Madikwe River Lodge by Dream Resorts

We spent 3 nights at Madikwe River Lodge earlier this month. I am going to put some basic info on here that I would have found useful. There are 2 safari drives a day included in your stay - one at 6am (they do a wake up call at 5.30) and one at 4pm. The 6am was always around 3 hours long, the evening one was sometimes closer to 4 hours. In the morning drive, you stop for a hot choc and a biscuit (they leave out some biscuits before you leave as well) and in the evening drive you stop for a drink and snacks as the sun goes down. You have breakfast when you get back from the morning drive and then can relax around the pool or in your room until and after lunch and then dinner is after the evening drive. Both lunch and dinner are 3 course meals with 2 options for each course and breakfast is a buffet plus cooked to order. We had a wonderful time. Our driver (Jerry) was very knowledgeable and great at finding the animals - we saw the big 5 plus cheetahs twice really close to and even a glimpse of a hyena on an evening drive. The lodge was great and really cool for being on the river - apparently there are crocs/hippos which we didn't see but we did see a lot around the lodge - monitor lizards, a bush buck, lots of hornbills, warthogs, a vervet monkey and a terrapin - some other guests even saw a bush baby outside their lodge in the evening. We were travelling with 2 children - a 6 year old and an 8 year old. The 8 year old loved it all - the drives were quite long for the 6 year old but she managed one a day. Would definitely recommend for people who want an immersive safari experience - you could hear hippos, baboons and leopards at night. Oh and the food was great!

We had such a wonderful, memorable time at Madikwe River Lodge. Not only did we get to see so many animals with the brilliant Amos (including a leopard!), we also got to have delicious meals in such an open and authentic space. Our bedroom was big and clean too and the view on our terrace was spectacular. Thank you to all the staff who made our stay extra special, including Batallion, Sylvia, Polite and, as previously mentioned, Amos.

Our stay was amazing, we had an incredible time! The staff could not do enough for you, the food was beautiful every single meal was 5*, the game drives were amazing we saw everything we wanted to plus more, our game driver jerry was great and the reserve itself was fab, the room was lovely and cleaned /tidied twice daily and the staff even decorated the room for our anniversary! We would recommend this lodge to anybody!! Thank you so much!

We have stayed 6 times at Madikwe River Lodge - that says a lot! There are about 21 commercial lodges in Madikwe and we have stayed ar 12 of them and we keep going back to Madikwe River Lodge. In order to enjoy a safari many things must come together - the food, rooms, staff member's attitudes and the game drives - Madike River Lodge excels in all areas! Our field guide Charles is amazing - we gte to see the big five plus cheetah, wild dogs and even aardwolf!

Thank you for making our stay in Morukuruh River Lodge in the 2nd week of November a superb one. Your efforts in making our stay in the lodge a wonderfull one have succeeded. The situation of finishing a safari day and moving to the log fire and on to a meal, wine and general repartee, and joining with the staff and the rangers , mean't so much to us all. The rooms are fully restyled since our last stay in 2016 and superbly appointed, the lodge itself as well as the hosts, are pure charm. Every one of us was blown away by your hospitality that went way beyond the call of duty. I can speak for everyone of us when I say, thanks again and we'll never forget this fantastic peace of paradise and the whole Morukuru crew. You have made all the difference to the best family holiday. We will recommend a stay at Morukuru and her crew to as many as we can and we hope to see you all again. This little touch of paradise we never would have want to miss it !

We spent a week at Madikwe River Lodge and loved every minute. We stayed here over 20 years ago and wondered if it would still be as good. We needn’t have worried at all, it was just as good if not better. This lodge is the oldest lodge in the reserve and she is beginning to show her age a bit however everything else makes up for some of the slightly tired appearance. All the staff are absolutely wonderful and nothing is too much trouble. Even our vehicle was cleaned without us asking. Our room was very comfortable and had lots of storage space, comfy chairs to sit on, a balcony overlooking the river and all was kept spotlessly clean and a pleasure to return to after each game run. We enjoyed every meal and the food was of a very high standard. Being keen birdwatchers there were lots of birds around the lodge to keep us happy and each game run was different and expertly guided by Amos who was great fun to spend time with and extremely knowledgeable. I highly recommend this lodge to anyone that enjoys wildlife and relaxation you will not be disappointed.

Amazing lodge in most amazing safari and game reserve park! Very well organized with breakfast lunch and dinner served in between the game drives. The food was super good and the wildlife guides and drivers are amazing! We saw so many wild animals!!! Ecen live chases of lions going for a kill. Hyenas ckeanung up left over carcasses. Incredible scenery

Clean, fun, unique, and the best guides on the market. Charlie has been serving reserves for 40+ years. Whether in regard to anti-poaching or tracking, he has enough knowledge about the bush to ensure you leave completely satisfied. Highly recommended.

The Lodge is very well positioned in the reserve. The river is an extra bonus. The game drives were amazing. We had a great guide very knowledgeable. The food was tasty too. Well done to all staff. Definitely one of our favorite lodges in Madikwe.