Inkwenkwezi Private Game Reserve

Inkwenkwezi is a malaria-free game reserve near Chintsa in the Eastern Cape, holding the Big Five — lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and white rhino — plus rare white lions that carry a recessive gene rather than albinism. The reserve spans five biomes, including an Umtiza tree forest with over 300 trees in one hectare, and a tidal saltwater estuary where the water ebbs and flows.

You stay in safari tents with timber decks, some overlooking a river. The Bush Camp has six tents with private viewing decks and ensuite bathrooms built like caves with waterfall showers. Game drives go out daily, with rangers tracking lion and leopard across the reserve. Other activities include quad biking through the bush, canoeing on the estuary, and guided walks to spot some of the 286 bird species recorded here.

The reserve sits two kilometres from the ocean, close enough that during the sardine run you may see whales breaching from the land. The Sunset Restaurant serves meals to in-house guests on a hillside with views west, while the Emthombeni Restaurant at the day centre offers buffet lunches on Sundays and steak nights on Fridays.

White lions are the reserve's signature. Unlike albino lions, they have black nose leather and paw pads, with fur whitened by a recessive gene. The reserve protects them alongside the Big Five across its five biomes, from forest to grassland.