Madikwe Safari Lodge

Location & Setting

Madikwe is a provincial reserve on the Botswana border, fenced along its outer boundary but with no fences inside it, and its predator-rich sightings come without public day visitors. Access is via a roughly 4.5-hour drive from Johannesburg or convenient scheduled charter flights to Madikwe’s private airstrips.

Rooms

The lodge comprises 20 spacious, contemporary African-style suites across Lelapa, Kopano, and Dithaba. Lelapa welcomes families of all ages, while Kopano and Dithaba host guests 16+ (with Dithaba accepting children only on exclusive use). Each suite opens onto a private deck and plunge pool and has an en-suite bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers, air-conditioning, a personal bar and a safe. Kopano and Dithaba suites also have fireplaces, and furnishings follow the region’s earth-toned palette.

For a private group, Elela Villa is an exclusive-use villa of three suites with its own team and private vehicle. At Lelapa, children aged five and under cannot join shared drives, but a private vehicle can be hired, and a short family drive after breakfast suits the youngest. Babysitting is available. Walkers must be 16 or older, and transfers to and from the Madikwe airstrip are included in the rate.

Facilities

Guest areas across the three camps feature elegant lounges, open-air dining spaces, panoramic viewing decks, starlit boma settings, main swimming pools, a spa offering African-inspired wellness treatments, and complimentary Wi-Fi in social areas. The lodge also has a gym, and the spa at Lelapa adds a steam room and dipping pool. Service is exceptionally attentive and highly personalized, maintaining the polished intimacy expected of premier private safari lodges.