Madikwe Game Reserve & Johannesburg with Africa Collection
With its Afro-chic decor Madikwe Hills Private Game Reserve was going to be a hard act to follow. My large lodge oozed style and charm, very private and with a great view over the watering hole and the cuisine for both dinner and breakfast was superb. Although exhausted on arrival we found our first evening safari a thrilling experience with our ranger and lookout, Raol and Johannes. With zebra and elephants aplenty, the sighting of two male lions sleeping topped off the evening, especially when one stood proud, presenting us with a sleepy yawn.
Stopping in a clearing on our way back to the lodge we enjoyed sundowners of G&T, wine or beer (in some cases all of the above!), watching as the sun dropped behind the distant hills leaving a flaming red sky in its wake, a perfect end to our first safari drive!
Before first light the next morning we were back in the jeep with Raol and Johannes and after a short drive came across some wildebeest (now I understand why they are also known as gnu, you just have to listen to them!), giraffe and white rhino! There was also ample opportunity to catch sight of some of the birdlife too including the go-away bird, hornbill and lilac breasted roller.
Our second evening was to be at the delightful Tuningi Safari Lodge, named after the ancient fig tree which is situated within the viewing platform close to the watering hole. The main lodge is luxurious with a rim-flow pool overlooking the watering hole and the thatched chalets are gorgeous and very private, private enough to shower outside, what bliss!
Before the obligatory sundowners ably mixed by our ranger, Cornelius, we saw buffalo and watched a large herd of male elephants waterside, the adolescents showing due deference to the older ones, we were up close and it was a joy to behold. With only five wild dogs remaining in Madikwe following a rabies outbreak last year it was going to take a miracle for us to see them but the following morning's drive brought with it news on the radio that they had been spotted close by enjoying a breakfast feast of impala. Getting to the kill site swiftly was imperative as the carcass can be stripped within minutes and we arrived in time and also saw a solitary hyena waiting patiently for any scraps. We trailed the dogs for the remainder of the drive until we got a puncture, funny the first time it happened but not the last time!
Thakadu River Camp was our final safari base, community run and completely different from the previous two, comprising of twelve individual tented units tucked into the tree canopy overlooking the Marico River. Very lush with plenty of birdlife and a large population of vervet which were both inquisitive and skittish!
With only leopard missing from our 'Big 5' sightings Patience, our ranger, had a tough task ahead. Our evening game drive found us herds of zebra and giraffe, an up-close encounter with a small family of elephants - mum was trying to oust her adolescent bull from the family as it was time for him to move on - then a crackling radio message, a leopard had been spotted up in a tree to where it had dragged a carcass. We approached swiftly and quietly and although it was almost dark when we located this elusive creature, with the help of Patience' night-light, we were able to watch it finish its supper then climb down from the tree and disappear into the scrub. An amazing and fitting end to our adventures. We suffered another puncture on our way back to camp which was very unnerving in the pitch black, feeling like sitting targets and hoping the rustling in the scrub was just the light wind and not a hungry, prowling big cat!
En route to Johannesburg we stopped for a delicious lunch and site inspection at the 5* De Hoek Country House in Magaliesburg, a popular retreat about an hour away from Johannesburg. I thought the outside of the building looked a little austere but inside is definitely country house hotel and the gardens are stunning.
The much-maligned Johannesburg has undergone much regeneration and the areas we visited felt very safe and vibrant. Our base for our two nights' stay was Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! Melrose Arch and is a funky, modern hotel popular with both holidaymakers and locals with a fun vibe, wacky staff, urban feel and Hollywood glamour, well-known for its speciality cocktails, gourmet milkshakes and lively setting. Dinner this evening was at Pappas, a Greek restaurant in Nelson Mandela Square, a great choice and very affordable. The all too-short visit to the Apartheid Museum was emotive and informative, a great reminder on just how much has changed for the better, post-Apartheid, for The Rainbow Nation and its people. Many of us remember the sufferance and humiliation endured by so many South Africans during Apartheid and the unwavering beliefs of Nelson Mandela that finally, and thankfully, crushed this inhuman regime.
Soweto was a complete surprise - I was expecting slums and poverty, dirt and crime, so was amazed by friendly waves and high-fives, wonderful humour, litter-free streets with tidy homes and gardens. Our guide, Jazz, really brought everything to life on the bike tour with regular stops to highlight important historical facts and places such as the Hector Pieterson memorial, Nelson Mandela's humble first house, which is now a museum, and Desmond Tutu's home.
After a visit to The Westcliff Four Seasons Hotel, which has fabulous views over what looks just like rainforest, it is so green, we enjoyed a sumptuous lunch and then headed back in to the city centre to meet up with Jo Buitendach, a local guide with a real passion and interest in the street art of Johannesburg. Her belief that art should be readily accessible and not hidden away in galleries is evident as the continual regeneration of the city brings with it sculpture, graffiti, murals and creative design around every corner.
Our final evening was spent at Moyo African restaurant in Melrose Arch which offered a great choice of pan-African cuisine and I'm pretty sure the wine was fab too! The singing band of minstrels in their boilers suits and white wellies, well, you just had to be there!
What a great introduction to the delights of South Africa; three fabulous safari lodges in malaria-free Madikwe then Johannesburg, a city to surprise and delight. Opinions are more easily changed when you get to experience them first-hand so please get in touch if South Africa is still on your list of yet-to-be-visited destinations.