Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Eastern Cape · Year-round
5 places
Wildlife
Serval
Leptailurus serval
The serval (Leptailurus serval) is a wild cat native to Africa.
Species insights
When to visit
Recorded year-round
Recorded in every month, so no month is the wrong month to look. We would rather say that than invent a best time.
Best monthsAny month
Records449 records
Curve from 449 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.
Where you'll find it
Gauteng and beyond
Provinces where Serval is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
449 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Serval
Stays that give back
Across the Eastern Cape
Lupus Den Country House
Sundays River Valley, Addo
Serval recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Black backed jackal · Bushbuck
Gives back to Wilderness Foundation Africa
From R 2,600 a night
Kwandwe Melton Manor
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Serval recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Kwandwe Great Fish River Lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Serval recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Kwandwe Uplands Homestead
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Serval recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Kwandwe Fort House
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Serval recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Kwandwe Ecca Lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Serval recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
More stays nearby
Cycads On Sea
St Francis Bay
Fynbos biome · Spekboom
Gives back to National Sea Rescue Institute
From R 2,460 a night
Aasvogelkrans Farm Cottages & Camping
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Gives back to BirdLife South Africa and 1 other
From R 1,760 a night
Pabala Private Nature Reserve
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Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 485 a night
Forest Hall Guest House
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From R 1,050 a night
GweGwe Beach Lodge
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From R 12,950 a night
Quatermain's Camp
Paterson
Albany Thicket biome · Black wildebeest · Blesbok
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 11,592 a night
Karoo Cottage - Sneeuberg Nature Reserve
Sneeuberg Nature Reserve, Nieu Bethesda
Nama-Karoo biome · Spekboom
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 3,100 a night
Hlosi Game Lodge
Amakhala Game Reserve
Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Spekboom
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 4,000 a night
Hitgeheim Country Lodge Addo
Sundays River Valley, Addo
Albany Thicket biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 2,000 a night
Karoo Secret Farm Stay
Aberdeen
Nama-Karoo biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 1,200 a night
Walkerbouts Inn - Rhodes
Rhodes
Grassland biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 600 a night
Storms River Mouth Rest Camp (Tsitsikamma)
Garden Route National Park
Forest biome · Arum lily · Krantz aloe
From R 457 a night
Mountain Zebra National Park
Mountain Zebra National Park
Grassland biome · Black wildebeest · Springbok
From R 449 a night
Langebos Huts
Addo Elephant National Park
Albany Thicket biome · Spekboom
From R 2,093 a night
Bo-kloof Guest Farm
Baviaanskloof
Fynbos biome · Spekboom
Gives back to Wilderness Foundation Africa
Price on request
Spekboom Tented Rest Camp
Addo Elephant National Park
Albany Thicket biome · Black backed jackal · Spotted hyena
From R 1,490 a night
Camdeboo Rest Camp
Camdeboo National Park
Albany Thicket biome · Blesbok · Springbok
From R 345 a night
Gordonville Manor - Sneeuberg Nature Reserve
Sneeuberg Nature Reserve, Nieu Bethesda
Nama-Karoo biome · Spekboom
Gives back to Boundless
Price on request
The Garden Route
Next stop
Forests, lagoons, and Knysna's sheltered bay
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Serval
Hosts have recorded the Serval at stays in or beside Kwandwe Private Game Reserve.
When to go, park by park
Here all yearEasiest viewing
| Park | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kwandwe | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Here | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Here |
Darker months are each park's own best season, when thinner bush or scarce water makes viewing easier. A sighting is never guaranteed.
Best hours of the day
- First and last hours of daylight. The Serval moves and hunts in the cool.
- Midday, resting. Usually lying up in shade and hard to spot.
- After dark, on a night drive. Where the reserve or park offers one.
Ways to look
Guided drives from a lodge
A guide who knows where to look, with off-road and night drives in the private reserves.
Where hosts record it
Species
Leptailurus serval
Records
449
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Serval on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Serval in Eastern Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Serval at stays in or beside Kwandwe Private Game Reserve. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.
Where can you see the Serval in South Africa?
The Serval is most recorded in Gauteng (26% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (20% of records), Mpumalanga (18% of records), based on 449 iNaturalist observations. 6 places to stay on Spekboom in Eastern Cape have recorded the Serval on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Serval?
The Serval is recorded throughout the year, so no month is the wrong month to look for it. For the parks where hosts record it most, these are the best seasons they give. Kwandwe Private Game Reserve: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Serval?
The serval (Leptailurus serval) is a wild cat native to Africa. It is rare in North Africa and the Sahel, but widespread in sub-Saharan countries except rainforest regions. On the IUCN Red List it is listed as Least Concern. Across its range, it occurs in protected areas, and hunting it is either prohibited or regulated in range countries.