Madikwe Safari Lodge - September 2023

 After a year in South Africa, we finally experienced our first safari adventure. My mother and her companion came to visit us last September, so we thought it was the perfect opportunity to do this together. Instead of booking a lodge in the famous Kruger National Park, I followed one of my colleagues' advice and looked into the Madikwe Game Reserve, located in the North-West region, along the Botswana border. The drive from Johannesburg took us about 4 and a half hours, with a pit spot in Sun City (approximately half-way) to refill the tank, as there are no recommended gas stations after that (or so we were told by the lodge's staff before departing). The relatively smaller size of the reserve (750 square kilometers) guarantees that you will get to see the wildlife you are expecting to find, including the Big Five. 

 

                        Entering Madikwe Game Reserve

 

 

Still following my colleague's advice, we booked 2 suites for 2 nights at Madikwe Safari Lodge (https://madikwesafarilodge.co.za). The lodge is spread over three locations (Lelapa, Kopano and Dithaba) in close proximity. We chose to stay at the Lelapa complex, because the breakfast/dining area and the pool overlook a watering hole where the animals gather at dusk and dawn. Each suite was independent (no shared wall with another unit), with a large private terrace, a small private pool and an outdoor shower, overlooking the bush.

The normal rate is around  ZAR 12 000 per person per night (based on shared occupancy), which equals approximately EUR 600 at the current exchange rate (1 euro (EUR) = 20 rands (ZAR)). But as SADC residents (SADC stands for Southern African Development Countries and includes Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, United Republic Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe), we can get a discounted rate at ZAR 4799 (EUR 240) per person per night if we book within 45 days of our intended stay. So, for each person, the total came 4799 x 2 (2 nights) + 190 x 2 (conservation fee per night) + 180 (Madikwe entrance fee) = 10 158 rands (approx.  EUR 510). The price includes the accommodation in a luxury private suite, all meals and drinks (except certain liquor brands), and 2 game drives per day. My partner and I were staying in cottage #12, the farthest from the lobby/dining area (at night, you are supposed to have a staff member escort you to/from your cottage, because it is the middle of the bush after all, and predators hunt after dark...) .

                        Path leading to our cottage

Even though we checked in around 3:30 pm, we decided to skip the afternoon game drive starting at 4 pm (because we had just spent over 4 hours sitting in the car). Instead, we just took in the sights and enjoyed a drink while admiring the sunset.

    Impalas around the watering hole at sunset

Awakened at 5:30 am, we met with the other guests in the dining area for a coffee/tea/juice. The first game drive starts at 6 am, with a pit stop in the bush around 7:30 for coffee or tea. It is a great opportunity to watch the sunrise and catch the lions enjoying a lazy morning.

 

  The 4x4 vehicles used by the lodge are quite comfortable considering the terrain, and Billy, our driver/guide, was a treasure of information on all the wildlife and flora we encountered on our first outing of the day. 

 

                        Billy fixing coffee/tea in the bush

 

 Upon our return to the lodge at 9 am, a delicious breakfast à la carte was served to us in the dining area, with a spectacle of impalas and zebras around the watering hole, while a handful of yellow billed hornbills approached the tables, looking for scraps.

 

 

                          Yellow-billed hornbill

After breakfast, we were free to enjoy the amenities (our private pool on the terrace, the larger pool for all the guests with a view on the watering hole, the lounging area). We booked a couple of facial treatments from the spa menu and relaxed in the amazing quietness of the bush. 

 

A small visitor on our terrace, almost invisible on the branch

 

  Lunch was served by the large pool, where guests were greeted by a small herd of warthogs and some curious baboons, while a herd of 17 elephants showed up at the watering hole.

 

 

 

 

 

At 4 pm, we gathered again in the main area for the second game drive of the day. It was a great opportunity again to admire the wildlife, and to encounter some of the animals we had missed on our morning drive (giraffes) as well as some unexpected critters (monitor lizard, crocodile).

 

 

 

 

 

At around 6:30 pm, Billy made a pit stop in the middle of the bush for a happy hour drink at sunset.  

 

 

                            G and T prepared by Billy, guide extraordinaire

 

As night fell and the stars and the moon were the only light illuminating the landscape. Billy hit the road again, withe the help of a powerful searchlight to ward off predators. But instead of taking us back to the lodge for dinner, he drove us to a small clearing in the bush, where a barbecue feast was waiting, unbeknownst to us.

 

 

 

This luxury gathering under the starry sky was the prefect way to end this magnificent trip, as well as a chance to meet some of the other guests, while eating delicious grilled meats and dishes, with a little bit of entertainment provided by the staff. A truly unforgettable moment! 

 

 

 

The next morning, it was time to leave and head back to Johannesburg, our heads full of the marvelous memories we had just made. The staff brought our car back, freshly washed, and handed us lunch boxes for the road, yet another unexpected gift that made our stay at Madikwe Safari Lodge a unique experience. 

Personally, I cannot recommend this place enough. It was a dream from beginning to end. The sense of serenity you can't help but feeling when staring at the open landscape, with the wildlife noise as your only soundtrack, is worth the trip. I just can't wait to repeat the experience.