About
Conveniently close to Johannesburg in North West Province, malaria-free Madikwe and its 75,000 hectares of wilderness hug South Africa’s border with Botswana. All the Big Five are present and correct, plus resurgent populations of zebra, giraffe, cheetah and endangered wild dog, following a huge operation begun in 1991 to rejuvenate the park’s fauna. Most of them previously poached out, over 10,000 mammals in total were re-introduced. To see them, you’ll have to stay at the one of the exclusive lodges: self-drives or day-trips amid the reddish savannah, giant boulders and ancient Tamboti trees are not permitted.
Highlights
Each boasting a different atmosphere, Madikwe’s lodges are spaced out to try and ensure privacy; as this is South Africa’s fourth-largest reserve and off most tourists’ itineraries, you should enjoy ample seclusion. Safari-wise, the animals have become well used to open-sided jeeps, so won’t tear off when they see you. Better yet, off-road driving restrictions are minimal so guides – who communicate sightings by radio – can get you close to your subjects. Most lodges operate dawn and dusk game drives, with lazy downtime in between.
Getting There
Driving from Johannesburg takes four hours following the N1, N4 and R49. For lodges in the western side of the park, use the Wonderboom Gate. For the central and eastern sections, access is via the Abjaterskop Gate. Alternatively, there are twice-daily (morning and afternoon) 50-minute charter flights from Johannesburg, although these can only be booked in tandem with accommodation.
Best Time To Visit
While game viewing is good year-round, summer’s dense green bush allows animals to hide more easily, and abundant water means they don’t need to head to rivers as often – making spotting them trickier than during dry winter (June-September) months. Winter mornings and evenings can be chilly in, with summer unsurprisingly milder.
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.
