Shamwari Long Lee Manor

Third time at Long Lee Manor and it was again just the best! Best guide (Jaques), lovely and friendly staff, good (to much!) food, amazing rooms and such a wonderful landscape. It always feels like coming home and we are always so sad when we have to leave. Not the last time there!

We stayed here at the recommendation of friends who visited many years prior. And we came here and stayed for three nights before going to Chobe in Botswana. And Shamwari spoiled us!!! What I will say is that the game experience at Shamwari compared to a national park is entirely different and I absolutely recommend everyone have the experience of both. One cannot replace the other. They are very complementary and different. At Shamwari, we were up close and personal with most of the animals, even though it was their natural habitat. I read some reviews, comparing it to a large zoo and this is absolutely the farthest thing from the truth. I love that the rangers know the area well and they collaborate well on sightings. We saw many raw animal behaviors that you only see in the wild, lions eating the kill, two male lions fighting, giraffes in a herd crossing a ridge at sunset, buffalos in large herd, free roaming rhinos. It is big five, but we only saw big four but never for a moment felt disappointed because we saw other things we were never able to see in a national park. Shamwari’s land is enormous. We barely scraped the surface over the course of three days. It just is enormous and the Rangers work very hard to find the animals just like they do at the national parks. What we loved about this place and we felt made it so different to the national park experience is that it was absolutely phenomenal service, beautiful setting, and all around luxurious. The food was fantastic and we met several people who had made return trips and said it was the best large food they’ve ever had. We completely agree compared to what we experienced in Botswana, even though where we stayed in Botswana was also luxury. There is absolutely nothing that will be disappointing about coming here. But I do recommend coupling it with a national park visit. They are entirely different. When we were in the national parks, the close encounters were few and far between. And truly, no lodge compared to Shamwari., As for Rangers, I’m not sure if you can request one, but if you do, Abel was spectacular. And all of the other rangers were radioing him asking for help and information so I got the impression he was one of the leads. He said he had worked there for more than 25 years at his experience pays off. He was such a kind, knowledgeable gentleman and he went above and beyond every single day to make our experience the best. Regarding food, as I mentioned, it was fantastic. They will absolutely cater to preferences and allergies. As soon as I let them know what I wanted, they went so far above and beyond to accommodate me and all of my special requests. I’ve never seen any service quite like it. Rooms were lovely. In summary, just go, you will not be disappointed. There’s a reason Tiger Woods was engaged here and John Travolta is rumored to be a regular visitor.

Excellent rooms and staff, great game rides with unbelievable close encounters with wildlife in their natural habitats! Our ranger, Mr. Abel, was very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna of the place and was extremely generous in sharing his insights - he had a fantastic ability to spot animals and carefully navigate us to spots from where we could enjoy wonderful viewing experiences - the team of rangers at Shamwari are constantly in touch with each other over sat phones and share unique sightings with each other which significantly improves the possibility of some great sightings for the guests. The Shamwari reserve is also putting in a commendable effort in wildlife conservation through their Born Free and Wildlife Rehab Centre initiatives. As Indian vegetarians, the food options were a bit limited, however the chef did try to accommodate our needs. They could do with a few more variety in the cuisine - e.g. rice dishes, Mediterranean etc.

What a treat it was and every single member of staff at Long Lee Manor was wonderful and welcoming and so friendly. The accessible room was superb and the accessibility of the whole place was outstanding (I'm quadriplegic). Long Lee Manor is beautiful and the height of luxury. The rim pool overlooking the waterhole and the plains beyond is just gorgeous, the rooms are huge, with everything your heart desires and more. The food was superb. Most importantly, Mino, our guide was amazing and the array of game we saw was just flabbergasting, a true five star safari experience. Superb.

My wife and I had a fabulous stay at Long Lea Manor within the Shamwari Game Reserve. From the moment we arrived until the moment we left we were treated like royalty. Our guide Jack was also exceptional. If you are thinking about a visit, don’t hesitate, just book.

This was our first trip to Long Lee Manor and our experience was fantastic. The staff are really wonderful and make you feel right at home from the start. Our garden-facing room was delightful and was more like a suite than a room. It was beautifully decorated and we have everything we needed. Abel, our Ranger, was very experienced and was able to show us wonderful animals over our three days: cheetah, buffalo, white black rhino, elephant, and lion amongst other animals. We even saw three lionesses hunting. The food is very very good, and the wine selection and drinks were plentiful. We would love to visit again in the future. Worth every penny!