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After a fabulous safari in Sabi Sands and Timbavati last year, we reached out to Discover Africa to help us plan and book this year’s African adventure. Cayleigh Brown answered our inquiry and became our travel planner. She has been magnificent throughout; she really helped us shape our thinking, refine our requirements and select the best location.
We spent 6 nights at Jamala Royal Safari Lodge in the Madikwe Game Reserve in the north of South Africa on the Botswana border. It is outstanding in every respect. The lodge, relatively recently rebuilt following a fire, is stunningly beautiful, as are the incredibly well-appointed (only) five villas, where they have thought of absolutely everything. The Jamala team are awesome – so incredibly friendly and relaxed and keen to ensure you have the most wonderful time. They all seem to have been there for 13—14 years, which says a lot about the culture of the place. Then there’s the sumptuous food that is both delicious and beautifully presented. It is a Michelin-starred restaurant standard.
Steve's Madikwe Safari Experience
And finally, the exciting game drives and the wildlife. We were privileged to see the Magnificent Seven (Big Five plus wild dog and cheetah) plus both varieties of hyena and owls, eagles, honey badgers, jackals, baboons, monkeys, warthogs, tree and ground squirrels, mongooses, and zebras, giraffes, and various antelopes and others I’ve missed! There were many highlights but two in particular were a leopard in a tree crunching on his impala kills when three lions decided to try to relieve him of it and a pack of wild dogs who spent an entire day around the Jamala waterhole feasting on a kudu who had been chased in there overnight.
All in all, a wonderful safari holiday thanks to Cayleigh and Discover Africa.
Steve travelled to South Africa in June and wrote the 7 days in Madikwe Safari Review on 25 June 2025
The trip included: Big Five Safaris Big Five Safaris in Africa Jamala Madikwe
Safari planned by: Cayleigh Brown
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