Shamwari Reserve
 

We're going to Cape Town at the beginning of October and intend to add on a Safari experience. Anyone been to the Shamwari Resrve and can comment on what it's like as an option? What sort of itinerary can you expect over 2 or 3 nights?

Hi Lifeman

I was there in May 2000, so it is probably changed a bit since then. The wildlife was pretty nervous of vehicles and the lions were in an enclosure being fed by people through a chute. I am pretty sure that group left and a new pride was introduced to roam free. So probably not a fair comparison to what it is like today.

Kind regards

Kaye

Thanks KayeN. I hope that it's changed a lot since then! Does anyone know if this place is a big area and what it's like now?

We went to Shamwari in 2008 and hated every second of it. We both felt like we were at a theme park Zoo and our Guide was so awful it was comical. We went to Gorah for 3 nights just before Sahmwari and absolutely loved it! If you are going on Safari in the Eastern Cape I highly recommend looking into Gorah.

Refer you also to this recent, Feb 21, 2009, thread that has lots discussion about Shamwari-
http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...-or-aquila.cfm
In bottom half.
In it poster "coline" vigorously supported Shamwari but finally did admit that the lions are fenced. Coline also pointed out that Shamwari had won some travel awards -
http://www.worldtravelawards.com/winners2008
But that did not impress me because the awards ignore several well know and well liked safari camps. And if Shamwari were so great, how come it's not a favorite destination of Fodorites?

regards - tom

http://www.rhinoconservation.org/201...s-businessmen/

SV ((@))