Anyone who remembers the ‘old’ Riverdene Lodge will be surprised to see the complete transformation afoot at Shamwari – and for families with young kids, the new safari adventure centre is unlike anything else in the Eastern Cape – a winning child friendly safari destination for anyone with super active children who need exercise and don’t always want to be sitting on game drives.
Of course, there are families who would prefer to be miles away from other kids. Different strokes for different folks you might say, but one thing’s for sure: Shamwari has had a kid’s programme for years and they do it well, making it a contender for the best safari in Africa for families with young children.
The newly renovated lodge is the ideal Big Five game reserve for families to bond for hours as gentle giants roam in the distance, while children can engage in the Kids on Safari programme.
The big news is the new adventure centre, which is next-level fun for kids with everything from zip-lines, climbing walls and tree houses. It’s wisely been zoned in ages – for toddlers, 4 to 12s and older so that every age has its space.
A perfect safari for all seasons
And what happens if it rains on your weekend break away? Don’t worry. On rainy days, a fully qualified kids club coordinator does arts, crafts, painting and even pizza making or baking cookies.
Speaking of food, the healthy kids’ menus have been perfected over the years.
Staff are especially chosen for their warmth and care of children. This extends to the rangers who are seen happily collecting dung to identify on the walking safaris or taking families to the new wildlife rehabilitation centre for and up-close educational experience on the deeper story behind conservation and the challenges it faces.
All the suites at this luxury safari hideaway now have an interleading room to connect to and have fold-out sofa beds, which is great for multigenerational family bookings or smaller children wanting to be close to parents. There are only nine suites and all the rooms open out to garden and the swimming pool.
Luckily, Shamwari has a more liberal policy on game drives than most reserves: children over four years can go on drives and experience game tracking which is a relief for many parents wanting to share their love of the bush with little ones from an early age.
Reviewed by Michelle Snaddon
Edited by Dawn Kennedy