Madikwe Safari Lodge

Lodges

Our three lodges, Lelapa, Dithaba and Kopano comprise of 20 suites in total and give guests a choice to stay together as a group of family and friends, or to have a more private bush experience as a couple. Our staff know exactly how to make you feel welcome, comfortable and relaxed. If you curl up on your couch at home, that is what we encourage you to do with us at Madikwe Safari Lodge.

Lelapa Lodge: Lelapa which means family in the local dialect is exactly that. It has the spirit and comfort of being at a home and is the Lodge where we allow guests of all ages to stay.

Kopano Lodge: Kopano which means “small gathering” comprises only four suites with a beautiful common area offering an intermit and private experience.

Dithaba Lodge: Dithaba, meaning mountain in the local dialect, is located slightly higher up on the mountain and has incredible views over the open plans.

We have provided an easy reference table to make sure you make the best choice of Lodge for your stay with us and if you have any further questions please reach out to us (See CONTACT page) as the better informed you are about your stay with us the more you will get out of your safari.

Safaris
Get closer to the raw wilderness than ever before, unchanged, untamed and untainted.
So many people who look to South Africa for a safari know about Kruger but not so many know about the Madikwe Reserve. Our family are 4th generation owners of Lion Sands Private Game Reserve, Sabi Sand, Kruger National Park and although this is the region we know best and is the premier wilderness reserve in Southern Africa the Madikwe Reserve should be considered for its own unique strengths and is the reason why we have recently partnered in this area.
We have listed below a little generic information about the Madikwe which may help you understand the difference in these regions however fundamentally if you are not insistent on seeing Leopard, are a little concerned about malaria in Kruger, are travelling with a young family or are looking to stretch your budget a little further then you should definitely be considering the Madikwe Reserve.
The other reason we suggest guests look to Madikwe is that if their main purpose for coming to South Africa is safari then combining Kruger with Madikwe is honestly the best of what South Africa has to offer in the luxury safari experiential market. We would suggest doing Madikwe first, never spending less than 3 nights at any one lodge and then going onto Kruger for again not less than 3 nights. Although the distance and logistics are a little complicated in connecting the two areas, trust me, it is worth the effort as you are combing two spectacular regions, each with their unique species and a safari experience which is arguable the best in Africa in terms of quality over quantity as on quantity we are not able to compete against East Africa.

Families
At Madikwe Safari Lodge, many of us have kids of our own, so we know and understand what an unforgettable experience it is for children to be in the bush. We therefore encourage you to bring your little ones with you on safari. We do, however, know that it’s daunting to do this for the first time, so we thought we’d give you some information to help you plan…

Food
Let us know what you and your kids like to eat and we’ll do our best to accommodate your requirements with healthy, tasty food and snacks. We try to use as much locally grown produce as we can, because it just tastes better. We can’t promise though that a few marshmallows won’t find their way into the boma dinner menu to be toasted and enjoyed around the fire.

Rooms
We’ve got two large family suites in Lelapa Lodge (Lelapa is Tswana for family) which are perfect for families with up to two children, ten years old and under. Each suite has twin beds and a comfortable sleeper-couch. The suites all have their own pools, which keep little ones busy during the middle of the day when we don’t have wildlife activities. The pools can be covered with pool nets to ensure safety outside of swimming times.

Eco House
To many hotels and lodges around the world profess to be child friendly but fall way short on delivering an experience which caters for families in the way that parents travelling today expect them to. We wanted to be different, buck the trend and actually deliver an experience as if created by parents as opposed to an operational manual which, is exactly what we have done at Lelapa Lodge.
Outside of the incredible array of activities which we offer which can be seen under the FAMILIES (embed the link to the FAMILIES tab) section of the website we have invested in building an educational center, aptly called the ECO-HOUSE.
The ECO-HOUSE is only a part of the Madikwe Cubz activities on offer but is such a highlight during a kids stay that we wanted to provide a little more information about what is offered.
The center is managed by our Field Ranging team so there is continuity between the activities done outdoors to what we continue with as experiential learning done inside the ECO-HOUSE. The relationship is also continued so the kids don’t need to meet a new team of the staff and have the ranger taking them on safari and doing the learning.
The center is a hive of activity where we are painting, drawing, making location specific models and arts and or getting to touch & smell some of the live specimens in the center. Parents have the choice to either engage in the learning with their kids or steal a few hours for themselves knowing their kids will never even know they are not by their side. This experience is unique to Madikwe Safari Lodge and has been done in consultation with the owner parents, guest parents, managers and North West parks, who have assisted in all the required permits for the live specimens.
In kid language... ECO-HOUSE is just AWESOME!

Weddings
We have hosted both intimate and larger safari weddings at our different private lodges, so we know what a memorable setting they can be for that special occasion. If you are considering getting married with us, please make contact so that we can start planning and tailoring the event early, as we know that each occasion is unique in its requirements. You can either come meet with us at the lodge, or we can communicate via telephone to start sculpting the perfect programme of events for your consideration.
If you love being in nature and have an appreciation for the spirit of the African bush, we highly recommend a wedding at one of our private lodges. Although the wedding party numbers are limited due to Lodge size, this in fact can add to making this an even more unforgettable experience, shared only with close friends and family.
We look forward to planning this special day for you and your partner.
“We recently held our wedding there and what an amazing place with amazing people. We have been there before an knew that we would have an excellent experience but we never thought that they could be even better, they pulled out all the stops from the rangers to the mangers who helped us with every little details and request no matter how small. What a wonderful friendly bunch of people in the most beautiful setting All we can say is thank you thank you thanks you and we look forward to coming back soon.

Honeymoons
Follow your heart to the bush. Whether it’s your first breakaway as a couple or your second honeymoon, you want it to be an unforgettable experience. Romantic, idyllic, private and secluded – Madikwe Safari Lodge is the ideal setting to celebrate the start of a new life together or to fall in love all over again.
The suites are private and spacious equipped with their own private swimming pools with great views over the surrounding landscape. In Winter, May through to August, the wood burning fireplace in each suite makes for once of the most romantic turndowns, falling asleep as the soft light flickers throughout the room.
Surrender to the beauty and serenity of the bushveld and enjoy being pampered and looked after by our staff, while you get to relax and truly enjoy each other’s company. Surrounded by nature and all its charms, a honeymoon at Madikwe Safari Lodge is without a doubt one of the most romantic getaways you’ll ever experience.