EAGLES CRAG LODGE - SHAMWARI GAME RESERVE - EASTERN CAPE:
For more information and photos please see the following web-site: "http://africanadrenalin.co.za/mantiscollection/shamwari.htm"

Welcome to Shamwari Game Reserve, 20 000 hectres (49000 acres) the malaria free, private game reserve situated in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, has received numerous international awards, including the World's Leading Conservation Company and Game Reserve for five consecutive years. It is situated in verdant bush along the Bushmans River, halfway between Port Elizabeth (45 minutes drive outside the city) and Grahamstown, a pleasant drive from Cape Town, forming a natural extension to the famous Garden Route. Shamwari is about conserving a vanishing way of life and is the realisation of one man's dream, and the success of many people's passion. Steeped in Settler history, and dating back to the time when a multitude of game roamed wild and free, the 20 000 hectare reserve boasts five eco-systems, thus enabling the support of many forms of plant, animal and bird life.

This is the ultimate African adventure and conservation effort coupled with responsible tourism.

When you've spent all morning 'roughing it' in an open Landrover, you want to know you're coming back to a room or suite that offers you all the luxury and comfort you've come to expect, and gourmet food that will inspire and delight. Choose from six different accommodations the one that best suits your style.

EAGLES CRAG
Ultimate Luxury personified where eagles soar over you.

Eagles Crag consists of nine individually built rooms to accommodate two guests. Each room has its own private deck and plunge pool with an uninterrupted view of the bush.
The Lodge houses its own wellness spa and facilities also include a dining area, library, business centre, lounge and bar.

Eagles Cragg Lodge is an avante-guard masterpiece of thatch, stone and glass for the most discerning of traveler who is looking for privacy and tranquility.

Eagles Crag is nestled in a valley and provides the ultimate luxury for the most discerning of travelers. Each of the nine superior rooms have been built to maximize the privacy of the guest in the most tranquil of settings. The en-suite rooms boast a private deck with pool, as well as, indoor and outdoor showers.

Decorated in light and contemporary colours, with wall-to-wall glass doors on two sides, these rooms provide stunning views of the surrounding cliffs. Our luxury spa offers a wide variety of personalized treatments. The upper floor dining room and lounge, library, lounge and cocktail bar, all further complement the guests "African bushveld experience".
Exclusivity, privacy and serenity.

GAME DRIVES AND ACTIVITIES
When you visit SHAMWARI Game Reserve, we want you to have the 'safari of a lifetime'...rangers dine with you - sharing daily experiences and providing further information.

Something you'll look back on in years to come, long after the video has been lost and the photos have faded. We want you to experience, learn and enjoy the very best that African wildlife viewing can offer. To achieve this goal To achieve this goal, the staff at SHAMWARI Game Reserve have brought together the best that the area has to offer.

There is great game viewing, of course, but we also provide modern Land Rovers converted into open viewing. Each vehicle has a trained ranger who will increase your enjoyment with his knowledge of both the flora and fauna.

The rangers are in 2-way communication with each other at all times, so on any day they know where the game is, and how to find the elusive animals such as the rare Black Rhino.

Game viewing is carried out morning and evening on game drives, when you are driven in your open vehicle (which seats up to 6) over the rolling hills and valleys. If you have a particular species you would like to see, please mention it to your ranger; he will be happy to merge your plans into the group. In the early morning (if you are keen) you will leave before dawn, spending up to 3-4 hours spotting before returning to your lodge for a hearty breakfast. Blankets are supplied for those cold morning starts!
The heat of the day is usually spent in the shade, playing tennis, swimming, reading and, of course, enjoying a delicious lunch. Between 4:00 - 5:00pm, you assemble again for the evening drive. As the animals emerge from their midday cover, you may see elephants browsing, rhino drinking at a waterhole, or perhaps the shy bushbuck motionless in the dense bushveld. At dusk, the Land Rover stops at some panoramic spot for a sundowner (from the icebox ) and snacks.

Then, as the light fades, your ranger will plug in a powerful hand-held light. With its help, you can sweep the veld, seeing first the eyes and then the forms of a variety of nocturnal animals. By 8:00pm you are back at your lodge where a drink in the bar with your ranger, amid cheerful recollections of the day's discoveries is followed either by another great meal expertly prepared by our chefs, or a barbecue next to a roaring fire. Finally, a hot shower and a well-earned sleep. Before repeating it again the next day!

Generally, you may not leave your vehicle when it is in the reserve. Guided walks can be arranged in the company of your armed ranger, in search of rare animals. These hikes can often be the highlight of your African trip, for it is really only then that you gain a perspective of this great continent.
Note: Game drives are done in open Land Rovers, so you can feel close to Nature.

BORN FREE FOUNDATION:
The Born Free Foundation is at the forefront of drawing the public's attention to the plight of wild animals confined in impoverished captive environments and promoting through education and public awareness, a humane agenda.

It is the mission of both The Born Free Foundation and Shamwari Game Reserve to promote the conservation of species and the protection of habitat while maintaining a humane and compassionate approach to the welfare of animals.

In partnership with actress/conservationist Virginia McKenna's Born Free Foundation, Shamwari Game Reserve designed the Born Free Foundation Animal Rescue and Education Centre to incorporate a museum and educational facility whose goal is to create an awareness of the horrific way in which wildlife is exploited in captivity around the world.

Over the years the Born Free Foundation has been able to rescue several big cats from situations where they are in serious danger and provide them with excellent life time care. Guests at Shamwari are able to see some of these rescued animals at the Born Free Foundation Animal Rescue and Education Centre.

Shamwari has recently set aside 16 % of their land, over 3,000 hectares (7,500 acres) as a wilderness area and are offering a 4 day wilderness trail programme. Four-day wilderness trails are run where two nights are spent in the bush with the first and last nights in the base camp. Your trail will be limited to 8 participants.

What makes the trail remarkable beyond a journey into these rare places is the sensitive and careful guidance by experienced guides who know and love the bush. You are not required to have sleeping bags, backpacks, camping equipment or extensive hiking experience. An all-inclusive trail fee covers all camping equipment, food, and transport from the base facility where you will spend your first night. Physical fitness and strength are not the focus of the trail. In the relaxed intimacy of a trail limited to 8, the wilderness brings out the best in everybody - including mutual responsibility for collecting water, firewood and keeping night watch. Camping is kept simple in open bush.