Madikwe Safari Lodge

Madikwe Safari Lodge Reviews

Madikwe Safari Lodge

Madikwe Game Reserve, Zeerust, North West, 2838, South AfricaView Hotel Details
Madikwe Safari Lodge
Madikwe Safari LodgeMadikwe Safari LodgeMadikwe Safari Lodge
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Madikwe Safari Lodge Guest Reviews

4.8/5
Amazing
43 Reviews
Verified reviews
Location4.8
Amenities4.8
Service4.8
Cleanliness4.8
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Positive reviews(40)
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Guest User
Checked in sept. 2024
Other
5.0/5
Outstanding
Posted on 4 sept. 2024
OMG where do I start. First and foremost, the staff and level of customer service is incredible. I cannot recommend Madikwe Safari Lodge enough. World class experience from start to finish. The attention to detail and service from staff is unmatched. We stayed at Kopano, the rooms were amazing and the housekeeping staff were incredible. There was a private splash pool with an outdoor shower on a beautiful deck. The food is AMAZING, everything we had was perfection. We loved every meal, you’re never left hungry. Our Safari guides Mike and Byron were really knowledgeable and made the game drives so much fun while keeping us feeling safe, finding lots of wildlife for us to see. My recommendation for others is to stay at least three nights so as to have more time to simply sit and relax at the lodge. Skip a safari drive or two - fabulous though they are - to enjoy more time relaxing in the room, on the deck, in the pool, in the lounge, at the spa, or in the gym. So much to enjoy at Madikwe Safari Lodge. We cannot thank you all enough for our amazing stay! Our stay was unforgettable, and we hope to be back soon.
Guest User
Checked in août 2024
Other
5.0/5
Outstanding
Posted on 19 août 2024
Wow wow wow what an amazing experience from start to finish. We have just returned from a 7 night stay at Lelapa lodge. I don't want to say too much as I don't want to spoil your visit with the lovely things that the staff there do for you. However, the food was world class, the accommodation was amazing, the staff were awesome and the game drives magnificent. Petrus, our guide was outstanding. His knowledge of the animals and the park is endless and his love for the animals is infectious. He truly made our holiday. The spa was fabulous. I had 2 treatments there with Olga and her magic hands and they were so relaxing. Big thanks again to Petrus, Noah,Priscilla, Aletta, Kebo, Kabelo and every single member of staff there. All I can say is that you must go to this lodge. It is great for couples and families and I wouldn't hesitate to go back.
Guest User
Checked in août 2024
Other
5.0/5
Outstanding
Posted on 17 août 2024
Everything at Madikwe was great. We stayed a Kopano and could not have had a better experience. The staff was so friendly and accommodating. The game drives were incredible. Of the 3 safaris we have been on, we saw far and away the most exciting things here. Our guide, William, made the trip. He was so knowledgeable, answered our (many, many) questions, and was just so fun to spend time with. A guide can make or break a safari experience and we could not have been more lucky to have such an amazing guide!
Guest User
Checked in août 2024
Other
5.0/5
Outstanding
Posted on 16 août 2024
A world class experience in the bush at Dithaba. Staffs attention to detail was impeccable. Rooms clean & spacious. spa is beautiful & massages from heaven ! Food incredible & variety. Every detail thought out. super special ! A must visit !
Guest User
Checked in août 2024
Family
5.0/5
Outstanding
Posted on 14 août 2024
This place is incredible…. We all had an amazing time from start to finish. The accommodation was stunning and truly luxurious given its location. The staff would go out of their way to make your stay memorable and they literally didn’t skip a beat the whole time we were there. Our 3 boys (18, 10, 6) all had the holiday of their lives and the younger two cried when we left. The game viewing was superb and we saw everything we hoped. Special mention to Mike and Dan our guides who work so hard to ensure you get the best experience and their knowledge and enthusiasm is boundless. What a place…. We’ll definitely be back soon!!!
Guest User
Checked in août 2024
Other
5.0/5
Outstanding
Posted on 14 août 2024
We had the most magical few days celebrating our friend's 50th birthday. From the day we arrived to moment of departure the attention to detail and luxury was there. 2 awesome game drives daily plus we enjoyed 2 bush walks. There is a watering hole directly in front of the hotel so even sitting at the pool afforded us the most spectacular game viewing. While we were there, daily herds of elephants graced us with hours of entertainment. The room I stayed in was well appointed and the option of having the fireplace lit each night , which I loved or the option of a heater/ air con for those who don't like the fireplace. I appreciated the attention paid to my special diet request and there were fish/ vegetarian options at every meal even the night of the spectacular boma dinner. The authenticity of the South African experience even extends to the gift shop which stocks some of the best proudly South African artists/ jewellery/ crafts to buy which is worth a mention. The staff went the extra mile to make our friend's 50th special. The staff gathered to sing her happy birthday - you would have thought it an audition for America's got talent! just spectacular. Not related to the lodge itself but the drive to the lodge from Jhb and back to Jhb took us longer than expected despite using wayz/ google maps and would recommend driving on the main road via Zeerust not using route via the Molatedi Village due to bad road works
Guest User
Checked in août 2024
Other
5.0/5
Outstanding
Posted on 14 août 2024
We had unbelievable experience. We came to celebrate my 50th and the lodge staff went above and beyond to make it special, with mimosas at the morning drive, dinner in the laps with singers, a cake, etc. the staff couldn’t be more helpful and friendly. I highly recommend Madikwe safari lodge. I’ll be back
Guest User
Checked in août 2024
Other
5.0/5
Outstanding
Posted on 14 août 2024
The most wonderful experience. No detail too small. Staff are wonderful and go above and beyond. The facilities are exquisite. I would absolutely recommend this to everyone. This is my first safari experience and any other safari I do will have a lot to live up to.
Guest User
Checked in août 2024
Other
5.0/5
Outstanding
Posted on 9 août 2024
The experience my family and I had staying at Madikwe Safari Lodge was unlike anything I could have ever imagined. It was the best 5 days I've ever had on a vacation or trip of any kind. The rooms were so clean and beautiful. The lodge was decorated beautifully, and all of the furniture was super comfortable. But above all of that, the staff was truly what made the experience so amazing. Our staff went above and beyond every day for us. They learned our preferences within hours. They realized that I liked to drink the Savannah Dry cider without a lemon in it, and then they brought me drink after drink without a lemon every day for the rest of my trip. They learned all of the "usual" drink requests of our family and would bring them to us without us asking. They learned our food preferences too. Maria was our server and she was amazing. She treated us so well. Girly was our chef and her food was to die for. We ate so much, we were so well fed. We never had a bad meal from Girly's kitchen. Our lodge hosts Rebecca and JP were amazing and accommodated all of our special requests. Frank kept watch over the lodge at night and would walk us to and from our private quarters with a flash light after dark to keep us safe. He also would start a fire in our room each night for us. They treated us like family and it made all the difference. Byron was our game drive guide, and he was great! He was a very positive person. He loved explaining everything to us while on game drives. He never grew tired of our endless questions, or if he did, he didn't show it. He was very educational and taught us so much about the wildlife we were seeing. He was an excellent guide. Not afraid to go off roading and make sure we could get up close to see the beautiful animals, all while respecting the space of the animals and explaining the importance of that. Overall, this was a trip I will never forget. We were so comfortable, well fed with delicious food and drink, well taken care of, and the staff made us feel at home while we were so very far away from home.
Guest User
Checked in août 2024
Other
5.0/5
Outstanding
Posted on 6 août 2024
My husband, 2 kids (teenagers) & I had the privilege of spending 4 special days staying at the Madikwe lodge (Lelapa). Madekwe is a national park which proudly advertises the Big 5. What I liked about this park is that the animals are fiercely protected and respected. When you are in the park there are very few vehicles to reduce the amount of disturbance for the animals. Our guide - Petrus - was fantastic. Incredibly knowledgeable and passionate to ensure we saw as many animals as possible (one evening we saw the elusive Wild dogs, Black Rhino, Male lion and leopard within an hour!). The lodge has a watering hole placed right by the pool and sun lounging area, which meant that even when we were not on a game drive we saw animals grazing and drinking right in front of us. Each lodge has its own deck with plunge pool and outdoor shower. We were in winter so was chilly in the morning and evening (but each lodge has a log fire). Tip- this place is not fancy so leave evening clothes at home. Layers, trainers and shorts (hats and caps) are all you need! Would highly recommend.
Guest User
Checked in août 2024
Other
5.0/5
Outstanding
Posted on 3 août 2024
It was a memorable stay. The staff were amazing in every way possible, always smiling and helpful. The food was always great. They continually made sure everything was to our liking. The rides were beautiful, from the cites to the animals, everything was just perfect. The villa was splendid. It was always clean, warm, and cozy. Special thanks to William, the chef, Aletta, Mr. T, Liza. And Stella for making this trip as special as it was.
Guest User
Checked in juill. 2024
Other
5.0/5
Outstanding
Posted on 22 juill. 2024
Magic place! No words to describe how fantastic it is. Super and friendly staff, delicious food. We had a family suite very spacious with private pull and fire place every night to warm up. Our safari guide Billy was very good and made us wonderful tours around the reserve!
joni863
Checked in janv. 2024
Couples
5.0/5
Outstanding
Posted on 15 janv. 2024
We stayed at Lelapa Lodge, which is excellent with fantastic staff. It’s typically African in style, and everything is to a high standard, and totally relaxing. The food is of a very good standard, and the game drives are awesome, so many animals our ranger Brendin was extremely knowledgeable. The main meals area looks out towards the pleasant pool, and the waterhole beyond. At times you could just sit there and watch large numbers of game just wandering up including many elephant, wildebeest, impala, rhino and giraffe - plus of course the adorable warthogs. It was a long 4 hour drive from Jo’Burg, so in future I would try and fly into their airstrip, and I would go back without hesitation, our three days went by way too quickly, we felt we could stay for longer, and would definitely consider going back.
Guest User
Checked in juill. 2024
Couples
5.0/5
Outstanding
Posted on 11 juill. 2024
5! Amazing place! Unforgettable experience, service is above and beyond! People are very friendly, food is very good, we had all inclusive option, which gave us non-stop different foods and drinks throughout the stay. In all inclusive we also had 2 safaris per day, and we saw lots of different animals!
Andynova
Checked in juill. 2024
Family
5.0/5
Outstanding
Posted on 10 juill. 2024
We just spent three nights in Lelapa lodge with our two children aged 15 and 12. The experience was exceptional from start to finish. We were met off our Federal Air flight at Madikwe East airstrip by our guide Mitchell who had cold and personalised water bottles waiting for us. In the drive back to the lodge (10 minutes) we saw a warthog family. We were greeted on arrival with hot chocolate and a hearty breakfast was served, my husband particularly liked the huntsman potatoes. After lunch, we went on our first game drive. We were lucky to be accompanied by a second apprentice guide Dan. Both Mitchell and Dan made the experience what it was for us- totally unique and unforgettable. Mitchell has more knowledge about everything bush related than a specialised encyclopaedia and he bleeds enthusiasm for children and adults alike. Over the next six game drives we saw rhino, lions, elephants, impala, baboons, hyena (brown and spotted), zebra, warthogs crocodile, kudu, jackals, cheetah and lots of amazing birds including hornbill. Each game drive was different with a stop in the morning for coffee (with a little extra!) and in the evening for sundowners- we had G&T’s! Sunrise and sunset were just magical- straight out of a movie. We learnt about trees and plants and even had a touch of southern hemisphere stargazing, which the kids really loved. Food was all excellent and all diets were catered for. Particularly special was the boma meal on our last night when Mitchell and Dan joined us for dinner cooked on BBQ in front of the fire. We loved getting to know our guides as people and sharing stories. When it was time to go Mitchell drove us back to the airstrip and as we took off he was standing at the end of the runway waving us farewell- I am not going to lie that I was crying. A huge thank you to Bally and Rosina who serviced our room twice a day and made it so homely and special with hot water bottles hidden in our beds at night, to Hennie who checked in with us daily and most importantly to Mitchell and Dan who just made the experience exceed all our expectations! We miss you all x