Melton Manor

Melton Manor is a sole-use safari villa on Kwandwe Private Game Reserve — a U-shaped four-bedroom villa set on the edge of the Afromontane forests, with all four en-suite bedrooms arranged around a central courtyard with a pool. Your group has the entire villa for the duration of your stay, with your own ranger, tracker, chef, butler, and game-viewing vehicle. Sleeps up to eight; designed for shared moments and quiet retreat rather than a buzzy lodge atmosphere.

Your rate covers sole-use of the entire villa, all meals (breakfast, lunch, high tea, dinner), twice-daily Big 5 game drives in your private vehicle with your own ranger and tracker, house wines, beers and soft drinks, Wi-Fi throughout, and your stay in malaria-free Kwandwe. Premium drinks, spa treatments and helicopter charters are billed separately. A Conservation, Community and Reserve (CC&R) Levy of R1,500 per adult per night and R750 per guest under 19 is added on top.

Yes — children of all ages are welcome. Children aged 0 to 5 stay free of charge; children and teens aged 6 to 18 are charged at the full adult rate. The villa's U-shaped layout around a central courtyard and pool works well for multi-generational stays, and the sole-use format gives full flexibility on meal times, drive timing, and activities to suit younger guests.

Kwandwe is approximately 160 km (1h45m drive) from Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport in Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha), or 185 km (2 hr) from East London. The reserve has its own airstrip with a daily scheduled flight from Port Elizabeth — the fastest option for groups. After checking in at Heatherton Towers reception, you will be transferred to Melton Manor by reserve vehicle (15 to 30 minutes).

Melton Manor is priced for sole-use of the entire villa. Whether you have 2, 4, 6, or 8 guests in your group, the per-villa rate is the same. The displayed per-person rate assumes maximum occupancy of eight — the villa rate stays fixed regardless of party size.

Twice-daily Big 5 game drives in your private 4x4 with your own ranger and tracker — morning drives at dawn, late afternoon drives that often include night-drive sightings of aardvark, aardwolf, bat-eared fox and porcupine. Interpretive bush walks with an armed ranger reveal the smaller wonders — lichen, mosses, ferns, raptor nests, and close encounters with antelope, giraffe, warthog, and occasionally buffalo. Children's Eco-Warriors programme, rhino-tracking and conservation experiences are available on request. Mountain biking and star bed sleep-outs can be booked separately.

Kwandwe applies a CC&R Levy of R1,500 per adult per night and R750 per guest under 19, charged separately from the room rate. The fee contributes directly to anti-poaching work, community upliftment programmes, eco-education initiatives, and the teams involved in direct conservation employment. The booking widget includes the levy in your final per-night total.

60+ days before arrival — no forfeit. 30 to 60 days — 50% of booking total forfeited. Less than 30 days — 100% of booking total forfeited.