Jaci's Safari Lodge in South Africa is in malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve, a 4-hour drive or 45 minute flight north west of Johannesburg, close to the Botswana border. Jaci's Safari Lodge is constructed around an anthill on the Marico river bank. It overlooks an established waterhole and is underneath a grove of Tamboetie trees. The open-plan lodge invites an intimate bush encounter.
There are eight double rooms and two family suites, the Nare Suite and the Safari Suite. Each has canvas walls and large tented windows, and reflect a creative combination of stone and thatch. In the en suite bathrooms, rock baths and outside safari-showers offer bush-style ablutions. Each room has its own deck looking onto a stream. Six of the rooms have twin beds and the seventh and eighth room have king size four-poster beds. Rooms have a hand made ceramic fireplace surrounded by a stone chimney. The deck in front of the room allows you to sit and enjoy the surrounding sights and smells of the bushveld - whilst watching the animals walking past to drink.
The Nare Suite accommodates a maximum of 6 guests, and has a self contained kitchen (for chefs to prepare meals for you in the luxury of your own retreat), lounge and outdoor dining area. The Safari Suite can sleep up to 8 guests in two double bedrooms and two children's rooms. It has a wrap around deck and private pool. Both suites are equipped with private vehicle and guide.
Dinners are eaten outside around the open fire in the ‘boma'. There is a spacious lounge, a bar with a reading area, and craft shop in the main lodge. There is also a small pool.
Each day there are two game viewing drives (or you might take a game walk one day) - early morning and afternoon / early evening. In the reserve you will hopefully see Wild Dog, black and white rhino, lions, various antelope, giraffe, zebra and over 340 species of bird. Given that the reserve is 75,000 hectares and has relatively few lodges, the wildlife is plentiful and you will usually not be inundated by hundreds of other visitors. Children of all ages are welcome at Jaci's and the Safari Lodge organises a range of children's activities including 'jungle drives'.
Jaci's Tree Lodge This is a seperate luxurious lodge, run by the same people in the same area and comprises of eight tree houses, each built around a giant Leadwood or Tambotie tree. They are on stilts about 6 metres above the ground in Riverine Forest. The rooms are all large with great decks and huge bathroom facilities including a giant stone bath tub and an outdoor 'jungle' shower. Raised walkways in the forest canopy link the rooms to the main lodge facilities which include a massive bar and lounge area with a four sided fireplace.
