5-Day Malaria-Free Private Safari in Madikwe

• You'll be collected from the airport.
• Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.

Arrival in Johannesburg Overnight at OR Tambo

Welcome to South Africa! On arrival at OR Tambo International Airport, you are met by our complimentary VIP meet-and-greet service, who will assist you through the airport and see you to the Protea Hotel OR Tambo, just moments from the terminal. After a long international flight, there is no easier place to land — check in, unwind over dinner in the restaurant, and enjoy a restful night before the adventure begins. Tomorrow you leave the city behind and fly north into the malaria-free wilderness of the Madikwe Game Reserve.

Main Destination:

Johannesburg (City)

Accommodation:

Protea Hotel O R Tambo

• Luxury+ hotel

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Charter Flight to Madikwe & Arrival at Jaci's Safari Lodge

After breakfast, you are transferred to the private terminal at OR Tambo for your charter flight to Madikwe Eastern Airstrip (optional for an extra cost) — a scenic flight over the bushveld before your ranger meets you for the game drive in to Jaci's Safari Lodge. Set on the banks of the Marico River in the heart of the malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve, this is your home for the next three nights, on a fully inclusive basis with all meals and twice-daily game drives. Head out at dawn and again in the late afternoon in an open-sided 4x4 with an expert ranger and tracker, searching for lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino, along with Madikwe's famed packs of African wild dog. Between drives, relax at the pool, watch elephant come down to the river, or unwind in the spa (optional for an extra cost) before dinner beneath a sky full of stars.

Main Destination:

Madikwe Game Reserve

Best Time To Visit May to September (Dry season)

High Season October to April (The park is busier, especially during school holidays)

Best Weather April to May and September to October (Mild weather and little rain)

Wildlife in Madikwe GR

ElephantAbundant

GiraffeCommon

White RhinoCommon

LionCommon

ZebraCommon

WildebeestCommon

Show more

Black RhinoOccasional

LeopardOccasional

CheetahOccasional

BuffaloOccasional

HippoOccasional

HyenaOccasional

Wild DogOccasional

Accommodation:

Jacis Private Lodge

• Luxury+ private villa located inside Madikwe GR

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• All drinks (Premium wines & liquors might be excluded)

Full Day on Safari in the Madikwe Game Reserve

Your first full day in Madikwe begins before sunrise, with coffee at the fire before you set out on the morning game drive. The reserve's mix of open plains, rocky hills and riverine bush supports remarkable diversity — this is one of the best places in the country to encounter the endangered African wild dog, alongside lion, elephant, rhino and buffalo. Return to the lodge for breakfast and a slow middle of the day: swim, read on your deck, or watch elephant come down to drink at the waterhole. In the late afternoon you head out again, pausing for sundowners as the bush turns gold, and returning after dark with the spotlight scanning for nocturnal life.

Main Destination:

Madikwe Game Reserve

Accommodation:

Jacis Private Lodge

• Luxury+ private villa located inside Madikwe GR

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• All drinks (Premium wines & liquors might be excluded)

Bush Walks & Big Five Game Drives in Madikwe

Your final full day in Madikwe brings another early start and a fresh perspective on the reserve. After the dawn game drive, stretch your legs on a guided bush walk with your ranger, learning to read tracks in the sand and discovering the smaller details of the bushveld that pass unnoticed from a vehicle. Spend the heat of the day at leisure at the lodge before setting out on one last afternoon drive, pausing for a classic sundowner as the sky turns to fire over the plains. Return to Jaci's for a farewell dinner in the boma, with the sounds of the African night all around you."

Main Destination:

Madikwe Game Reserve

Accommodation:

Jacis Private Lodge

• Luxury+ private villa located inside Madikwe GR

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• All drinks (Premium wines & liquors might be excluded)

Farewell to Madikwe & Flight Back to Johannesburg

Enjoy a final morning game drive as the reserve wakes, followed by a leisurely breakfast at the lodge. You are then transferred to the Madikwe airstrip for your flight back to OR Tambo International (optional for an extra cost), arriving in good time to connect with your onward international departure. You leave with unforgettable memories of wild dogs on the hunt, elephant at the river and sundowners on the open plains and, we hope, the intention to return to Alkebulan, the Mother of Mankind.

Main Destination:

Johannesburg Airport (Johannesburg)

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

• Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
• You'll be dropped off at the airport.