Madikwe Safari Lodge, Madikwe Game Reserve, North West Province, South Africa

“It is often the small things that bring true delight”, writes Carrie Hampton in this extract about Madikwe Safari Lodge in her latest book ‘Exclusive Safari Lodges of South Africa’, with stunning wildlife and lodge photographs by Gerald Hoberman.

Built on a grassy slope between two hills, Madikwe Safari Lodge in North West province appears from below like an African citadel, with its curvaceous thatch-and-ochre walls leading to various buildings that seem to disappear into the hillside.

The twenty suites that make up Madikwe’s three intimate safari camps are organic yet sophisticated in style. The guest areas and suites have a range of intriguing details, including carved wooden figures that function as door handles and woven copper screens that accentuate the amber-hued interiors.

Beanbags and scatter cushions in the covered outdoor sitting areas help to create a homely atmosphere. As darkness falls, dozens of lanterns are lit, adding a touch of old-style safari romance to the evening.

The staff excel at making guests feel truly pampered. Returning from dinner, you are most likely to find burning candles arranged around the fireplace or, if it is a cold night, a fire blazing in the hearth. A tray of marshmallows for toasting over the coals and liqueur serve as a reminder that it is often the small things that bring true delight.

While relaxing on the wooden deck of the safari suite, you may be pleasantly surprised by elephants wandering so close that you could almost reach out and touch one.

CC Africa’s Madikwe Safari Lodge overlooks the vast plains of the game-abundant Madikwe Game Reserve, and the five distinct habitats that characterise this junction between bushveld and desert are home to the Big Five, as well as cheetah, wild dog, zebra and several antelope species.

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