Madikwe Game Reserve safari lodge in South Africa
| country: | South Africa | ||||
| location: | Madikwe Game Reserve | ||||
| price: | From R 2,295 per person per night sharing low season: May-Jun. From R 4,295 peak season: Oct-Apr. Price includes meals and two game activities per day.
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| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
description
Walking with a guest, tracking lions in the magnificent Madikwe Game Reserve, Jan discovered a site that would within a few years become the foundation for the lodges.
The dynamic combination of Jan's vision, to create an authentic luxurious tented safari lodge and Jaci's passion for the vibrant colours of Africa, ensured a dream became reality. The sister Lodges now lie adjacent to one another on the banks of the Groot Marico River in the malaria free Madikwe Game Reserve which plays host to the “Top Ten” game and 66 mammal species. These include lions, leopard, cheetah, wild dog, buffalo, elephant, black and white rhino, spotted and brown hyena, giraffe, zebra, kudu, wildebeest as well as hippos and crocodiles.
You can expect to see Wild Dog, both Black and White Rhino, extensive plains game, including Sable, Gemsbok, Springbok and Giraffe, as well as over 340 species of birds. We at the lodges, invite you to share the wildness of Africa in the exclusive luxury of one (or both) of our magnificent lodges.
The dynamic combination of Jan's vision, to create an authentic luxurious tented safari lodge and Jaci's passion for the vibrant colours of Africa, ensured a dream became reality. The sister Lodges now lie adjacent to one another on the banks of the Groot Marico River in the malaria free Madikwe Game Reserve which plays host to the “Top Ten” game and 66 mammal species. These include lions, leopard, cheetah, wild dog, buffalo, elephant, black and white rhino, spotted and brown hyena, giraffe, zebra, kudu, wildebeest as well as hippos and crocodiles.
special things to do and see at this Madikwe Game Reserve safari lodge
Two game activities daily. Relax around any of the pools or take a nap in one of the hammocks. Ask for a private camp out if you are one of the more adventurous! Fire cooked meals served under a blanket of African stars - heaven indeed! Perfect for romantic safaris, weddings, and for families.You can expect to see Wild Dog, both Black and White Rhino, extensive plains game, including Sable, Gemsbok, Springbok and Giraffe, as well as over 340 species of birds. We at the lodges, invite you to share the wildness of Africa in the exclusive luxury of one (or both) of our magnificent lodges.
rooms, food and facilities
The Safari Lodge is a unique, open plan thatched area built around a huge termite mound. The rooms are a complimentary mixture of vibrant colours, stone, canvas and shaggy thatch. Each room has a private wooden deck which overlooks a small ravine and running stream.
The exclusive Nare Suite at Safari Lodge offers the ultimate bush experience with a private guide and game viewing vehicle. The Suite boasts an active waterhole which can be viewed from your room or private pool and deck.
The Tree Lodge comprises breathtaking tree houses hidden amongst the ancient riverine forest, each encompassing a large Tamboetie or Leadwood tree. Raised rosewood walkways link all rooms to the main Lodge. Each room has its own private rosewood deck that opens into the forest. Vibrant colours compliment the surrounding bushveld and forest.
All en-suite bathrooms Central dining area Bush dinners & boma dinners Swimming pools Waterhole at lodges Hide to camp out ‘Jungle’ drives, game drives & game walks Bird watching River deck
Family friendly: Children aged 10 and younger sharing with their parents qualify for a special Kiddies rate, which includes child minders and the "jungle drive". Children aged 8 and older are allowed on the adults drive and will be given dinner in the dining room on their return from the evening drive. The little ones aged 1 - 7 are taken on a separate "jungle drive" during the day - this is anything from 1/2 an hour to an hour and a half depending on the interest levels of the kiddies on the drive. Parents are welcome to come along BUT must behave like children!!! Child minders look after your treasures while you are on drive and dinner is served @ 18.00 in the dining room.
We are now offering specialized safari programmes for children. This is offered as an optional extra over and above our normal ‘jungle drives’ - it is more detailed and offers a wider bush experience. There will be an additional charge per child per half day for this - it must be booked in advance and is an optional extra. This programme will be available to children aged 3 - 10 yr and will be facilitated by a professional guide. Activities will include bush craft, inspector and detective trails, animal tracking, birds of a feather, touch tables, river safaris, game drives and walks.
By air: Daily schedule flight from Oliver Thambo International Airport direct to the lodges. Private charters can also be arranged on request.
The exclusive Nare Suite at Safari Lodge offers the ultimate bush experience with a private guide and game viewing vehicle. The Suite boasts an active waterhole which can be viewed from your room or private pool and deck.
The Tree Lodge comprises breathtaking tree houses hidden amongst the ancient riverine forest, each encompassing a large Tamboetie or Leadwood tree. Raised rosewood walkways link all rooms to the main Lodge. Each room has its own private rosewood deck that opens into the forest. Vibrant colours compliment the surrounding bushveld and forest.
Family friendly: Children aged 10 and younger sharing with their parents qualify for a special Kiddies rate, which includes child minders and the "jungle drive". Children aged 8 and older are allowed on the adults drive and will be given dinner in the dining room on their return from the evening drive. The little ones aged 1 - 7 are taken on a separate "jungle drive" during the day - this is anything from 1/2 an hour to an hour and a half depending on the interest levels of the kiddies on the drive. Parents are welcome to come along BUT must behave like children!!! Child minders look after your treasures while you are on drive and dinner is served @ 18.00 in the dining room.
We are now offering specialized safari programmes for children. This is offered as an optional extra over and above our normal ‘jungle drives’ - it is more detailed and offers a wider bush experience. There will be an additional charge per child per half day for this - it must be booked in advance and is an optional extra. This programme will be available to children aged 3 - 10 yr and will be facilitated by a professional guide. Activities will include bush craft, inspector and detective trails, animal tracking, birds of a feather, touch tables, river safaris, game drives and walks.
how to find this Madikwe Game Reserve safari lodge
By car: The lodge is an easy 3 and a half to 4 hour drive from ORT International Airport. Allow us to arrange a private road transfer for you or you could simply take the self drive option. We are based in the North West Province of South Africa. By air: Daily schedule flight from Oliver Thambo International Airport direct to the lodges. Private charters can also be arranged on request.
how this holiday makes a difference
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The lodge prides itself in outstanding personal attention to service. This is due to the fact that the owners of the lodge live there too. Also as the staff are part of a trust that makes them owners of the lodge as well they take exceptional pride in what they do.
25.1% of our shares are registered in the name of the staff trust – any staff member who works for us for 5 years and longer will be registered as a member of this trust – when dividends are declared 25% would then be divided amongst the members of the trust – this to me is a true form of empowerment and will hopefully mean that in a few years time all our staff will be shareholders. Of the 7 registered members 5 are female, 1 European and 2 male. If they leave the company they do not take the share with. More than 80% of our staff are PDI. Local staff are in management positions. Staff are financially assisted with funeral arrangement/payments. Local contractors are used for building, refuse removal, wood collecting, laundry and grocery deliveries. Our local village is Molatedi – we regularly take the school children on game drives in the reserve and then a tour of the lodges – this allows them to experience the thrill of wild animal encounters and see an operating lodge and the tangible reasons why the community is benefiting from Lodges like ours. Our laundry is done by Mr. Ramorula of Molatedi – he also delivers our wood, gas and has done building at the lodges in the past 2 years to a contract value of about R300000.00. We have purchased 3 bakkies for Mr. Ramarula (as he was unable to get financial assistance from the banks!) and he has nearly paid for all of them within 18 months. Most of our curio stock is locally made by independent individuals. A true ‘safari experience’ is enjoyed by all our guests as the lodges which are constructed from materials found in the veld blend into and complement the natural surroundings making us as unobtrusive as possible to the game that comes to our waterhole to drink. Use energy saving bulbs and gas as well as paraffin as opposed to electricity. We reuse grey water to feed into a waterhole near the lodge. No game drives or guest vehicles are washed with hoses but rather bucket of water. We used mostly natural products to construct the lodges. We used thatch, wood, stone, canvas. Hardly any metal or glass is used. We support conservation by promoting it. All guides inform guests of important issues of conservation facing South Africa. |
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