Lodge walks in the Kalahari borderlands

Madikwe Game Reserve hugs the Botswana border near the Kopfontein frontier post. In the three decades years since the reserve was established the transformation from 70,000 ha of degraded ranch lands to one of South Africa’s prime conservation zones is gratifying to witness. Visitors can expect to see the full range of savanna wildlife which includes an elephant population of around 1000, black and white rhino, African wild dogs and all the cats. Over 340 species of birds are recorded.

Located in the east of the reserve, not far from the perennial Madikwe river, Molori Safari is an ultra-luxury lodge, part of the Rora Private Collection. Its guides are highly trained and that includes trails qualifications - which means that guests are not confined to vehicles and can jump down during a game drive to track an animal or appreciate particular landscape features, such as water-eroded dolomitic tufa formations. Short walks are feasible year round, but the best conditions for longer outings are found in the cooler mornings of April to September.

Madikwe is a malaria-free reserve and 16 is the minimum age for walks, as stipulated by the North West Parks Board.

Read more in this news blog. 

Molori Safari has its own airstrip with private charter flights from any of the Johannesburg airports. For self-drivers, the lodge is reachable by road from Pretoria and Johannesburg in about four hours, and Molori Safari is also able to assist with the booking of door-to-door transfers in luxury vehicles.

Walks start at dawn and it’s possible to simply set out from the lodge, but more usual to drive to a particular area. Guests just need to carry water and binoculars, and can take a breakfast snack in a backpack or avail of a full bush breakfast cooked in the wilds – a highly recommended experience.

• Accommodation
• Meals & Drinks
• Activities including walks and game drives

• North West Board Park Fees