Peter guns the game vehicle down the red dirt road. He’s heard the distinctive sound of an impala alarm call. It can mean only one thing: predator!.
We can see the animal some 50 metres away in the verdant vegetation. Ears pricked, eyes darting left and right, she’s scared of something we can’t see but she can smell.
Peter decides to drive around some bushes to see if he can track the source of the impala’s fear. The truck falls dead silent as we join in the hunt.
He brings the car around a corner and there, by the side of the road, is a leopard.
She sees us but doesn’t seem to care – she’s more intent on dinner. With a nonchalant glance over her shoulder, she stalks off into the bush and is instantly invisible, as if by magic.
I’m in the 75,000 hectare Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa, a five-hour drive from Johannesburg and close to the Botswana border. It is the fifth-largest reserve in the country and offers a malaria-free environment to see the Big 5, the African wild dog and roughly 300 bird species.
A slightly lesser-known reserve, this hidden gem is regarded as one of the best conservation areas in Africa and offers visitors a number of luxurious lodges as well as community lodges.
My visit is part of MegaLekker 2025, a great initiative by South African Tourism (SAT) to bring 100 Aussie travel agents over to experience the country for the first time.
Having been here several times, I’ve been telling the South Africa “newbies” not to expect too much on their first game drive….and then within half an hour we spot a leopard, famously the hardest of the Big 5 to see. Easy this safari lark, eh?
Even better is to follow because, despite losing sight of the spotted marvel for several minutes, our eagle-eyed guide sees her at the top of a barren tree, scouring the horizon for her prey.
We get some amazing pictures before watching her dismount – somewhat less than gracefully – and heading off to presumably play her part in the never-ending circle of life.
The experience leaves several of our party teary eyed at the sheer joy of seeing this magnificent creature in her natural habitat with no bars, no cages and just the sights, sounds and smells of the African bush for a soundtrack. As a traveller, it really doesn’t get much better than this.
Or maybe it does? We also see a pride of lions just after they’ve brought down a buffalo. We watch in silent awe as dad, mum and the kids chow down…and then have a bit of family playtime before falling asleep by the side of the road. Again, life-enriching.
The game viewing here is among the very best I’ve experienced. Elephants, rhino, hippo and all the zebra, warthogs and antelope you could shake an armadillo at.
We didn’t see any wild dogs or cheetah but as I tried to explain to my companions, safari is often a mixture of patience and luck. Lottery ticket, anyone?
Drama By The River Bed
“You wouldn’t try that in Australia so why would you try it here?”
With those wise words from travel agent Jenny, a potential disaster was averted.
On the third day of our trip in the bush we were supposed to check into the Ilanga Lodge in the Welgevonden Game Reserve. The lodge looked great online and our little group was looking forward to having it all to ourselves for a couple of days.
It had been stocked with supplies and the staff were waiting to greet us – all it needed was its guests.
Unfortunately the weather decided to play a hand. Unusually torrential and persistent rain had turned babbling streams into raging torrents and one such was blocking our path to the lodge. It was the kind of flood that emergency services back home always tell you not to drive through.
Our African guides were clearly in a quandary. They wanted to get us across but what if the water was too deep, too strong and we got bogged? No emergency services to come to our aid out here!
And, if they did get us across safely, with more rain forecast would we be able to get out again once we’d crossed?
Fortunately, Jenny’s advice came to the fore and we persuaded the somewhat relieved drivers that it just wasn’t worth the risk. A good move because Ilanga was indeed rained in for several days and we would have probably missed our flights home.
This is when SAT and our remarkable host Lindsay from Above And Beyond Holidays literally did just that. They went a&b to find us a new home for the next two nights and, almost as importantly, some food and adult beverages.
The first haven for our little band of travelling orphans was the iBhubesi Lodge, a private, exclusive use safari lodge, ideally suited to families or groups wanting to share the African experience.
It has a large open plan lounge and dining area, pool, firepit and deck. Guests have the choice of five separate en-suite chalets, each with an outside shower and their own fireplace.
We spotted a few rhino while having sundowners on the deck and often the animals will wander up to the (electrified) fence surrounding the property.
The second refuge was Thaba Metsi (above) and we really enjoyed our brief stay here as well. It had a great vista out onto the African landscape and you could sit in the pool and just watch the world – or any animals – go by.
They say in Africa that you should always expect the unexpected. Did the sudden change of plans dampen our enthusiasm for South Africa or detract in any way from the experience of being there? Not one jot.
If anything the spontaneity of it all just added to the adventure. Our little group – nicknamed The Honey Badgers – are closer for it and I doubt anyone would have changed a thing.
Except maybe for the elephant who charged at us as we left the game reserve, but that’s another story…
Editor’s note: Our two nights in Madikwe were spent at the luxurious Jaci’s Tree Lodge, where we received the warmest of welcomes. Unfortunately those seasonal rains caused much damage and they are temporarily closed. We’ll let you know once they are back up and running again as Jaci’s is the perfect place from which to explore Madikwe.
https://www.southafrica.net/au/en/
https://www.aboveandbeyondholidays.com.au/
https://www.madikwegamereserve.co.za/
