Colonial charm meets contemporary chic at this farmhouse-inspired retreat nestled into the Afromontane Forest on South Africa’s Kwandwe Private Game Reserve. This fully staffed villa pairs classic details like wood floors and a stone fireplace with a modern open-plan layout and central pool courtyard. It’s all a daily scheduled flight or 105-minute drive from Port Elizabeth.

As the largest private reserve in South Africa, Kwandwe is teeming with the Big 5, and offers guests plenty of opportunities to spot them. Set off on an open-vehicle safari through 22,000 malaria-free hectares, take a guided walking safari, spark kids interest on a children’s safari, and try your luck fishing on Galpin Dam.

There are day and night drives, so you’ll see a range of wildlife, and you can ask a photography or birdwatching expert to accompany if you’re keen to get great shots or catch one of the 315 bird species found on the reserve. And there are meals to go with the drives. Watch first light spread over the landscape on a bush breakfast and see the stars come out over sunset drinks and alfresco dinners.

Tailor a stay to your family by adding experiences like a rhino monitoring drive or a rhino conservation safari, where you can help dart and notch rhinos under the guidance of Kwandwe’s experts. Learn to braai like the locals on a campfire cooking class with one of the reserve chefs and finish a day of trekking with the indulgence of an in-villa massage.

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