Located in South Africa along the Botswana border, the Madikwe Game Reserve may be one of the lesser-known parks in South Africa, but this hidden gem has plenty of delights up its sleeve. Transitioning between lowveld bushveld and the Kalahari thornveld, the reserve showcases 75 000 hectares of jewel-toned flora and fauna in an area comprised of vast open plains of grasslands, woodlands, rocky outcrops, and single mountains. This spectacular reserve is also malaria-free, one of the biggest reserves in South Africa and its diverse ecosystem provides a habitat for 86 mammals, 420 bird species and 105 tree species. Madikwe Hills is an enticing private game lodge ingeniously perched on a rocky outcrop, set amongst boulders and age-old Tamboti trees. The lodge is ideally situated in the very heart of the Madkiwe Game Reserve where the Big 5 roam freely giving guests an added advantage over the other lodges situated on the borders of the reserve. These teeming plains means that guests can expect to hit the Big 5 jackpot, as well as encounters with the rare African wild dog, cheetah, eland, kudu, giraffe, zebra and more.
Within Madikwe Hills Game Lodge, Little Madikwe consists of an opulent self-contained 2-bedroom Private Villa and is the ultimate in luxury and privacy. The villa accommodates 4 to 5 guests and by reserving suites 9 and 10 at the Main Lodge, Little Madikwe forms a completely private camp accommodating up to 8 guests, ideal for families and small group safaris. Expect luxurious décor and suites with open-air decks, plunge pools, outdoor showers, fireplaces, air-conditioning, and concertina glass doors that open the room up entirely to engulf you in the African bush.
Little Madikwe comes with a dedicated villa attendant to respond to your every need, an expert game ranger and your own private chef. Set against the stunning backdrop of wildlife and African savannah, the expansive outdoor wooden deck is a great space for festive entertaining with family or friends while the kids splash about in the large sparkling swimming pool. The villa’s interior boasts a state-of-the-art gourmet kitchen with an enchanting dining room that is the perfect setting to enjoy the culinary delights prepared by your personal chef. After a day in the bush, the sumptuous cosy lounge is the perfect spot to curl up with a glass of wine and a good book. Your lavish home away from home also has a reception room equipped with a satellite TV and a DVD collection which means you can still have ‘movie night’ and keep the young ones entertained.
Little Madikwe is so luxurious everything is planned around your own specific needs and the ultimate luxury is being able to set your own meal and safari game drive times. Fancy a midday snack? Ask your chef to whip something up, you can even pick up a few culinary tips whilst you watch your meal being prepared. If you want to take an impromptu game drive all you have to do is let your game ranger know. A dedicated game ranger and game viewing vehicle means that you can enjoy private game drives at your leisure, for as long or as short as you wish. Should you wish to dine at the Main Lodge, pamper yourself at the Spa or enjoy a quieter game drive without the little ones, a child minder can be arranged at a small hourly fee. From experienced sitters for the babies and exciting activities for the kiddies to educational Junior Ranger programmes, Madikwe Hills offers truly memorable interactive safari experiences for the whole family.
Before you leave, make sure you pop into Madikwe Hill’s curio shop for a wonderful selection of clothing, trinkets, and African memorabilia, which make for perfect souvenirs or gifts for your friends and family back home. More than half of the items in the curio shop come from Community Projects, helping, and benefiting the communities who make these beautiful pieces of art.
Children of all ages are welcome at Little Madikwe.
The Best of South Africa Travel map displays the locations of the destinations and accommodation that we have selected and visited; for each item, hovering over or clicking the marker will display a short summary and photo of that place or hotel, and hotel pricing. Follow the links in the info box to the full page listing which has much more information.
Note that the online map offers both a satellite view (click satellite in the top right) and, for some locations, a street level view (Drag the person in the top left onto the map). These let you explore the country; and when you wish to explore in person, or if you have any questions about the places you see, give our staff a call, or request a quote. Our staff regularly visit the places and accommodation that we feature.
When you book a holiday with us we will provide full driving instructions for reaching your accommodation, where necessary; these can be used by yourself, or you could enjoy the luxury of a driver. Alternatively we will arrange private (car rather than coach) transfers for you; helicopter transfers are also possible for some destinations.
