About

The drive is 3.5 to 4 hours traffic-dependent, so in order to arrive by 12:30 please ensure you depart Johannesburg by 09:00.
We do advise that you follow our directions as closely as possible, as cellphone signal becomes less reliable the closer you get to the reserve, which can cause delays if GPS re-routes you.

Upon your arrival at the gate (Abjaterskop or Molatedi), you will be provided with printed directions to the meeting point (North West Parks Board head office), where you leave your car.
Please do not drive directly into camp, as there is no parking for guests (Road transfer companies may drop you directly at the camp with prior agreement).

We urge you to drive directly to the meeting point without stopping - we understand the excitement when you first arrive, however our team will be waiting to receive you at the meeting point, once notified by the Reserve Gate of your arrival (and the meeting point is a 20-minute drive from the gate).
Don't worry - there will be ample opportunities for more up-close game-viewing on the game drives, so there’s no need to stop along the way.

We would appreciate it if you could please inform Caroline on WhatsApp +27 83 305 7809 of any updates during your journey, so that we may feed back any delays to our on-site staff who will be expecting your arrival at 12:30, or the time you have advised.

A reminder that we are unable to accommodate guests arriving at the Reserve Gate before 12:30, and the gates close strictly at 18:00.

Check in time at the Reserve Gate is 12:30, with another 20-minute drive to the North West Parks Board Admin Office, where you park your car and we will collect you in the game viewer. 
Please note that we are unable to accommodate guests before this time.

Lunch will be served before your afternoon/evening game drive - to make the game drive, please ensure you reach the Reserve Gate by 14:00. The Reserve Gates close at 18:00 and nobody will be permitted entry or exit after this time.

Departure time is 11:00 after the morning game drive and breakfast, although you are welcome to leave before then if you have an earlier flight to catch, and don't mind missing the morning game drive. The reserve gates open at 06:00.

Travel time by road between Johannesburg and Madikwe is 3 ½ to 4 hours, or about an hour’s drive across the border from Gaborone airport depending on traffic.

Please consider the following whilst planning your flights and travel:

• As we do not have Wifi and signal in camp can be unreliable, all departure arrangements need to be pre-booked before arrival.
• Our earliest check-in time at the reserve gate is 12:30 - we are unable to accommodate guests before this time.
• To make the afternoon game drive, we ask that you aim to arrive by 14:00.
• The reserve gates close strictly at 18:00, with no entry or exit possible after this time. Transfers will need to arrive at the reserve gate latest 17:00 to exit before the gates close, otherwise you will be responsible for their accommodation costs.

Whilst we don’t provide a shuttle service, we can provide details for road transfer companies from both Johannesburg and Gaborone – these are completely separate from us, and are booked directly with the provider.
Prices start at:

• R3 465 for up to 3 people from Gaborone, or 
• R4 750 for 2 people from Johannesburg
  (prices are one-way)

No self-driving is permitted within the Reserve, apart from driving between the gate and lodge.
As we are unfenced, our guests park at the North West Parks Board Head Office, and are collected by our guides in the game viewer to bring them into camp.

Madikwe is vast, and can take up to an hour to travel from one side to the other. Some lodges are closer to us, whilst others are much farther away -  so you may be required to exit the reserve and re-enter at a different gate depending on the distance.

If you are already staying at another lodge within the Reserve beforehand and need to get to us, or need to get to another lodge after staying with us, please do let us know the details in advance so that we can help you plan ahead.
For guests arriving by road transfer and staying at another lodge in Madikwe before or after us, inter-lodge transfers on one of our safari vehicles are charged for.

Once you're happy to proceed, we will send you a confirmation email with all the information needed to help you prepare, along with the details to pay a 50% deposit to secure your dates.
- Local residents will be provided with account details for EFT,
- International guests will be sent a secure link to pay by card.

Our bookings and administration are handled from our Johannesburg office, about four hours away from the reserve.
Menus are planned per guest, supplies are transported in advance, and vehicles and cabins are prepared to ensure everything is ready for your stay.

To help ensure a dedicated and personalised arrival for you, we ask for the following information when confirming your booking:
- All guest names (and ages of children)
- Any food allergies or dietary requirements
- Estimated arrival time (from 12:30 onwards)
- The route you plan to take (from 
- Whether you will be driving yourselves or using a road transfer

Having this information ahead of time helps us share arrival logistics with the on-site team, and we can prepare your personal reservation document with your unique reservation number (which must be presented upon arrival at the reserve gate).

This blog post explains in more detail why we need this information. If you have any questions, just let us know.

For international guests, absolutely - there are no additional fees charged when paying for your accommodation.
For expenses incurred whilst you're in camp, i.e. for items not included in our rates (including drinks, entrance and conservation fees, and gratuities), we encourage guests to bring cash.
This is due to us being remote and off-grid, with no credit card facilities in camp.

For those preferring to pay by card, a form will be provided for you to complete, and our Johannesburg office will send you a secure link payable within 48 hours of departure, with a 5% surcharge to cover transaction and admin fees.

For South African residents, payment for accommodation must be made via EFT from a South African bank to qualify for the discounted local rates.

Whilst 50% deposit is required to secure your dates, the full balance is payable 30 days prior to the start date of your visit.

In the event of cancellation 31 days or more before the arrival date of your stay, the cancellation fee is 25% of the total booking value.
If cancellation is within 15 - 30 days of arrival, the cancellation fee is 75%.
If cancellation is within 14 days of arrival, the cancellation fee is 100%.

If accommodation is booked for a date within 30 days of the arrival date, the full amount is payable at the time of booking and a cancellation fee is applicable in the event of a subsequent cancellation (75% if 15 to 30 days before arrival; 100% if within 14 days).

Please note that our cancellation policy is in place to support our team and keep our operations running, as last-minute changes are often challenging for small businesses like ours.
We encourage guests (even local residents) to ensure they have comprehensive travel insurance to cover unexpected events. This way you’ll have peace of mind, knowing that any unforeseen changes won’t lead to unexpected expenses.

We highly recommend that you do, even for local residents whilst travelling within South Africa.

As a small family-run lodge with limited capacity, we are unfortunately unable to absorb losses from last-minute cancellations or delayed arrivals. For this reason, we ask that you familiarise yourself with our cancellation policy and ensure your insurance cover is sufficient to cover any cancellation or curtailment.

Only guests currently living in South Africa qualify for our discounted South African rates.
We reserve the right to ask for proof of current address (not ID) to qualify for these rates.
The discounted rate will apply to only those living in SA, not the entire booking.

Payment must be made via EFT from a South African bank to qualify for the heavily discounted rates.

As much as we’d love to accommodate all requests, in fairness to our repeat overseas guests who pay the full standard rate, we are unable to extend discounts to guests who don’t currently reside in South Africa.

We’re proud to offer a package that includes all meals, accommodation, and two expert-led game drives each day (which we believe to be the most affordable in Madikwe Game Reserve), and our already-lean rates leave us with little flexibility to offer additional discounts.

If we determine that any personal information or data provided by guests at any stage of the booking be false or otherwise inaccurate or misleading, we reserve the right to cancel or amend rates for their booking.
This pertains most obviously to falsely declaring guests' residential status as South Africa in order to receive discounted local rates, when this is not the case.

Whilst we do not have a restaurant, your stay is fully catered, and our guests love the intimate down-to-earth quality of connecting with others visiting from all over the world and sharing stories around our massive dining table (made from reclaimed railway sleepers).
This especially appeals to Solo Travellers, who don't have to sit alone at their own table.

Meals are served around the game drives - with breakfast after your morning game drive, lunch during late afternoon (before your afternoon/evening game drive), and dinner upon your return from your evening game drive.
Snacks are provided half-way through each game drive, where the field guide stops at a picturesque spot for you to stretch your legs whilst enjoying hot drinks or sundowners.

At Mosetlha, we serve delicious, home-style meals designed to complement your bush experience. Rather than an à la carte menu, we prepare set meals for all guests each day, carefully planned in advance to ensure the freshest ingredients and minimal waste.

Our evening meals showcase authentic South African cuisine, cooked the traditional bushveld way over open fires, in potjie pots, and on braai grids. Expect hearty favorites like braai, bobotie, and potjie, served on rotation - simple, rustic, and delicious!

We also embrace slow cooking with Wonderbags and prioritise fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables, along with free-range meat and eggs.
Daytime meals range from burgers, pasta, soups and salads depending on the season.

If you have any food allergies or dietary requirements, please let us know in advance so we can accommodate you while maintaining our sustainability ethos.

We can certainly cater for food allergies and dietary requirements such as Vegetarian or Vegan, and in most cases Gluten-Free - however as we're so remote and unable to keep perishables long-term, we do advise in this case to bring along your own gluten-free bread, rolls and rusks etc.

We generally suggest vegetarian meals for Halaal and Kosher guests (we do not serve pork).

Menus are planned ahead of re-stocking the camp, and dietary restrictions need to be informed at least one week in advance to ensure we have sufficient stock in camp.
For any short-notice bookings, we may still be able to cater for any requirements, provided we have stock.

Our rates include all meals (plus accommodation and two game drives a day).
We operate a cash bar which is stocked with an array of wine, beers, ciders and soft drinks, at very reasonable prices.

We do offer a lovely selection of red, white, rose and sparkling wine (not included in the rates).
These range from R300-450 per bottle.
We would prefer you didn't since fridge space is limited, but if you do want to bring a special bottle, we will charge corkage - please ensure you mention this at the time of your booking.

Snacks on the game drives are included, but drinks are excluded from our rates. We have a lovely selection of wines, beers, ciders, spirits and soft drinks available to purchase, which helps support us as a business.
Our bar prices are kept very modest, allowing guests the flexibility to enjoy exactly what they prefer without the cost being built in – thereby keeping the overall rate lower for everyone.
Before the afternoon game drive, guests are encouraged to select what they’d like to take with from our cash bar, marking their selections on their personal drinks sheet.

Whilst we’ve moved away from selling single-use plastic bottles, you’ll still have plenty of easy access to drinking water throughout your stay at no charge.
Our borehole water is delicious and completely safe to drink. You’re welcome to bring your own refillable bottles, or purchase one of our branded aluminium ones – they’re reasonably priced at R150 each, and a lovely keepsake to take home 😊.
Before game drives, guests simply fill their bottles beforehand to take with.

Not at all - in fact Winter provides the best game viewing opportunities, when the vegetation has thinned out, and more animals gather at the watering holes.

While the evenings and mornings may be chilly, the daytime temperatures remain warm and can get quite hot, so there’s no need to exclusively pack winter clothes. A warm jacket, scarf, beanie and gloves will suffice along with long trousers, and bring along some summer clothes for relaxing on the deck during the day.

Our cozy beds are equipped with exceptionally warm winter-weight duvets and extra blankets.
We offer hot water bottles for added comfort when needed, and windproof blankets  are on game drive vehicles.
Gas mushroom heaters warm up the lapa and dining room on especially cold evenings, and you can wind down around the warming campfire.

As we are off-grid, we do not have WiFi or electrical sockets for hairdryers etc.
There are however, certain areas around the camp that can get signal if you have data on your phone (depending on your network).

Despite having no electricity, the camp manager is able to charge your phone and camera batteries with solar charging points at staff houses. We just ask that you bring along any plugs and adaptors you may need, plus spare batteries for use whilst your others are charging.

Please ensure all of your onward travel and transfers are confirmed prior to arrival, as it is unlikely you will be able to arrange these once on site.

The dress code is casual. In addition to your clothing, please also bring:
Light raincoat (summer)
Insect repellent (Tabard/Mylol)
Water Bottle
Camera (plus charger/spare batteries)
Thick jacket, gloves, beanie, scarf (for winter drives)
Sun protection cream
Torch/Flashlight and Binoculars
Cap or hat
Open shoes for relaxing during the day (even in Winter the days can get warm)
Closed shoes for game drives

We provide all bedding and towels, as well as body wash and shampoo/conditioner in your shower.

We don't offer spa treatments, as our bush camp is entirely off-grid and unfenced.
Guests love to enjoy the natural beauty and tranquility of our unique setting, whilst seeking the soul of the wild rather than the indulgence of a luxury hotel.
We appeal to responsible travellers looking for a sustainable safari adventure and immersive wilderness experience.

Whilst we understand this is a popular option, we do not have a swimming pool. We are unfenced and would not be able to keep animals out of it.
Our outdoor safari-style showers however provide the perfect opportunity to cool off during hot days - our eco-friendly version of “aircon”!

Madikwe is Malaria-free!
Having said that, we do recommend that you bring along mosquito repellent if they annoy you or you are prone to being bitten.

Not at all - each cabin now has its own private toilet and shower.

Jonny and Justice, our expert field guides, have been with us for 22 and 15 years. They take you out on two long (4 hour) game drives a day - early morning and late afternoon into the evening.
As only lodge vehicles are permitted to drive in Madikwe, the guides from all lodges are in radio contact and able to call in special sightings. We are allowed to drive off road (for confirmed sightings) and follow the strict Madikwe Code of Conduct, which gives us the best possible sightings whilst taking care of the floral, fauna, and roads.

With our central location, we are able to traverse the entire reserve.

As an intimate bush camp with a limited number of guests and a small guiding team, we operate just two safari vehicles, each seating up to nine guests. Game drives are therefore usually shared, creating a warm and engaging safari experience.

For those seeking something more personalised, exclusive vehicle use can be pre-booked subject to availability. With only two vehicles in operation, allocating one entirely to a single booking significantly reduces the number of guests we can accommodate, so is charged for - please contact us to discuss exclusive vehicle use.

Absolutely. The twice-daily game drives are not compulsory.
You are welcome to sleep in on some mornings to relax on viewing deck with a cup of coffee or tea. Or sit around the fire with a glass of wine in the evenings.

There is also cereal and fruit available to keep hunger at bay until breakfast or dinner is served (when others return from their game drive).

We also have the Lapa with comfortable seating, plenty of wildlife books and board games.

We do have a 2m high fence to keep the elephants out.
Occasionally, wildlife may approach for water during dry seasons, or when guests are out on a game drive, but our team closely monitors any such activity.

Whilst our toilets are just a few steps away from the cabins, we do understand that some prefer not to venture outside overnight, so for your peace of mind we’ve got each guest covered with a freshly cleaned, lidded potty for overnight use.
Our staff are seasoned wildlife experts and stay on the premises overnight, so assistance is always close by should you need it.

We are a rustic unfenced bush camp, and can only accommodate children over the age of 6 years old - if you have a family celebration with young kids, please ask us about our special “exclusive use” rates.

The lodge is intimate, so children will need to be considerate towards other guests during game drives in terms of noise.
Please bear in mind that children will need to be monitored by you at all times, and nobody is to wander off beyond our boundary.

The family adjoining cabins, whilst not interleading, do share a wall - guests often have 1 child sharing with 1 parent, if they feel their children are too young to be “separate”.

Children are treated the same as adults in camp and on game drives, and really enjoy learning about our eco friendly solutions - especially how to make their bucket shower!
Both of our field guides have children and are exceptional with them.

Mosetlha provides you with the opportunity to disconnect from all the technology, distractions and craziness of the world we’re living in.

Being completely off-grid with environmentally friendly alternatives to running water and electricity, we are the only genuine eco lodge in Madikwe Game Reserve.

Our sought-after award-winning expert field guides attract repeat travellers from all over the world, to experience and photograph the Big 5 and more in the malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve.

Thrills over Frills - our affordable rates allow you to reconnect with your soul whilst experiencing the full Madikwe experience.

The wild dogs usually den in July each year (if the alpha female is pregnant). Depending on where they choose to den, we don't always see them until about September, even October.

Generally, our guests will often see the magnificent seven, but we do encourage guests to stay a minimum of 4 nights to improve their chances of seeing all of the Big 5, cheetah, wild dogs and a wider variety of wildlife.