Private Luxury Lodge Safari in Madikwe and Kruger Park

We had a very enjoyable trip to Victoria Falls, back to the Republic of South Africa (via Botswana) for a typical safari experience in the Northwest Province at Madikwe Game Reserve, and then a week in the Cape.  Our travel agency suggested the Victoria Falls stop and Elephant Camp in particular.  Elephant Camp was very nice (and we were in the intimate four "tent" family camp that opened just in March) with excellent service and good food.  However, our agent oversold the opportunity to interact with the somewhat tamed elephants on the Wild Horizons/Elephant Camp Reserve.  We had literally no more than five minutes with the elephants, feeding them, so far less than we expected.  We enjoyed the visit to Victoria Falls National Park, as well as a canoe safari on the Zambezi above the falls.  We also very much enjoyed our time at Madikwe Safari Lodge, a very nice facility with an excellent guide, good food, but not always top-rate service.  However, I wish the agent had suggested the opportunity to fly in and out of Madikwe because it has an air strip, and this would have saved us a great deal of travel time doing mostly road transfers to and from Madikwe.  Our travel company was responsive to our requests for particular accommodations in Franschhoek and Cape Town, though they were different than the accommodations suggested by Born Free.  In both cases, we enjoyed our choices very much, as much because of location as because of the facilities themselves.   In Zimbabwe and Madikwe, service was not always up to par at all facilities, and meals were not always as excellent as we expected, but our travel company is not responsible for this.  

When our son left his Kindle on one of the transfers, Born Free helped track it down and get it sent by courier to catch up with us at Cape Town.  This was very helpful, but instead of charging us the cost of the courier and telling us what that cost was, they passed onto us the round figure of ZAR 500. I would have preferred transparency on that.  One of the other transfer operators officiously collected form the safari lodge things of ours (plaster imprints of animal tracks) we had asked them for--she did this while we were having breakfast our last morning.  But then the transfer operator forgot to give the things to us when she dropped us off at Oliver Tambo Airport--even though they were on the front seat of the van next to her!  Again, we were able to get these items sent by courier to catch up with us on Cape Town, but I didn't think we should bear the cost of that.   

I was planning a South African Safari for my family of 4, and the information and options I researched were overwhelming and complex for someone that has no prior knowledge or experience with Safari's.  I came across the Zicasso website and they matched me up with this safari travelcompany.  My agent provided insight into the planning and options that I would have never identified myself.  I had many questions both before and after booking this trip and communicated with this agent by email (from the US) due to the time difference.    She responded immediately and thoroughly ever time. We just returned and the trip was Amazing and could not have gone better. 

  Upon hearing our goals, my agent suggested two private game reserves (3 nights each) in two different locations so we could get two different experiences. We stayed at Kapama Southern Camp in the Kapama Game reserve near Hoedspruit, and Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge in Sabi Sands.  It was a two hour drive between the two lodges.  We originally had reservations at Lion Sands which is next to Sabi Sands, but about three months ago, the Lion Sands burned down.  Fortunately, our agent notified us just hours after the fire letting us know what happened and informing us that she was able to book the Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge - which turned out to be amazing.  I've read that some folks had to receive refunds because they could not get reservations on such short notice in the area.  We were really glad our agent was looking out for us and greatly appreciated all of her efforts and recommendations!  We definitely got two different experiences that you can read below - each amazing in its own way and the recommendation to split the trip with two camps was perfect!

At Kapama, the brush was very dense with trees and bush so off roading was not possible.  We frequently saw animals everywhere as we drove and there were differences in the quantity and frequency of some species at each location.  There were interesting and fun excursions (Hoedspruit Endangered Species Center and Elephant Encounter) here that we could not get elsewhere.  We could only do a hot air balloon flight at Hoedspruit but were disappointed that the winds were too strong while we were there so never did this.   Kapama Southern Camp has a fence around it and ony the entrance is always open. Each morning we would come out and see wart hogs, Nyala, Kudo, Impala,  and other animals near our room.

At Sabi Sands, the bush was not as dense with trees so we could go off road to track down big five which was amazing.  It is a large area so we could drive for 20 minute or more withouot seeing any animals.   Sabi Sands Camp is completely open (no surrounding fence) and there was a leopard sighting at camp for three consecutive days. This added an element of danger and excitement. Once at 0400, we were awoken by the monkeys in the trees indicating that the leopard was probably close by.

We had a great trip.  I talked with our safari travel agent a few times on the phone and email to talk about what we wanted to do and she recommended places that turned out to be exactly what we wanted.  I felt that our travel agent really listened to what I wanted to get out of the trip.  It was a once in a lifetime Adventure so we wanted to get it right.  Thanks!  We had three nights at each location – Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, Ngoma Lodge in Botswana and Dulini Lodge in South Africa.  We were taken care of from beginning to end with people at each place to get us where we needed to go.  Generally speaking, I can’t say enough about how well we were treated during the whole trip.

Victoria Falls is spectacular!  We took the guided walk to see all the viewing sites on the Zimbabwe side of the falls.  They will rent you a poncho for $3.  I’m so glad we got them because in some places we got soaked.  Our agent recommended that if we go into town we should stop at the Elephant Walk shopping mall.  We did and ended up getting several things.  It had artists who did various crafts, so I knew we were getting original and unique mementos from our stay there.  I was really happy with the place we stayed in Victoria Falls.  When we got there, there was a mixup with the rooms.  Our agent stepped in and got it fixed right away.  Our rooms had decks that overlooked the watering hole.  It was amazing to get up in the morning, step out on my deck and see elephants, impalas and crocodiles meandering around the watering hole.  One night for dinner we had a Boma, which is kind of like an African luau with local dancing and singing.  They get everybody involved so it was a lot of fun. 

Next we drove to Ngoma Lodge in Botswana.  It was truly in the middle of nowhere so I wasn’t sure what to expect.  Every aspect of it was wonderful.  The lodge was on higher ground so we overlooked the flood plains of the Chobe River.  They had a multi-level deck with lots of places to sit and enjoy the view.  In our rooms the whole wall was windows so we had a view that just went on and on.  And we had a deck with a plunge pool.  We never got to use it because we were so busy.  Near the lodge, there was a watering hole.  Each morning the zebras, giraffes, impala and more came to the watering hole to drink.  We took our meals on the deck so we could enjoy it all while we ate.  The food and the service were good.  They really pampered us.  We went on game drives each day.  One thing I really wanted to see was elephants crossing the Chobe River.  I had heard about it and seen pictures.  We saw a herd of what must have been over 100 elephants crossing the river.  It was one of my favorite highlights.  We saw lots of impalas, kudus, elephants, giraffes, and so much more.  We saw a lion stalking a kudu.  Nearby there was a herd of giraffes that got scared and ran away.  They are so graceful when they run.  They really went out of their way to ensure we had a good stay.  Our game driver grew up in a nearby village so was really familiar with the area and knew exactly where to take us for the best game viewing.

Our last stop was at Dulini Lodge.  It is a private game reserve outside of Kruger National Park in South Africa.  The room was huge with an extra-large bathroom, living room and large deck with a plunge pool.  Elephants walked in the dry river bed off of our deck.  The grounds were all grassy and covered with trees.  It was beautiful.  Every day animals came up and grazed on the grass.  We ate outside here too with elegant dinners and excellent service.  Sometimes we ate by ourselves and sometimes in small groups.  Try the kudu steak and the wart hog.  They were both delicious.  We tried lots of foods we had never heard of.  Most of them were really good.  Both lodges had expert chefs.  We went on game drives every day.  We would tell our game driver what we wanted to see and he and his tracker would look for tracks.  One time we saw three lions resting after eating their fresh kill.  In another part of the park we saw a leopard with her cub and a fresh kill in the tree.  Then we saw a lion with three cubs.  We saw so much on every game drive.

I was really pleased with the whole trip.  The locations were just what we wanted.  We were really pampered with the food, service and amenities.  We saw game on every single drive we went on.  Three nights in each place worked out really well.  I would whole heartedly recommend this safari travel company to plan your trip.

This was a phenomenal experience, perhaps my best yet facilitated by Zicasso, and the fulfillment of a childhood dream.

From start to finish, our agent was a superb planner and communicator. She was easy to talk to via email and over the phone, and expertly asked all the right questions to tease out the details she needed to craft the perfect trip for me. She was equally adept at answering all of the questions I had, which helped me to make informed decisions throughout the process.

Despite booking my safari less than a year in advance (when the standard practice is usually two years out) and on a budget that was no doubt way less than what luxury travelers splurge, our agent was able to arrange the perfect combination of accommodations and tours that provided me with a luxurious, comfortable, enjoyable, and memorable experience. She was even able to amend my confirmed plans a bit late in the game after what was originally a solo trip became a trip for two when my mom, awe-struck by the awesome itinerary, implored me to let her join.

This was our first safari and first venture into southern Africa. While our agent and all our guides along the way tempered our expectations about what we'd be able to see once out in the wilderness, luck was on our side. We ended up seeing just about everything. We spotted four of the Big Five on our three days in the reserve in the Kruger Park (elephant, buffalo, leopard, rhino). The lions eluded us there, but we got more than our fill of them in the Okavango Delta. In addition to those, we had the pleasure of spotting wild dog and hyena packs with cubs in their dens, zebra, giraffe, hippos galore, crocodiles, baboons, monkeys, impalas to no end, kudu, an owl, ostriches, fish eagles, and a ton of other pretty birds. There was never a boring day. Despite our good fortune, I'm happy our agent was realistic and cautious in setting expectations.

One reason for this trip was to celebrate my mom's 75th birthday. Our agent went above and beyond in that regard, surprising us with a decorative towel arrangement in our first hotel, a bottle of wine in our first game camp, and another bottle of wine and a cake at our third hotel. That was a nice and unexpected touch, and much appreciated.

All of our accommodations were top-notch. The hotel in South Africa was in an excellent location, with modern facilities, friendly staff, and a superb kitchen. The private camp in the Kruger Park was a nice first introduction to the wilderness as it was basically a hotel in the middle of nowhere, complete with luxurious facilities and super-friendly and helpful staff. The lodge in Elandskop was wonderful and I regret that we didn't have more free time to enjoy it. The staff were very friendly, the restaurant very elegant, and the rooms very comfortable. The camp in Botswana was as close to camping as we'll ever come (glamping), but similarly offered wonderfully welcoming service, comfortable facilities, and a memorable experience. Finally, the Cape Town hotel offered a great location, friendly service, and wonderful food. Overall, the travel advisor did well with the choice of accommodations.

Similarly, our travel agent partnered with a great selection of local tour operators to ensure our every transfer and tour went smoothly and comfortably. I'd happily work with her again on future trips to the region and would highly recommend her services to all.