My heart is in my throat as the irate elephant flaps its ears and approaches the game drive vehicle. We all freeze as the ranger whispers an urgent “be quiet”. I feel a nervous giggle bubble to the surface. A massive trunk grabs onto the antenna and snaps it off. I forget to take photos and pretty much forget to breathe as the huge form turns toward me and starts pushing the vehicle backwards and forwards. Suddenly he decides that an approaching elephant is more interesting than us and lumbers off for a fight. As relief sweeps over us, we erupt into laughter when we realise that we were inches from an elephant, and no one took a photo. There is no proof of our encounter!
What I can prove however, is the most gorgeous lodge and one of my personal favourite safari lodges, Jamala Madikwe. Why Jamala? What makes this my favourite safari lodge? It all comes down to the owner Rodney and manager Nico who treat each guest like royalty. They are the ultimate safari hosts!
Rodney has an incredible naughty sense of humour and will put everyone at ease while serving up the cocktail of the day. While Nico, an extraordinary chef, serves food that you will dream of for months. Together they and their happy staff weave magic.
Obviously, you are here for the safari. Madikwe is a malaria free, big five reserve, 3 hours by car (or 1 hour by scheduled charter flight) from Johannesburg. The safari experience here is very similar to the private reserves near the Kruger National Park.
Jamala is a small and very luxurious lodge with only 5 spacious villas. Each villa is bigger than my house, with a huge bathroom, a sitting and dining area for when you need privacy as well as an outside shower and plunge pool. All of this faces the main reason why you are here – the prolific waterhole. Day and night the animals trek past your room as you lie in wait for your next sighting.
Sofa Safari, a term coined by Jamala Madikwe, is my favourite was to safari. The waterhole is enjoyed from the rooms, the dining room and lounges, the lap pool and the watchtower. You can hide away from the other guests and enjoy your book and cocktail, while herds of elephant march past.
Should you be the more energetic type, then the twice daily game drives will be your thing. In addition to the big five, Madikwe is famous for its large packs of wild dogs and you are often lucky enough to spot these highly endangered animals.
As I write this, I long to return to Jamala Madikwe. Definitely my Happy Place.