Review of Shamwari Game Reserve, by Gemma Pitcher

In recent years, dozens of private game reserves have sprung up within a few hours drive of PE, meaning that travellers on the Garden Route now have the option to save themselves time and plane fares and take their safari holiday on the spot. Another advantage of the Eastern Cape game reserves is that they are free of malaria, making them ideal for those who'd rather not load themselves up with medication.

Shamwari Game Reserve is undoubtedly the most respected and most established of the bunch. It is part of a long-term conservation project aimed at returning former farmland to a state as close as possible to the order of things before early colonial settlers arrived and started to mess things up. After nearly fifteen years of careful management, the reserve now supports the Big Five, plus accompanying antelope, birds and smaller predators.

Shamwari is aimed squarely at the upper end of the market - the six different accommodation options scattered over the reserve's land are of a quality that would impress even the most demanding five-star jetsetter. Most tastes are catered for - there's Long Lee Manor, an Edwardian manor house (part of the original farm), Bayethe, a tented camp deep in the bush, and Eagle's Cragg, an avant garde glass and stone affair with spectacular views of some nearby rock formations. All obligatory trimmings are on offer such as gym, five-star spa, private plunge pool and hyper efficient service are on offer.

Perhaps more importantly, the game viewing is fantastic - stay a few days and a sighting of at least four of the Big Five is virtually guaranteed. Shamwari's guides are friendly, well-informed and enthusiastic, and a rule of only two vehicles on a sighting at once means that the place never quite takes on the aspect of a theme park. That said, fans of genuine wilderness will be better off elsewhere - fences, electricity pylons and buildings are never entirely out of view. But for first-timers looking for luxury and convenience with a serious conservation message, Shamwari is worth the cash, particularly between May and September, when rates are heavily discounted.