As the lodge is reserved on an exclusive-use basis, game drive times are completely flexible and can be specifically timed to suit the guests.
After settling into the open vehicle specially designed to ensure your comfort and safety, your qualified, professional and armed safari guide will take you on an adventure through the African bush.
Lion, elephant, black and white rhino, buffalo and leopard are all here in abundance, as well as cheetah, giraffe and both spotted and brown hyena and you have the chance of seeing any of these species. Madikwe is also the one of the best places in Southern Africa to watch the elusive and rare wild dog, a fascinating species on the brink of extinction. Energetic, entertaining and with a highly complex social hierarchy, these fearsome predators range widely across the changing landscape of the reserve in search of prey, providing excellent and unique game viewing.
One of the most significant aspects of Madikwe is the extremely varied terrain, providing a backdrop to the rich diversity of plant, bird and animal life. Located on the edge of a very arid Kalahari region, but still receiving relatively high rainfall, Madikwe is unique in that both dry area and moist area plant and animal species are found in the reserve. (As an example, it is unusual to find both springbok – typically an arid species – and impala – dependent on higher rainfall) – flourishing in the same area, as they do in Madikwe.
Travelling through Makanyane’s completely private 1,800 hectares and the 75,000 hectares of the magnificent Madikwe Game Reserve, your guide will share their wealth of knowledge with you, from the fascinating private life of the dung beetle to the intricacies of the wild dog’s social system.
Typically we recommend two daily game drives at Makanyane, timed to make the most of the periods when the game is the most active, one in the early morning and another in the late afternoon.
But exclusive use gives guests the freedom to choose to spend the day out exploring the bush across the reserve, or head out after dinner to look for elusive nocturnal animals on Makanyane’s private ground.
The afternoon drive, after a brief stop to enjoy sundowners, continues into the night, a shielded spotlight revealing the nocturnal wildlife of the bush.
Game drive times will vary according to guest requirements and game activity and spontaneous drives may also go out in response to animal activity near the lodge.
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