Great Fish River Reserve

Great Fish River Reserve

The spectacularly beautiful Great Fish River Reserve lies in the valley of the Great Fish River, between the town of Grahamstown and Fort Beaufort, extending eastwards all the way to the Kieskama River. It is a malaria-free area of enormous potential that has managed thus far to remain largely off the major tourist radar, providing those who do visit an uncontested union with nature.

The Great Fish River Reserve is in fact a complex of three reserves that combine the Andries Vosloo Kudu Reserve, the Double Drift Nature Reserve and the Sam Knott Nature Reserve into a large 45 000 hectare reserve of open succulent valley bushveld and a rugged terrain that not only provides some spectacular views, but an abundance of big game, like the hippo, kudu, Cape buffalo, elephant, lion and over 100 endangered black rhino – one of the fastest growing populations of the black rhino in South Africa.

The Great Fish River Reserve’s rugged landscape is bisected by the Great Fish River, a river of huge historical significance for the role it played as border during the Frontier Wars of 1779 - 1878 between the Dutch settlers and the Xhosa people. Beautiful riverine thicket forms a narrow band along the river’s banks allowing Cape bushwillow, karee and sweet thorn, as well as the endangered blue crane, a thriving environment in which to live.