travel ✦ wildlife ✦ adventure

Madikwe Game Reserve

A hand-picked selection of lodges and camps. Click through their name to visit their own website directly.

Jaci’s Private Lodge

Reopened in July 2026 after a full rebuild — ten Safari Suites and three private-use villas, as colourful and personal as ever, with the signature water-level Terrapin Hide as its calling card. We found a pack of wild dogs on a drive from the lodge: Wild Dogs in Madikwe.

Mosetlha Bush Camp & Eco Lodge

Madikwe’s only genuine eco lodge and one of its original camps, dating back over 30 years. Ten open-sided, thatched cabins run entirely off-grid — no electricity or WiFi — for a properly back-to-basics bush stay under Madikwe’s dark skies.

Stand-alone cabin at Mosetlha Bush Camp — Photo: courtesy of Mosetlha Bush Camp & Eco Lodge

Cabin interior at Mosetlha Bush Camp — Photo: courtesy of Mosetlha Bush Camp & Eco Lodge

Deck at Mosetlha Bush Camp — Photo: courtesy of Mosetlha Bush Camp & Eco Lodge

Madikwe Safari Lodge – Kopano

An intimate four-suite camp within Madikwe Safari Lodge, built for couples and small groups looking for a quieter pace — the whole camp can also be booked exclusively for families with younger children.

Fire pit at Kopano Camp looking out over the landscape, Madikwe Safari Lodge — Photo: courtesy of Madikwe Safari Lodge

Outdoor lounge at Kopano Camp, Madikwe Safari Lodge — Photo: courtesy of Madikwe Safari Lodge

Suite interior at Kopano Camp, Madikwe Safari Lodge — Photo: courtesy of Madikwe Safari Lodge

Madikwe Safari Lodge – Lelapa

The largest of Madikwe Safari Lodge’s camps, with eight luxury suites and four family suites overlooking a waterhole — built with families and multi-generational groups in mind, from young children to grandparents.

Pool with elephants at the waterhole, Lelapa Camp, Madikwe Safari Lodge — Photo: courtesy of Madikwe Safari Lodge

Facade at Lelapa Camp, Madikwe Safari Lodge — Photo: courtesy of Madikwe Safari Lodge

Suite interior at Lelapa Camp, Madikwe Safari Lodge — Photo: courtesy of Madikwe Safari Lodge

Madikwe Safari Lodge – Dithaba

Set higher on the ridge with the widest views on the property, Dithaba’s four suites are open to couples and solo travellers 16 and up — or the whole camp can be booked exclusively, which opens it to younger children too.

Aerial view of Dithaba Camp showing the suites and plunge pools, Madikwe Safari Lodge — Photo: courtesy of Madikwe Safari Lodge

Deck and pool at dusk, Dithaba Camp, Madikwe Safari Lodge — Photo: courtesy of Madikwe Safari Lodge

Suite interior at Dithaba Camp, Madikwe Safari Lodge — Photo: courtesy of Madikwe Safari Lodge

Madikwe Safari Lodge – Elela

Madikwe Safari Lodge’s fully private villa, with its own dedicated team and vehicle — Elela is built for families and groups wanting the whole property to themselves, from the safari to the setting.

Deck and pool at Elela Villa, Madikwe Safari Lodge — Photo: courtesy of Madikwe Safari Lodge

Facade at Elela Villa, Madikwe Safari Lodge — Photo: courtesy of Madikwe Safari Lodge

Suite interior at Elela Villa, Madikwe Safari Lodge — Photo: courtesy of Madikwe Safari Lodge

Rhulani Safari Lodge

Rhulani is a small, owner-run lodge in malaria-free Madikwe, run by Rolf Steiner and Marisa Silva. It has seven chalets and a family suite, each with its own plunge pool and deck. Days follow the reserve’s rhythm of morning and afternoon game drives, with bush walks and night drives on offer, and a hide at the lodge waterhole lets guests watch animals at close range between drives. In 2025 Rhulani became only the second property in South Africa to earn Travelife Gold certification for sustainable tourism. The name means “relax” in Xitsonga.