We arrived here midday Tuesday in our 5-bedroom private lodge with staff (there are five of us) and the newest lodge in the SHAMWARI Reserve is a beauty. Small private lap pool. superb staff and chef, and of course, the game reserve that beats all others in quality and size in this region of the Eastern Cape.
The reason lots of folks come here is that it is, unlike the east where we go soon, malaria free. Since this was created as reserve it also boasts the largest population of indigenous animals that are virtually disease-free, making it the perfect place to go if you don't feel like flying east to Mpumalanga and the Kruger area.
They have several options of lodge types here and everything is all-inclusive, so if you wish to eat at SARILI you must stay here, and you SHOULD book through me, as we get heavily discounted rates!
Anyway, after our afternoon/evening game drive (which included superb Butternut Squash Quiche, Biltong, Snacks and divine White Chocolate Biscotti with wines and drinks as the sun set) we returned and washed for dinner. We were all exhausted from the long day's drive here and then the long game drive in which we saw packs and packs of elephants (including a 2-week old), a leopard, wildebeest, waterbuck, eland, springbok and blesbok, but dinner is always a priority.
Delaire 2008 Sauvignon Blanc from Stellenbosch was our white and was delish with the rich but creamless PUMPKIN & ORANGE Soup as well as the CHICKEN LIVER PATE which came with Fig Preserve and Peanut Sauce in a mini-salute to Thailand which was quite ingenious. During the pate, I switched to a light bodied red 2007 LEOPARD's LEAP from Franschhoek which is a Cab/Merlot blend, but worked fine with the liver and my ensuing fish. The fish was a White CAPE SALMON which unlike our Atlantic salmon is meaty and white and less fishy. It was a bit overdone and came with rice, Fresh Mange Tout (pea pods) and a superb Citrus Hollandaise. I probably should have ahd the excellent looking Seared Beef Fillet with Roasted Root Veggies, Polenta, Onion Marmelade and Butternut Chips with Rocket (test your memory and check my reports from earlier this week to see what these are!), but I was feeling full and needed some fish.
The dessert was a divine BAKED ORANGE & MARMALADE PUDDING with yummy Clove Ice Cream and Candied Orange, and they graciously gave me a 1/2 portion on request.
We were off to bed early as we had to rise just after 5am for our game drive this morning. On this drive we saw a pride of two female and one male lions, white rhinos (including a little lad of 3-4 months), a dazzel of Burchell zebra, warthogs, red hartebeest,blesbok, gemsbock (oryx), impala, waterbuck, kudu, numerous birds and springbok, which was also my breakfast dish upon return.
We had a superb brunch at 1045am upon return after a 4+ hour drive (and 2 site inspections of other lodges) and I chose the magnificent CORN & SAFFRON Fritters with SMOKED SPRINGBOK & Cucumber Salad. The fritters here are fried, but ever so lightly and much thicker, almost like a biscuit, making them perfect for breakfast. The springbok, as it was smoked, was as lean as eat could be, and reminded me of the best quality pastrami one has ever eaten back home! We used some of Mrs. Ball's Chutney here and there and on the accompanying meat and cheese platters and I have got to buy this stuff to bring home. The Original is as mild as chutney gets, but I hear the "hot" is truly spectacular. I even purchased a small bag of SIMBA's Crisps (that's potato chips) flavored with this chutney to bring home, as Samuel will appreciate the Simba lion on the package, I hope.
Well--we are off to an animal rehab center then to Port Elizabeth, our last visit in the East Cape before heading to safari in the east. I hope to be able to send these out, as we have no access here in Shamwari today.
