much for the perfect game drives (JR was great), the hospitality and the total Shamwari concept.. We had a wonderful time with the lions very close to the Land Rover on the last morning. Jan, Jeanne, Roos and Floor

Thank you to Tracy Lancaster and the Team at Bayethe Lodge, for organising and making our Wedding Day a truely memorable one. From the time we arrived to the time we departed our three days stay ran like clockwork thanks to the team. We have some great memories to treasure forever. Liân and Gareth, Cardiff, South Wales, UK