A mere 25 minutes from Mossel Bay in the Southern Cape and four hours from Cape Town, Kwena lodge can be found on the 11 000 hectare private Gondwana Game Reserve. This is the only fynbos reserve in the world that is malaria-free and is home to free roaming Big Five game.
The elegant and luxurious Kwena Lodge is family-friendly and ideally located for guests wanting both a safari and Garden Route experience. Gondwana prides itself on providing exceptional service and private, luxurious 5-star accommodation with all the comforts needed for an unforgettable stay.
The Kwena Lodge Suites offer a modern and luxurious twist on the traditional Khoi-San circular dwelling, enhanced with all the amenities of a modern luxury hotel. Each open-plan Kwena Room is designed to connect visitors to their beautiful surroundings. At night, visitors are warmed by the indoor fireplace and can relax in a deep bath after returning from an evening Big 5 game drive.
The Kwena Lodge Villas have been praised as the best family safari accommodation in South Africa. Guests can enjoy their own luxury bush home on a private Big 5 game reserve with ample indoor space and an easy-going open-plan design that leads outdoors to take in the natural surroundings. The spacious private villas feature configurations of 2, 3, or 4 bedrooms, all with en-suite bathrooms to accommodate your group. Located adjacent to Kwena Lodge, transfers are provided to and from the lodge for meals and game drives.
The luxury game lodge facilities include a large swimming pool, a chic open-plan lounge and bar, a spa offering rejuvenating Africology treatments, and a reception area with a curio shop.
Rangers take guests on morning and afternoon game drives to spot the Big Five, as well as the many other creatures on the reserve. Guests can also set out on foot with field guides to learn more about the rich botanical heritage of Fynbos, one of the world’s six floral kingdoms, as well as the smaller animals who inhabit it. The Junior Ranger experience gives children an opportunity to learn more about nature under the guidance of a qualified ranger. Children will receive a fun ranger’s backpack and safari booklet to keep track of their adventures, as well as a Junior Ranger patch and certificate after completing their training.
Garden Route activities can all be arranged with Gondwana staff and include golf, surfing, wine tasting, deep-sea fishing, shark cage diving, and paragliding.
While home to the Big Five, the reserve also provides sanctuary to endangered species, including the cheetah, Cape mountain zebra, and the rare black rhinoceros. Significant efforts have been made to reintroduce key species such as hippo and giraffe back into the area, offering fantastic game viewing. More than ten species of antelope can be found at Gondwana, including kudu, eland, gemsbok, bontebok, and grey rhebok. The diverse habitats of the reserve make it a popular birding destination. Species spotted include Denham’s bustard, blue crane, African fish eagle, Verreaux’s eagle, ostrich, secretary bird, jackal buzzard, African stonechat, Cape grassbird, malachite sunbird, black-crowned night heron, and bokmakierie. The reserve is also home to a healthy population of endemics such as the Cape sugarbird, orange-breasted sunbird, protea seedeater, and black harrier.
Kwena Lodge is ideal for solo explorers, couples, and families looking for a luxury safari getaway.
November 7, 2024
Keith Chideme is fantastic!
If you’re looking for someone to help you plan the trip of a lifetime, look no further than Keith Chideme. Keith has been nothing short of extraordinary in helping me create a month-long dream trip to South Africa for myself and 11 family members. His patience, kindness, and thoughtfulness throughout the entire process have been remarkable. Keith went above and beyond, engaging in countless conversations to make sure every detail of our six-destination itinerary was just right. He worked tirelessly to balance my budget with my desire for an unforgettable experience, finding deals and creative solutions that I would never have managed on my own. His dedication and expertise gave me complete confidence that this trip will be everything I’ve dreamed of and more. One of my favorite aspects of working with Keith was the personal touch he brought to every interaction. Whether through voice messages, phone calls, or texts, he was always patient, thorough, and thoughtful in explaining every aspect of the itinerary. I never once felt rushed or overlooked—he truly cared about making this trip perfect for us. I can’t imagine planning this trip without Keith. Knowing he has my back has been such a comfort, and I feel completely at ease knowing we are in such capable hands. My entire family is incredibly excited about this incredible adventure, and I know I’ll be contacting Keith for all my future travel plans. He is an absolute gem and a true professional. Thank you, Keith, for everything!
October 25, 2024
Keith was amazing
Keith was amazing! We spent a lot of time on the phone and he was so helpful to curate the perfect honeymoon for my husband and I. Thank you Keith!
October 25, 2024
My travel consultant was Keith Chideme…
My travel consultant was Keith Chideme and he was great to work with. Keith was always available to answer questions and very responsive. My trip was easy to book and pay through safari.com and everything worked out perfectly. I would use them again in future.
Dec 12, 2024
Anja Is A Fabulous Travel Consultant
Anja Mayer was extremely knowledgeable, patient, prompt with her responses to questions, and always very helpful. She was also a pleasure to work with. I would highly recommend to anyone that asks that Anja is the right person to contact if they are interested in travelling to South Africa or Botswana.
Dec 12, 2024
Anja did a fabulous job!
Anja was knowledgeble, patient prompt with her responses to questions and always very helpful. In addition, it was a pleasure working with her. I would recommend her to anyone without any reservation.
Dec 10, 2024
Mel du Toit was the perfect person to…
Mel du Toit was the perfect person to arrange and organize our trip!! She was on the ball, made sure everything was in place and travel arrangements secured! I highly recommend her!!
Dec 9, 2024
Great support from Shann
Shann made the booking experience seamless - provided very helpful information to ensure we fully understood what the experience would be like and made sure we felt safe with experiences we have booked.
Dec 9, 2024
Quick & efficient
Very fast response, polite - impressive
Dec 7, 2024
Went through Newmarket travel and Hays…
Went through Newmarket travel and Hays travel ..information about flight changes hard to get..but on arrival the holiday was taken over Safari.com..amazing ..experience everything was fine tuned and the staff ..guides drivers fabulous and friendly ..lots of knowledge..lots of fun and the surprises they did was so lovely ...loved every minute ..Paris our guide was amazing..10/10 and Eric driver ..the waiters and waitress every and everyone in the hotels .smiling and friendly..Best holiday of my life
Dec 7, 2024
Anja at Safari.com was a great partner to work with!
Working with Anja at Safari.com was great. She was able to work some magic and got us a few nights at the safari lodge we really wanted, Ngoma. Unfortunately, our flight from the USA to South Africa was canceled and we were rebooked a day later but Anja was great about making sure our lodge and the transports knew about the change in plans and made sure we got to our trip as soon as we could. She was a great partner to have and communicated quickly whenever we reached out. I would highly recommend using her when planning a trip to Africa!
Dec 4, 2024
Prompt & knowledgeable
Prompt & knowledgeable
Dec 4, 2024
Great service from Denise at Safari.com
Denise from Safari.com was extremely helpful. She responded promptly, provided good advice on safari lodgings options and worked up a couple of itinerary options to suit our budget. Denise also organised flights and transfers very quickly so that we could finalize our booking in a short time. Much appreciated.