Founders Lodge by Mantis
“I actually lived in the Shamwari Game Reserve in 2009 where I was trained as a junior ranger. I went back and slept in Founders Lodge: such an unforgettable experience and extra special as this is the place where it all started for Shamwari: the house of founder Adrian Galiner. I went back to exactly there where my love for South Africa flourished, where it all started for me. And Founders Lodge? Such an amazing place to stay and highly recommended!”
The Shamwari Game Reserve
Shamwari means “my friend.” The wildlife reserve is just an hour’s drive from Port Elizabeth and is stretched over 24,000 hectares (250 km²) of unspoilt area with different landscapes. More than 60 large animal species including lions, rhinos, buffaloes, elephants, leopards, giraffes, zebras, hippos and many different antelopes, and more than 250 different bird species have been observed here. The wildlife reserve consists of seven individual 5-star lodges, an Explorers Camp and three different educational and wildlife rehabilitation facilities. I found out that there is another nice opportunity on the edge of the Shamwari Game Reserve that attracted my attention: the Founders Lodge. Founders Lodge offers a luxurious safari experience from a homely environment. It was lovely to stay here. This is where it all started for me, but also for Shamwari itself. It is the old house of the founder of Shamwari, converted into a small lodge with (exceptional) access to the Shamwari Game Reserve. How beautiful is it that I stayed here?
Adrian Gardiner
If the walls of Founders Lodge could talk, they told stories about Adrian Gardiner. Shamwari and the country you see around the Founders Lodge was brought back to life and cherished after centuries of abuse. An entire ecosystem was put back in place: the groundbreaking work of Adrian and the Mantis team, and the start of ecotourism in the eastern Cape.
Founders Lodge is the private residence of Adrian Gardiner, founder and visionary of the world famous Shamwari Game Reserve. He is also the founder of The Mantis Collection, a family-run collection of family-run hotels, eco-escapes and lifestyle resorts around the world. With the agreement of Shamwari’s current owners, Founders Lodge has undergone extensive renovations to transform the farm into a homely, luxury lodge. The included game drives are in the adjacent Shamwari Game Reserve. The secluded Founders Lodge has only 6 suites and is located in scenic surroundings. They strive to offer private experiences, inspired by all the good memories Adrian had.
The lodge is located just 50 metres from the entrance to the (malaria-free!) Shamwari Game Reserve, home to the Big 5 (elephant, lion, Cape buffalo, leopard and rhino) and 5 of South Africa’s 7 biomen, which allows a large concentration and variety of wildlife.
Adrian Gardiner tells:
“I always dreamed that one day I would own my own piece of Africa. My heart was set to restore the overgrazed Eastern Cape. This dream became reality in 1992, when I opened the Shamwari Game Reserve starting with 12,000 hectares. With Shamwari I was able to share my love for our incredible wildlife in South Africa with both local and foreign tourists and soon it became a profitable project. As it became more popular, I felt the need to keep a little piece of my dream for family outings.
I sold the game reserve in 2008, but retained part of my farm (400 hectares) and first used it only as a remote haven while maintaining the full rights to enter the now 20,000 hectares of Shamwari Game Reserve. It is this quaint private place that I still own and now wants to show to those who choose to lose themselves in the African wilderness and share my dream.”
Founders Lodge
This unique experience, called The Founders Lodge, opened in 2016 and I couldn’t NOT stay here. It reminded me of my time in this game reserve. Such an experience.
Every morning and evening was a highlight: wow for those game drives in the adjacent Shamwari Game Reserve! The ranger told interesting stories, let nature really come to life and we were lucky enough to spot a lot of beautiful animals. On our first game drive, just 3 hours after our landing in South Africa, we already saw a leopard! This turned out to be the kickoff of a fantastic journey through the country. So lucky.
The courtyard of Founders Lodge steals my heart as it is the heart of Founders Lodge. Here I take a moment every day to put myself back in this piece of Africa. In our suite I take off my shoes, I step out on our own terrace and walk on the grass with my eyes focused on the horizon. A herd of rhinos comes closer and grazes right in front of me, and barefooted I wave to a bunch of giraffes. It’s so fantastic here! We also had a great meal there every day. They definitely can cook in South Africa, I’m surprised about that every time! We enjoyed the authentic South African dishes, made with love by local chef Louise. It’s just a small-scale lodge with six suites, but they offer everything you need: a restaurant, a bar, a wellness place, a sports hall, a swimming pool, a museum shop, a TV room with library, big 5 game drives in Shamwari, bush walks, cooking courses, and so on. The staff is fantastic. Such a little paradise!
