Kwandwe Game Reserve, South Africa

Kwandwe Uplands Homestead

Kwandwe Uplands Homestead Photos

Style

All-frills farmhouse

Setting

Private riverside reserve

Sleeps

6

Bedrooms

3

Storied retreat Kwandwe Uplands Homestead is a family-friendly lodge in the wild west of Kwandwe Game Reserve. Binoculars at the ready – the Big Five roam the reserve and abundant birdlife soars above. For post-drive debriefs, curl up by the fire, take high tea on the verandah or dine under the stars at the bush-facing boma. With all meals, childcare and a private vehicle included in your savannah stay, this is one at-ease safari.

Smith Extra

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Binoculars to borrow and a bottle of fizz in your suite

First Glance

Photos Kwandwe Uplands Homestead
  • Uplands Homestead is a 19th-century farmhouse with a homey feel and rustic-luxe furnishings, such as antique mirrors, yellowwood wardrobes and paisley prints.
  • The dining room is traditional in style, with wooden floorboards, a chandelier and turquoise-tiled working fireplace. You’ll also find a six-seater dining table, a coffee station and a well-stocked wine rack.
  • Across the corridor is a large living room with big bay windows, made-for-slouching sofas and a working fireplace. A TV is hidden behind two paintings and a large bar is tucked into one corner.
  • A private chef will take charge of the large kitchen. You’re more than welcome to pop your head in and see what they’re up to, and little Smiths can help out with some cooking if they like.
  • There’s a powder room next to the living room.
  • All meals are included in your stay: breakfast is a buffet, lunch is a selection of salads and healthy bites, and you’ll dine in different places each evening, such as the indoor dining room, on the terrace or down at the boma. You can also order room service throughout the day.
  • A private vehicle for up to seven people is also included in the rate, as is free childcare (arranged ahead) and laundry services.
  • In-room treatments can be organised on request.

Villa highlights

  • Eastern Cape setting
  • Family-friendly lodge
  • Fully serviced stay

Sleeping arrangements

Photos Kwandwe Uplands Homestead
  • There are three bedrooms and the farmhouse sleeps up to six guests, plus a baby cot for one child under two can be added on request.
  • The master bedroom is bright, and decorated with florals, stripes and duck-egg-blue details. It has a super-king-size bed, working fireplace and dressing area. There’s a sage-green chaise longue by the bay windows and French doors that open to a small verandah overlooking the garden. The ensuite bathroom has a walk-in, rainfall shower and a freestanding stone bath tub.
  • Bedrooms two and three are decorated with dove-grey and khaki accents. They have super-king-size beds that can be twinned on request, plus private verandahs with dining furniture and garden views. Both have ensuite bathrooms, each with a walk-in, rainfall shower and a freestanding bath tub.
  • Tall Smiths will sleep well here: all beds at the lodge are extra long.

Key kit

  • Free WiFi
  • TVs
  • Air-conditioning
  • Underfloor heating
  • Fans
  • Tea- and coffee-making kit
  • Minibars
  • Free bottled water
  • Local bath products

Poolside

Photos Kwandwe Uplands Homestead
  • You’ll find the pool at the foot of the lawn, surrounded by verdant vegetation. A gazebo shelters the water from the sun, and little Smiths can splash around in the shallow end.

Grounds

Photos Kwandwe Uplands Homestead
  • Uplands Homestead sits near Great Fish River in Kwandwe Game Reserve, a 22,000-hectare estate that’s home to the Big Five, impressive birdlife and other bucket-list beasts.
  • The lodge has its own manicured gardens with a swimming pool and bush-shrouded boma, which is used for lantern-lit dinners and alfresco aperitifs.
  • Each bedroom has its own verandah, and there’s a furnished garden-facing porch where high tea is served after game drives and walks.

Location

Photos Kwandwe Uplands Homestead
  • You’ll find Uplands Homestead in the west of the sprawling Kwandwe Game Reserve, near Great Fish River.
  • You can fly from Cape Town or Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth Airport, which is a two-hour drive from the reserve or a short helicopter flight away; staff can arrange transfers on request. Should you charter your own plane, the reserve also has a private airstrip.
  • If you are driving yourself, you’ll leave your car at the reserve’s reception and staff will drive you to the lodge, which is 15 minutes away.

The Guestbook

Whenever you book a stay at a Smith hotel or villa, we’ll invite you to review it when you get back. Read what other Smith members had to say in Kwandwe Uplands Homestead’s Guestbook below.
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Price per night from $4,105.67

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