A Madikwe Safari Lodge Safari

Children of all ages are welcome at Madikwe Safari Lodge, but age restrictions apply to game drives for safety reasons.

In line with reserve regulations, children under 6 years are not permitted on shared game drives. Families travelling with younger children can either:

• book a private safari vehicle, which allows complete flexibility, or
• enjoy a shorter, tailored children’s safari experience close to the lodge with a guide trained in engaging young guests.

Children aged 6–11 may join normal game drives.

Children 12 years and older are treated as adults on safari and can join all standard drives.

Our guides are exceptionally experienced with families and take great care to ensure children feel safe, included, and excited – without compromising the comfort of other guests or the integrity of the wildlife experience.

Our safari vehicles are designed for comfort, stability and excellent visibility. Each row has individual bucket seats, giving guests enough space to sit comfortably with cameras, bags and personal items. There are pouches for phones, water bottles and binoculars so you can keep essentials close at hand.

In summer, the vehicles are fitted with canopies for shade, helping to soften the heat of the day. In winter, these canopies are removed to allow for clearer views and better photography, and we provide blankets, hot water bottles and ponchos to keep you warm on early morning and evening drives.

For your comfort and safety, we also provide:

• Bottled water on every drive
• Sunscreen and insect repellent
• Rain ponchos in wet weather
• A safe place to store cameras and small gear

We recommend bringing your own binoculars for the best experience, but your guide will always have a pair available to share if needed.

Our aim is to make the experience as comfortable and effortless as possible, so you can focus your full attention on the wildlife around you.

Our safari vehicles seat a maximum of six adults (two additional children may be accommodated at Lelapa Camp), with three rows of comfortable bucket seats designed to give everyone a window seat. This layout ensures that each guest has ample space, good visibility and room for cameras, bags and binoculars.

We manage seating carefully so that:

• every guest has a comfortable, individual seat
• the vehicle never feels crowded
• guides can engage properly with everyone on board

Families or groups travelling together are kept together on the same vehicle whenever possible.

Guests wanting complete privacy, flexibility, or additional space may request a private safari vehicle.

Each game drive is approximately three hours long, giving you enough time to explore different habitats, follow animal movements and enjoy unhurried sightings.

Game drives always follow the rhythm of first light and late afternoon, but exact times shift slightly between summer and winter to align with sunrise and sunset.

Morning Drive

• Departs at first light (earlier in summer, slightly later in winter)
• Returns mid-morning

This is when diurnal animals become active, predators often finish hunting, and the light is soft for photography.

Afternoon Drive

• Departs mid-afternoon
• Returns after sunset

This captures the cooling of the day, movement towards water, and the start of nocturnal activity.

Drive times may be adjusted slightly throughout the year, but the experience remains the same: a long, immersive morning drive and a long, atmospheric afternoon-to-evening drive.

Yes. For safety reasons, walking safaris are only offered to guests aged 16 years and older. This is a reserve-wide regulation that applies throughout Madikwe.

Walks take place close to camp or in carefully selected areas, and are always led by a fully qualified trails guide.

For guests aged 60 and older, Madikwe Game Reserve follows the North West Parks Board regulation requiring a doctor’s note confirming good physical health for participation. While the rule can feel counter-intuitive – many guests in their sixties and older are far fitter than people half their age – it is a formal safety requirement applied consistently across these Big Five walking areas.

Your guide will always make the final call on whether a walk is appropriate, taking into account fitness, mobility, weather, recent wildlife movement and overall safety.

Walking safaris are a wonderful complement to game drives: slower, more sensory, and focused on tracks, plants and the smaller details that bring the ecosystem to life.

Yes. Private safari vehicles are available on request and are recommended for guests who want complete flexibility on their drives.

A private vehicle gives you:

• Freedom to set your own pace – ideal for photographers, birders, or guests who like to spend longer at specific sightings.
• Family-friendly flexibility – shorter drives for young children, earlier returns to camp, or the ability to adapt the route around energy levels and interests.
• Privacy and comfort – your own guide, your own space, and a personalised experience built entirely around what you want to see and do.

Private vehicles are subject to availability and carry an additional fee.

If this is important for your stay, we recommend arranging it before arrival, especially during peak season.