Cultures and parks of the North

After arrival at Johannesburg airport or if you prefer, drive your rental car to the Madikwe game reserve in the morning after an overnight stay in Pretoria. Your accommodation is located in this reserve where you'll not only find the Big 5; you'll also be sharing this park with second largest elephant population in South Africa. Stay in one of the cosy rooms at our luxurious bush lodge and experience the genuine safari-feeling every second of your trip..... even while floating in the swimming pool. The pool looks out over the bush and you'll be able to hear the lions roar in the distance. Since Madikwe game reserve is malaria-free, it's also a great South Africa safari destination for families with children. Not only is breakfast included in this trip, but so are all other meals. Meals are served in the lodge's open air boma (restaurant). Game drives are included in the price of this trip.

Wake up bright and early and enjoy a game drive at sunrise. Our professional lodge rangers will take you out into Madikwe game reserve in an open-top Land Rover in search of lions, hyenas, leopards and cheetahs. Of course these aren't the only animals you'll encounter, you'll also see elephants, rhinos, different types of antelopes, zebras and ostriches. The rangers will tell you everything there is to know about the bush. 

The Madikwe bush camp is separated from the open bush and the Big 5 by a large fence. This fence allows you to walk around freely through the camp without having a ranger present. Of course you can always choose to lounge around in the pool for a while if you're looking for a cool place to relax. At the end of the afternoon it's time for more activity. In the evening after dinner, unwind by the campfire while gazing up at the starry African sky and discussing the amazing adventures you've had during the day with your new friends at the bush camp. This really is the best malaria-free safari South Africa has to offer!

After breakfast it's time to leave the Madikwe game reserve behind you and embark on the long drive to your next stop. From Pretoria you'll travel towards Bronkhorstspruit, near the Loskop Dam game reserve. This 27 kilometre dam is one of the largest in Southern Africa and is home to all kinds of birds and impressive animals. If you have some time left over this afternoon, it's definitely worth a visit. If you prefer a relaxing afternoon by the pool, keep driving until you reach a cosy guest house and relax with a dive into the cool waters of a swimming pool. 

Today you'll be driving through the arid northern territory of the Limpopo province. This area that is much more spread out than you would imagine it to be; therefore it's important to stock up on supplies in one of the villages along the way. Gradually the surroundings will become greener and sometime in the afternoon you'll arrive in Tzaneen, at the heart of Pedi territory. The name Tzaneen comes from the Pedi-word "Tzana", which means "basket full of fruit". Fittingly, Tzaneen and its surroundings are known for citrus fruit, mango and lychee cultivation. During your stay here you'll spend the night in a cosy, yet luxurious lodge on the banks of the Letaba River.

The Limpopo province is where you'll find the culture of the northern Sotho, also known as the Pedi. The Pedi are best known for the legend of Modjadji, "Queen of the Rain". To find out more about the Pedi heritage visit the Bakone Malapa Kraal, a traditional northern Sotho settlement near Polokwane (Pietersburg).

If you'd like to participate in outdoor activities during your stay here, there is plenty to choose from: rafting, swimming, fishing, hiking in the Wolkberg, or a game of golf on the guest house golf course. You may even want to try to wrap your arms around the largest Baobab tree in the world (circumference 46,8 metres) at the Sunland orchard. This tree is believed to be at least 6000 years old! You'll spend the night at the lodge in Tzaneen once again.

After breakfast your module ends here..... however, if you can't get enough of the Big 5 you can continue your journey on one of the following modules in the Kruger Park area. You can either choose to stay in Kruger Park itself and drive around independently in search of elephants and lions with the module Rondavels in Kruger, or you can choose a module that combines both Kruger and a private reserve. The module Oil Lanterns in the Bush will allow you to join rangers on safari in search of animals in the bush while you stay in small scale accommodation.

If you're looking for a truly awesome adventure, choose the Exclusive Kruger Game Drives module for a genuine "Out of Africa" experience. You'll spend the night in a small scale bush accommodation and enjoy fantastic food, game drives (or game walks) with professional rangers and very unique opportunities like braving an outdoor shower. 

Aside from travelling on through one of these modules, you can also choose to return to Pretoria or Johannesburg.