South Africa : Madikwe and the Waterburg

This is a stunning area in the north-eastern area of South Africa, it is Malaria free, perfect for self driving and has excellent game viewing opportunities whether it be in Madikwe National Park or from a private reserve. You can look at game on foot, from a vehicle or from horseback.

Quick links:
Ant's Nest
Horizon Horseback Adventure
Jaci's Camp
Jembisa

Ant's Nest
Ant's Nest, preserved as a private game reserve, is in a unique part of South Africa's Waterberg Mountains. Nestled in a secluded valley, it is home to a huge diversity of game, bird life and flora. Here, Anthony and Tessa Baber will share with you their bush home and their love for the wild. Well trained horses are at your disposal. Guided walks, rhino tracking, game safaris, horseback rides, game drives and evening drives are offered at the Ant's Nest private game reserve. The lodge is exclusive to one couple or group and is ideal for families.

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bush breakfast	luxury bedroom	game viewing

Horizon Horseback Adventure
Horizon is based on one of the oldest working family farms of the Waterberg Mountains. This area of outstanding natural beauty, abundant in bird and wildlife, offers over 20,000 acres of superb riding country. Riding to the boundary of the farm, you cross the Melk River (this involves swimming the horses in summer and wading in the winter) and ride deep into the Palala game conservancy. Other riding activities here include game viewing, polocrosse games, eventing, cattle ranching and gymkhana games. From over 40 horses to choose from you are assured that every level of horsemanship can be catered for.

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Jaci's Camp
Situated in the Madikwe Game Reserve, Jaci's Safari lodge boasts 75,000 hectares of densely packed game 'territory', it is possible to see Wild Dog, Black and White Rhino, extensive plains game, including Sable, Gemsbok, Springbok and Giraffe, as well as 340 species of birds. Jaci's is situated at an ideal spot overlooking a well used water hole, under a grove of Tamboti trees, on the edge of the Marico River. There are only eight double rooms, each one faces out over a dry river-bed. They each have a tented interior, walls of local stone and a charming built in, en-suite hand-made rock bath with an outdoor "safari" shower, and fans to keep a gentle breeze flowing.

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Jembisa
Jembisa is an exceptional five-star private bush home set in a private reserve. The house is rented out exclusively to one group at a time and is ideal for groups of friends, families with children or special occasions such as weddings. Built of stone and thatch and decorated in smart Afro-colonial style, the house has six bedrooms, five bathrooms and lots of space for all the family including a library and a games room. A large wooden deck overlooks the river with all its wildlife, and there is a floodlit tennis court and large saltwater swimming pool for down time between safaris. The lodge has two resident chefs and a team of staff who have been with the family for years, giving it a very personal feel.

The entire set up is extremely family-friendly, to the extent that special food and mealtimes can be arranged for children, babysitting is free and there are plenty of activities to entertain little people whilst their parents are out on safari. The reserve is an unspoilt wilderness of rivers, cliffs, woodland and open savannah, and you can go out on day and night drives and guided walks. Spoor and tracking expeditions, ‘frogging’ and bush survival lessons are specially geared to children. Visits to Bushmen paintings, nearby Iron Age sites and nearby big five reserves are easily arranged, as is horse riding and fishing. For a change of scene and something a bit special, you can dine in the bush or sleep out under the stars.

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bedroom with balcony	children on bushwalk	family at the campfire

game drive	lodge at night	pool