Kwandwe Families Learn to Eco-nect

Kwandwe Families Learn to Eco-nect
Lead by Kwandwe's award winning guiding team, the Eco-nect activities will include kite building, a ranger shooting simulation (shooting at a target with a pellet gun), treasure hunts (during a game drive out on the reserve, this will require some basic navigation using a sun-compass and major landscape features in order to find the treasure) and scavenger hunts (by following a map and clues strategically placed around the reserve, families will collect various items to result in an activity such as making fire with sticks, various kids art activities and more).

The new Eco-nect activities complement the current Blue Crane Conservation Club's existing range of ‘see and do' eco activities which include Bugs & Bones walk, a great way to stretch little legs and learn all about this ecologically diverse reserve whilst searching for insects, bones and skulls and being taught how to identify animal tracks and droppings. Children too will have the opportunity to offset their (own small) carbon footprint by planting Spekboom, a type of thicket vegetation that is native to the Eastern Cape and prolific at Kwandwe and one of the top five carbon-storing vegetations on the planet. Kids can also join the rangers to try their luck at fishing, giving mum and dad a couple of relaxing hours to themselves.

Families can also participate in Kwandwe's voluntourism activities through the reserve's Ubunye Foundation, which works with communities living on and surrounding the reserve. Activities are tailored according to individual and family interests and skillsets. For young guests this includes assisting with gardening projects at the local Mgcamabele Community; playing with the pre-school kids and participating in arts and craft activities including Kwandwe's ‘Knit a Bit' programme. The knitted squares are joined to make blankets and given to the Ubunye Foundation that distributes them to the needy communities surrounding Kwandwe.

Wrapping up the day, and also part of Kwandwe's see and learn theme, the staff have written a series of African bedtime stories recalled from their own childhood that recount how the reserve came to be the conservation and community success story that it is today.

Also from January 2017, three of the six vibrant suites at Ecca Lodge will become new family suites, accommodating parents and two children up to sixteen years. Cots are available for babies & toddlers; children aged three to sixteen years sleep on individual single beds in an adjoining area.

The family suite rate at Ecca Lodge will include a private vehicle, ranger & tracker and cost from ZAR25,700 per suite (approx. £1,1450) per night on full board basis, including meals and a nutritious kiddie's menu, drinks and safari activities. First-aid trained child-minders are available with prior arrangement at no additional cost.

Appealing to those who seek a fun and engaging safari adventure exploring the wilds of the African bush ‘en-famille' but who also savour an element of distinction from their lodge's interiors, Ecca Lodge, whose décor reflects the vibrant colours of the African people, combines both naturally.

Visit website: https://www.kwandwe.com