Madikwe Safari Lodge

Madikwe Game Reserve is in North West Province, on the Botswana border, and it is malaria-free. That is why it anchors The Malaria-Free Family Circuit. Parents of very young children ask us whether they can do a Big Five safari without anyone taking prophylaxis, and Madikwe is a large part of the answer.

The reserve was farmland until the 1990s, when it was restocked with more than 8,000 animals. Today it has lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo, and a resident pack of wild dog, which is what most people remember. The pack is followed by radio collar, and when your guide gets the call you go straight to it. The woodland is open, with clear sightlines, which helps older guests.

Madikwe Safari Lodge has two parts we use. For a family of four to six, ask for Elela Villa: it is booked for exclusive use, has three suites for up to six guests, and comes with its own guide and chef, a pool and in-suite spa treatments. Lelapa Camp, with its waterhole-view suites, takes a larger party alongside it. There is also a viewing hide above the main waterhole where the whole family can count game together, no vehicle needed.

On The Malaria-Free Family Circuit you fly in from Cape Town and stay four nights before flying on to Tswalu.

Good to know

• Bush walks are for guests aged 16 and over; younger children track from the vehicle.
• Malaria-free.
• All ages are welcome, and activities are adapted for young children.
• Good all year; the dry winter months make the open woodland easier still.

Country: South Africa