Inkwenkwezi Private Game Reserve

Our game drive guide JP was fantastic, with first class knowledge of the park and availability. I also have huge respect for how he handled the very eroded roads. The stay itself was wonderful and rustic, surrounded by nature, and we saw lots of game, including spectacular white lions. The food was very good, but there was far too much of it. With all meals included, breakfast was at 8, three course lunch at 2, and three course dinner at 7. We ate a lot! We’d been warned the place was rundown, which is sad because you can tell it must once have been magnificent. Now there are cracked windows, odd taps, wonky balustrades, a dead path light, and lovely wooden furniture that needs attention. Maybe cash flow is an issue, but that doesn’t excuse the lack of cleanliness: dirty curtains, toothpaste and insect splatters on the walls, stained crockery and cutlery, dusty lamps and furniture. Who handles quality control? Where is management to check and guide the staff? Come on, Inkwenkwezi, you were once beautiful. Time for a bit of elbow grease!

We took an excursion from our cruise, which started in East London, and got to the resort after a 40 minute bus ride. If you want guaranteed, abundant wildlife in a large open reserve, Inkwenkwezi may disappoint compared with larger sanctuaries or better stocked private reserves. We saw only one of the Big Five, a lion. But if you’re there for the landscape, setting, and general feeling of being close to nature, it’s okay.

We saw two lions, one rhino, and several giraffes, but not many animals up close. It was a very bumpy cruise excursion, and it took almost an hour before we saw any wildlife. Our guide wasn’t very good. He didn’t turn around to talk to us about the animals, and the drive felt like a checklist of things to show us. Other excursions we’ve taken had much more informative guides, so this was definitely disappointing. Others on our tour felt the same way.

The game drive was amazing, and our driver and guide was fantastic. He knew a lot and shared valuable information about the animals and wildlife. His driving on the dirt tracks after the rain was excellent too. I’d thoroughly recommend visiting and doing the game drive if you’re ever in the Eastern Cape.