Photo Safari Experiences
Madikwe Photo Safari Experiences
Private Luxury Madikwe Safari Experience
Madikwe Game Reserve is currently the fifth largest game reserve and is also one of the lesser known parks in South Africa. This makes it a hidden gem as it is regarded as one of the best conservation areas in Africa and offers the Big 5 in a 680 km2 park (750 km2 including newly incorporated privately owned land). The park offers a number of luxurious lodges as well as a self-catering lodge in a malaria- free zone. One thing that separates Madikwe from all other National Parks in South Africa is that there's no self drive aloud, yes all the game drives are only conducted by the different lodges only.
In 1991 the area was declared a reserve and 10 000 mammals were relocated from other National Parks. The park is home to approximately 66 large mammals and roughly 300 bird species. You will find all this flora and fauna in an area comprised of vast open plains of grasslands, woodlands, rocky outcrops and single mountains. The area is bordered in the south by the Dwarsberg Mountains. Madikwe offers any photographer countless photography opportunities from the most famous Leopard to the rest of the big 5 the Lion, Rhino, Elephant, Buffalo and then there's also the Cheetah the famous Painted Dogs other herbivore and over 300 bird species.
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About 90 kilometres north of the town of Zeerust is Madikwe Game Reserve. It is situated against the Botswana border close to the Kalahari Desert. It is roughly 4.5 hours in a car from Johannesburg/ Pretoria. Safari Lodges are mostly located around the eastern and western gate. The land where Madikwe now stands was previously used as farming land. The poor soil meant that farming was mostly unsuccessful and the South African government then decided that it would best be used as a national park to help economically uplift the disadvantaged area.
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An exclusive safari destination
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Madikwe Game Reserve is home to many lodges that all have something unique to offer. Some are ultra luxurious, some are family friendly and one is self-catering with it's own open safari vehicle guide and other staff. Staying these such a lodge implies that meals are included in your stay (except at the self-catering lodge). Also the most important thing, safari activities, are included in the rate. This is the quintessential advantage of staying in this national private park: You will be guided by highly trained guides that can tell you everything about the reserve and the animals. Day visitors are not allowed in the park, so you can only stay here when booked into one of the lodges. You also may not drive around the reserve on your own. This guarantees the park's exclusivity. One of the other major advantages is that when on safari with one of the rangers, they may drive off-road something that is strictly prohibited in other national parks. So, when following a leopard, your ranger is allowed to follow it in the bush.
Getting to Madikwe Game Reserve
Perfect Fly-in Photo Safari
Depending on your individual travel needs, you can get to the Madikwe Game Reserve in a variety of ways. Most people choose a scheduled flight. Travellers on a longer journey travelling by rental car also have easy access to Madikwe. You can fly straight to Madikwe from O.R. Tambo Johannesburg International Airport with Federal Air. Or if you prefer to be driven to Madikwe then book a luxury air-conditioned shuttle with Biggestleaf Tours and enjoy free Wi-Fi while you sit back and enjoy the ride to your lodge. Flying time to Madikwe from JHB is one hour compared to the four hours by road transfer.
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A Typical day on a luxury Madikwe Photo Safari
This is an all-inclusive luxury Madikwe Photo Safari Experience. Accommodation in a Luxury Safari lodges, Breakfast, Lunch, High Tea, Dinner, Coffee and Tea, Wifi, 2 Game drives per day in an Open Safari Vehicle with a FGASA qualified and experienced guide on a big 5 conservancy and Amarula coffee and Gin & Tonic sundowners on your game drive. In the summer months wake-up and coffee is at 5 am to be ready to depart on your morning game drive at 5:30 and return for breakfast at 8:30. Then you can relax by the pool and wait for wildlife to come and drink from a nearby waterhole or enjoy a range of spa treatments followed by lunch followed by your afternoon sunset game drive from 16:30 to 19:30 followed by dinner.
During the night drives, your tracker uses a powerful spotlight to search for nocturnal animals. Expect to see a wide variety of animals not normally seen during the day, including leopards, hyenas, aardvarks, bat-eared fox, porcupines, bush babies, bushbucks, meerkats, genet cats and nocturnal birds like owls and nightjars.
For the more energetic, each day after breakfast there is the option of a morning bush walk. The walk is an opportunity to experience the bushveld at close quarters. All walking safaris are led by qualified rangers with a rifle. They will explain the animal tracks and what animals passed through during the night, in addition to the sophistication of termite mounds and other interesting facets of the bush that go unnoticed on game drives.