A Marula Hill series
The People Part
It's not the pool or the view. It's the people.
Once a month we put one question to someone who runs, guides or tracks at a lodge we book. Short answers, on camera, in their own words.
Episode one · Madikwe
Ep. 01
1:40
What makes Madikwe different from the Kruger?
Emery HassallChief Operating Officer, Madikwe Safari Lodge
The short answer
Madikwe isn't a smaller Kruger. It sits where the Kalahari meets the savannah, so it's dry and desert-like in the dry season and green within weeks of the rains. That brings in Kalahari species you rarely see in the Lowveld, which is why Emery suggests pairing the two rather than choosing.
It's a place of extremes.Emery Hassall
Malaria-free
Madikwe is a malaria-free Big Five reserve, which is why families and short-break travellers ask about it so often.
After dark
Brown hyena and aardwolf are mostly nocturnal. The drive back to the lodge after sunset is your best chance.
Both, if you can
The Kruger gives you classic Lowveld bush. Madikwe gives you red sand, big skies and a different cast of animals.
Every episode
A new conversation each month.
1:40Episode one · Madikwe
What makes Madikwe different from the Kruger?
Episode two · Kapama River Lodge
What makes Kapama so special?
Ask the next guest
What would you ask the people behind the lodge?
Guides, trackers, chefs, owners. Send us the question you'd want answered before you book, and we may put it to them on camera.
The people who run a lodge shape your stay more than the room does. You usually meet them on arrival. Here, you meet them first.
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