Make a dash for Madikwe

The flaps had not even extended all the way, and already we’d ticked off two of the Big Five.

Coasting in across a lush landscape of grassland, turned emerald green by the summer’s soaking rains, our Federal Air Cessna Caravan banked to the left and lined up with the runway. My son and I already had elephant and rhino — both bathed in the red dust of the North West Province — ticked off the list of wildlife we’d hoped to see on our escape to Madikwe.

And though it’s tucked right up against the border of Botswana, on the shoulder of the North West, Madikwe is the perfect destination for a short-break safari. While it’s a little more than four hours by road, flying in — Federal Air offers daily shuttles from their hangars at OR Tambo International Airport — lets you fit in a working breakfast at the Sandton office and enjoy lunch out in the bush at a waterhole flanked by elephant, warthog and zebra.

The waterhole in question stretches out in front of Last Word Madikwe, one of the more intimate safari lodges the reserve has to offer. While some boast treetop luxury and a multitude of facilities, Last Word Madikwe keeps things delightfully low-key.

Hidden away in the western reaches of the reserve, conveniently close to Wonderboom Gate, this former farmhouse and private home has been subtly transformed into a luxury lodge brimming with character.

With just six suites scattered through the building — the garden-facing room is perhaps the pick of the bunch — it’s the kind of place where dinners become communal and you’ll soon be on a first-name basis with fellow guests. In your suite, expect homely décor that leans into comfort and vintage charm rather than contemporary aesthetics. Suites at the rear of the farmhouse offer shady private terraces that look out into the bush, and are ideal if you’re into quiet afternoons with binoculars in hand.

A formal dining room and laid-back terrace frame the cosy bar and lounge, where deep armchairs, bird guides and boxes of games are a fine way to fill the hours between game drives.

For a little extra space and exclusivity, look no further than the latest addition to Last Word Madikwe: a private villa sleeping six guests in three spacious bedrooms. The styling here is a more contemporary take on the lodge aesthetic, with rich textures and bold colours of ebony, ochre and gold throughout the space.

It’s a villa built for connection, with a large dining and lounge area — complete with a towering fireplace for chilly winters — leading out onto a wraparound veranda. Bring your friends or your family. That Madikwe is malaria-free means there’s no concern for travellers. There’s a pool for summer days and a firepit for wintry nights. Most importantly, there’s privacy in abundance, with the villa set apart from the main lodge.

My chosen perch, though, was a beanbag out in the gardens that surround the main lodge. Here, the lilt of emerald-spotted wood doves and the incessant cackle of green wood hoopoes provide the soundtrack to quiet hours beneath the acacia trees. Out front, the waterhole offers a passing parade of wildlife.

But it’s the twice-daily game drives led by Last Word’s experienced safari guides that properly bring the Madikwe landscape to life. And as we spent hours trundling along gravel roads and rutted tracks carved by the summer deluge, it was hard to believe this glorious landscape was once overgrazed farmland.

Because Madikwe Game Reserve is one of SA’s greatest conservation success stories.

Established in 1991, Madikwe came to life as a bold rewilding project, dropping the fences between overgrazed farms to create a vast 75,000ha tract of wilderness. But to begin with, the newly conserved landscape was largely empty. Only once the reserve was established and fenced was Madikwe the site of one of SA’s largest game translocations, as Operation Phoenix saw more than 8,000 animals across 28 species moved into the newly protected area.

Today, Madikwe plays host to all of the Big Five, alongside rarities like wild dog, cheetah and brown hyena. Over just a few short days, we enjoyed close-up interactions with cheetah families, lion prides and curious genets, along with no end of elephants.

But it’s not only about the furry residents. The reserve forms part of an ecotone — a transitional zone — between the Kalahari and bushveld, creating a unique mosaic of arid savanna, woodlands and rocky outcrops. This rich biodiversity makes Madikwe one of the most ecologically diverse parks in SA, while the successful public-private model ensures tourism in the reserve supports local development and employment.

Tell that to a 14-year-old and you can just about hear his eyes roll back. But what did pique my son’s interest was the unique underground hide back at the lodge. With safe access, guests can visit the hide at any time of day or night, and across the hours spent gazing across the waterhole, we filled our memory banks — both real and digital — with sightings of elephant, impala and giraffe.

As for the Big Five? By the time we left, we had four of them ticked off — but I know we’ll be back for that elusive leopard someday.