Madikwe Safari Lodge is situated in one of South Africa’s largest malaria-free wildlife sanctuaries – the Madikwe Game Reserve. This family-owned lodge consists of three different camps: Lelapa is for families with children under 16 while Kopano and Dithaba are for adults and couples only. All rooms have welcome safari extras like private plunge pools, outdoor showers and your own viewing deck over the reserve, which stretches 76 000 hectares to the border with Botswana and to the far-off Dwarsberg. Madikwe Safari Lodge is in the eastern portion of the reserve, which has the lowest vehicle density of all.

Children are especially well catered for: there is a dedicated late-morning kids’ game drive and little ones staying at Lelapa Lodge can undertake age-appropriate bush orientation courses, ‘bug CSI’, spoor and dung tracking, star gazing and messing about in the kitchen to make their own pizzas or delicious baked goods. The ecology house, which is home to a collection of skulls, horns, hides and so on, will teach children more about the age-old rhythms of nature.

Between morning and afternoon game drives, you can also go on guided bush walks, get your checklist out for bird watching (the best time of year is the Green Season stretch between October to April) or visit the spa for a revitalising treatment.

There are daily flights to the nearby airstrip and there is also a helipad for guests who prefer to chopper in. There is complimentary Wi-Fi access and satellite TV in most of the public areas of all three mini lodges.