Category: Madikwe

On the 25th March I saw a Facebook post from Mosetlha Bush Camp and Eco Lodge in the Madikwe Game Reserve saying that they had availability for the Easter weekend. Ever since I visited there in November 2025 I have been hankering to go back, so quick as a flash, I booked my room.

I arrived on Friday the 3rd of April, and after the “grand tour” and a lunch of their wonderful hamburgers, we set off on our first game drive. This is what we saw: many lilac-breasted and purple rollers, an elephant in musth who didn’t enjoy our presence and charged us, both brown and spotted hyena, a small pride of mom lioness with her two male and two female subadults, and in the evening after a lovely sundowner we saw about 5 spotted Eagle Owl and 4 Puff Adders slithering across the road.

Over the next couple of days we saw the pride of 5 cheetah brothers, a couple of prides of lions, and two packs of African wild dog. The wild dogs start getting active at about sundown, and they run around and yip at each other and play like real puppies. Of course, being a dog lover, I was enthralled by this!

We also were privileged to see two leopard cubs up a tree gnawing on an impala that mom had killed and dragged up and wedged into the branches of the tree. Unfortunately we were quite far away so the photos aren’t great, but you can get the gist of it.

In November 2025 I spent 3 nights at Mosetlha Bush Camp & Eco Lodge in the Madikwe Game Reserve on the border with Botswana. Madikwe is the fifth-largest game reserve in South Africa, and one of the largest Big 5 reserves.

Mosetlha Bush Camp is a fully off-grid camp, using only borehole water (tastes fantastic) and solar and paraffin lanterns. Hot water is supplied by means of wood-burning donkey. There is a gas fridge to keep the drinks cold (very important).

There is an electric fence designed to keep only the elephants out so you might be surprised on the way to the loo in the middle of the night!

They provide all meals and two game drives per day. The wonderful thing about Madikwe is that if you see an animal that is way off in the bush, the rangers will drive “off-road” to get closer to the sighting.

The photos of the lion feeding on the carcass of the elephant are a little gory, but rest assured, the elephant died of natural causes. The only “unnatural” thing about it is the fact that the rangers dragged the carcass some way from where the ele died, as it was very close to one of the lodges, and believe me, the smell was terrible!

There is a coalition of 5 male cheetah, all from the same mother. Sadly, the mother died of injuries sustained during a hunt. Two of the cheetah are collared, so the rangers can keep an eye on them.

It is also wonderful to see so many African Wild Dog – such a privilege to view them in their natural habitat.

If you would like to make a booking at Mosetlha Bush Camp & Eco Lodge book directly through their website using the hyperlink in this paragraph.