Madikwe really does deserve consideration when planning an itinerary to South Africa.

It is a large reserve. At about 90,000 hectares it is about twice the size of  Sabi Sand. It looks and feels like the 'real' Africa. It is also malaria free. Expect to see open plains, rolling hills, trees silhouetted against the sunrise and great sunsets. The Africa you see in the movies.

It is accessible by light aircraft direct from Johannesburg. There are up to 2 flights in both directions daily and the flight takes about an hour. It is also about 5 hours transfer from the airport (watch out most of the literature says 4 hours) and the roads are good enough to self-drive if you prefer.  

It is home to the Big Five as well as cheetah, wild dog and black rhino. Every time we have been to the reserve the safari experience gets consistently better and is easily comparable with any other private reserve in Africa. The rangers will tell you that the wildlife is good because it is a reserve that transects different geographical areas and is partially Acacia Woodland, partially Kalahari Sand. Here you will see impala and springbok in the same reserve, which is unusual.

During their winter months the evenings and mornings get chilly, but you will be rewarded with bright sunny days and clear blue skies. The summer days are hot and an afternoon rain shower is not unusual. The roads can get muddy in the summer but the rangers knows how to navigate this.

We Recommend

There are a number of great lodges we recommend in Madikwe. Morukuru is our favourite for families, consisting of a collection of exclusive use lodges. Calling all foodies - Jamala Madikwe’s chef and general manager is a genius. Mateya has some of the best rangers in the whole area. The views from Madikwe Hills are simply jaw-dropping.