SUGGESTED SUMMER SCHEDULED:
05h00 - 06h00:
Wake up call, cereals, rusks, tea and coffee in the dining room - thereafter depart on morning activity.

09h00 - 10h00:
A selection of fresh fruit, yoghurt, homemade mueslis, a wild varied bush breakfast will be served in the dining room.

13h00 - 14h00:
A light lunch will see you through the summer heat, followed by a selection of fine South African cheeses.

16h00 - 16h30:
Afternoon tea, a selection of fine teas, filter coffee, fruit juice, sweet or savory snacks - thereafter depart on afternoon drive. The afternoon drive includes a sundowner stop and a night drive.

20h00 - 21h00:
Pre-dinner drinks and snacks served in the boma or bush bar.

21h00 - 22h00:
Dinner, consisting of a starter, fire cooked main meal, dessert, tea or coffee and liqueurs if desired, will be served in the boma/diningroom.

These times are a guide only, they can and do change depending on local conditions and season.

SUGGESTED WINTER SCHEDULE:
06h00 - 07h30:
Early morning wake up call. Coffee/Tea with rusks and light cereals before early morning game drive. On game drive your Guide will close down for coffee/tea break.

10h30 - 12h30:
Brunch served after return to the Lodge after a game drive of 3-4 hours.

14h30 - 15h30:
You are then left to your own devices till High Tea at 14h30 after which you depart on game drive for about 4 hours. On game drive you will close down for sundowners and light snacks.

19h00 - 19h30:
On return to the Lodge there will be time to freshen up and have a drink at the Bar prior to dinner in the Boma or Dinning Room. Bush Braais are also arranged, weather permitting. Drinks in Bar or by the fireplace after dinner are welcome.

These times are a guide only, they can and do change depending on local conditions and season.

GAME DRIVES:
Are offered in the mornings and afternoons/evenings (including a night drive) and are conducted by our experienced field guides. Walks are also available for the more adventurous.

Fire cooked meals are prepared by our professional chefs, and can be enjoyed under the stars at a bush braai or a traditional outdoor boma feast.

We look forward to welcoming you to this must see destination and promise you a superb bush experience enhanced by our personal service.

On your early morning or late afternoon/evening game-drive you can expect to see wild dog, both black and white rhino, extensive plains game, including sable, gemsbok, springbok and giraffe, as well as over 340 species of birds. Stop for sundowners on the afternoon game-drive to witness an African sunset and enjoy the tranquility of the bush as the transition from day to night takes place. Enjoy unique dinners in the raised boma under a canopy of giant tamboti and leadwood trees.

Guest comments:

Dear Jan, Jaci and Jo - three J's!
Without wishing to sound completely over emotional - (although I had a quick cry on leaving!) we all wanted to tell you that we are missing you all already. Infact - it took CJ just 20 minutes to say "I'm missing Jo already". I think we all feel the same.

We have had such a truly wonderful holiday - so perfect, so stimulating, happy and exciting. I think it is going to take me several weeks to actually assimilate all that we have done - at the moment we all have a very happy warm glow. The game drives, accommodation and staff were all superb - SUPERB - we can't thank you enough. You have given us so much to remember - we have learnt so much too. A very rich, happy experience.

Jo, have a good holiday when it comes - you deserve it! It is amazing the way you manage to make everything so interesting - which must be day-after-day-after-day etc., for you! Thank you. Jaci - still thinking of you and your poor dog :( Jan - your hospitality and warmth are memorable.)

Until the next time.

Yours
Sara, Maddie, William and CJ Peatfield.

MADIKWE GAME RESERVE - NORTH WEST PROVINCE:
The 75 000 ha Madikwe Game Reserve, situated in the far north of North West Province against the Botswana border, just three hours' drive from both Johannesburg and Pretoria, is now one of South Africa's prime safari destinations.

Madikwe Game Reserve is home to 66 large mammal species and the birdlife is prolific, with over 340 species having been identified. All the Big Five are present, as well as the endangered African wild dog, cheetah, spotted and brown hyena, and a multitude of plains game. The reserve also boasts the largest elephant herd after the Kruger National Park system. It is one of South Africa's largest game reserves.

Madikwe has the distinction of being one of the few game reserves in the world to be proclaimed purely on the grounds of being the most appropriate and sustainable land use for an area.

Madikwe represents an extension to this philosophy in that it is run as a joint venture between the State, the private sector and local communities. The success of this approach has made Madikwe the role model for similar ventures being started up elsewhere in South Africa.

The reserve consists of vast plains of open woodlands and grasslands, dissected by the rugged Rant van Tweedepoort, and bordered in the south by the Dwarsberg Mountains. The area is dotted with huge rocky hills or inselbergs. A special feature of Madikwe lies in its unique location, a transition zone on the edges of the Kalahari, where a number of rare species occur naturally.

The entire reserve has been enclosed in a 150 km perimeter fence which has been electrified to prevent the escape of elephants and the larger predators.

Guests are taken on conducted day and night game drives or bush walks. Excellent accommodation is available at various private lodges in the reserve. There are no day visitor facilities; only residents at a lodge may enter the reserve.

This reserve created in 1991, sits right on the South Africa-Botswana border in a malaria-free area. In the largest movement of animals since Noah filled his arc, the 30,352 acre (75,000 ha) reserve was stocked with 10,000 head of game from 27 different species. The park's very existence contributes to the preservation of local fauna and flora and rare animals such as rhino and wild dog, and also provides a more sustainable environment for the local people.

ANIMALS & BIRDS:
Not only does this reserve boast the 'Big Five' but it also has the 'Super 7'! This adds cheetah and wild dog to the traditional five; leopard, lion, buffalo, elephant and rhino. Plus brown hyena, sable, eland, gemsbok, giraffe and large herds of plains game and plenty of birds.

Wild dogs are a speciality of the area and due to their rarity and fascinating behaviour, are a wonderful sight. They are also known as Cape hunting dogs or painted dogs because of their tri-coloured (black, white and tan) abstract coat. Wild Dogs are Africa's most formidable hunters (followed by hyena and lion), and the essence of their successful social system is co-operative hunting and food sharing. Not only do they regurgitate food for the young but the babysitter gets fed too. They travel great distances while hunting and as a result often traverse farmland where they were almost shot to extinction. Luckily they are thriving in Madikwe.

SEASONS:
Rainy Season: it rains from October to April with the highest rainfall expected between November and February. Daytime temperatures are hot and humid with an average of 88°F (31°C).
Dry Season: the winter months of May to September are dry and cold with evening temperatures as low as 35.5°F (2°C) and only 72°F (22°C) in the daytime.

MADIKWE GAME RESERVE SPECIALITIES:
· 'Super 7' big game animals
· Rare and endangered wild dog
· Few other tourist around
· Small number of select lodges

FACTS:
Madikwe is 3½-4 hour's drive from Johannesburg or 45 minutes by aircraft.
This is not a malarial area.