EXPERIENCE
Etali Safari Lodge combines the warmth of African hospitality with the ultimate in comfort and style, providing discerning travellers with an unparalleled opportunity to encounter the Big Five and other magnificent wildlife species up close.
This is our unique offering that makes every aspect of your stay with us unforgettable: Exciting wildlife safaris in a vast wilderness area with the big 5, cheetah and African wild dogs. Luxury zen-like suites designed to immerse you in the bush. Mouth-watering meals catered to every dietary requirement, including Kosher and Halal. The ultimate pampering in our spa and wellness centre. We believe that those four elements will give you the best guest experience, the one you’ll be talking about for years to come.
To ensure individual guest attention and privacy, Etali offers only eight luxury standalone suites and one family suite. The maximum number of guests at the lodge is 16, creating an intimate experience.
The standalone suites sleep 2 guests, and we also offer the option of adding one or two twin beds to those suites for children. The family suite offers two back-to-back rooms with inter-leading doors, an expansive shared deck, swimming pool and private lapa area.
Each of our suites has the following amenities:
*the family suite does not have an outdoor shower.
One of the luxury standalone suites is wheelchair accessible, and we offer this suite preferentially to guests with limited mobility.
Safaris at Etali are something special. Every day in the bush brings a new experience. We offer twice daily safaris in modified open Land Cruiser game vehicles, which include a canvas roof for sun protection. Your safari is led by an experienced guide, who shares a wealth of knowledge whilst driving the vehicle, and a “hawk-eye” tracker, who sits on a seat mounted on the hood of the vehicle to help spot animals and their tracks.
Part of the magic of the bush is that you do not know what nature will show you. The excitement of tracking a lion, rounding the corner and seeing a “crash” of rhino, or finding a pack of African wild dogs will stay with you forever.
Walking safaris are also on offer. Being on foot gives a different and exciting perspective of the bush. These safaris are led by experienced guides, who carry a rifle and who have been trained in how to approach wildlife to allow guests to enjoy safe and thrilling encounters with any of the wildlife in Madikwe. Imagine watching an elephant or rhino with your own two feet on the ground—it is unforgettable.
Our philosophy is that everyone should be able to experience the wilderness. During game drives, a mobility-impaired guest can sit in the front seat of the game viewer, next to the guide. (Secret: it’s the best seat in the house!) Let us know your level of mobility and your needs and we will let you know how we can accommodate you. We want everyone to be able to enjoy the Etali Experience.
The Etali Waterhole is perfectly positioned in front of the lodge to allow for amazing, close sightings. Located in front of the lodge’s main deck and pool—and even closer to the boma dining area—you can savour breakfast, lunch and dinner, or enjoy a dip in the pool, whilst watching waterhole visitors. A surprisingly large variety and number of animals visit the Etali waterhole daily. Watch a herd of elephants approach the waterhole, the younger ones eager to drink and play. Or a leopard quietly drinking at night as you enjoy a boma dinner. We’ve seen all of the big 5, plus cheetah, plus African wild dogs, plus about every species of antelope in the Reserve at our waterhole.
At Etali Safari Lodge, safaris begin early in the morning, with a game drive starting at 06:00 am in winter or 05:30 am in summer to catch prime wildlife sightings at dawn. A mid-drive break offers coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and snacks. The morning safari lasts about three hours, followed by breakfast at the lodge.
The afternoon safari begins after a royal tea at 04:00 pm (winter) or 04:30 pm (summer), and includes a “sundowner” stop for drinks and snacks while watching the sunset. The night drive follows, with a spotlight to see nocturnal animals. Guests return to the lodge for dinner under the stars.
Etali’s expert guide and tracker teams enhance the safari experience, with vehicles allowed off-road for optimal wildlife viewing, including sightings of the Big 5. Protocols limit the number of vehicles at sightings for privacy and intimacy. The lodge provides blankets, hot water bottles, ponchos, and cold water based on weather conditions.
Etali offers gourmet African cuisine for any dietary requirement. Experience cuisine that guests talk about. Meals at Etali feature the high-quality meat that South Africa is known for, including local game meat, with lots of fresh seasonal and organically grown vegetables, fruit and herbs. There is no set menu as the chefs select the best produce to work their magic.
Food is a core part of the guest experience at Etali and meals are prepared fresh daily in our on-site kitchen. All guests enjoy breakfast, lunch, royal tea and dinner, along with snacks during game drives. Our menu is varied, giving guests the option of savouring different meals.
We have years of experience catering to health and religious-based dietary requirements including vegan, vegetarian, shellfish or nut or other allergies, Kosher, and Halal.
Etali Safari Lodge is proud to cater to any dietary requirement.
The bush relaxes your mind; the Etali Wellness Centre extends that experience to relax your body. Be pampered in the tranquillity of the Wellness Centre. Our massages, hot-stone therapy, body wraps, and facials are performed by professional, qualified therapists. You may also enjoy steam therapy in our sauna and our mini-gym facilities.
Whether you are in need of pure self-indulgence, to detoxify the whole body, or simply relax and unwind from modern urban living, this is where you can feel calm and relief. We offer treatments for both men and women and can arrange for couples’ treatments.
Madikwe Game Reserve stretches over 75 000 hectares (750 square kilometres or almost 300 square miles) of African wilderness. The diversity of life is spectacular and impresses even repeat safari-goers. The “Big 5”—lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo—are regularly seen. Both white and black rhino are found in the Reserve.
Madikwe is also home to cheetah and the endangered African wild dog. The lodge has participated in sponsoring the re-introduction of wild dogs and female cheetahs to the reserve, working closely with the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT). Both spotted hyena and brown hyena are also found in Madikwe. We have regular sightings of both species of hyena—another Madikwe highlight.
There is an abundance of giraffes, zebra, blue wildebeest, impala, springbok, and warthogs. Baboons will entertain you, and you may get a glimpse of mongoose, caracal, honey badger, or even the elusive pangolin. More than 60 species of mammals call the Reserve home, as do 400+ bird species.
Madikwe Game Reserve is located in a semi-arid transition zone between the savanna and the Kalahari Desert. It is a malaria-free area, making it one of the few “Big 5” wilderness areas without malaria in all of southern Africa.
Daytime winter temperatures are moderate; the mornings and evenings are chilly, staying just above freezing. This is a great time to visit because animals congregate around waterholes, including at the Etali Waterhole. The Reserve turns beautiful shades of yellow and brown, with spots of green. Warm up during the evenings next to fires lit in your suite’s fireplace and inside the main lodge building.
Daytime summer temperatures are hot, often cooled by spectacular thunderstorms that are accompanied by stunning cloud formations and rainbows. Refresh with a dip in your private splash pool in between game drives. Summer mornings and evenings are comfortable and pleasant. Many animals give birth in December and January, and there are lots of young impala, zebra, wildebeest, warthog and giraffes. The rainy season is marked by lush vegetation and the arrival of migratory birds from the northern hemisphere.
Madikwe Game Reserve stretches over 75 000 hectares (750 square kilometres or almost 300 square miles) of African wilderness. The diversity of life is spectacular and impresses even repeat safari-goers. The “Big 5”—lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo—are regularly seen. Both white and black rhino are found in the Reserve.
Madikwe is also home to cheetah and the endangered African wild dog. The lodge has participated in sponsoring the re-introduction of wild dogs and female cheetahs to the reserve, working closely with the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT). Both spotted hyena and brown hyena are also found in Madikwe. We have regular sightings of both species of hyena—another Madikwe highlight.
There is an abundance of giraffes, zebra, blue wildebeest, impala, springbok, and warthogs. Baboons will entertain you, and you may get a glimpse of mongoose, caracal, honey badger, or even the elusive pangolin. More than 60 species of mammals call the Reserve home, as do 400+ bird species.
Daytime summer temperatures are hot, often cooled by spectacular thunderstorms that are accompanied by stunning cloud formations and rainbows. Refresh with a dip in your private splash pool in between game drives. Summer mornings and evenings are comfortable and pleasant. Many animals give birth in December and January, and there are lots of young impala, zebra, wildebeest, warthog and giraffes. The rainy season is marked by lush vegetation and the arrival of migratory birds from the northern hemisphere.
Madikwe Game Reserve is located in a semi-arid transition zone between the savanna and the Kalahari Desert. It is a malaria-free area, making it one of the few “Big 5” wilderness areas without malaria in all of southern Africa.
Daytime winter temperatures are moderate; the mornings and evenings are chilly, staying just above freezing. This is a great time to visit because animals congregate around waterholes, including at the Etali Waterhole. The Reserve turns beautiful shades of yellow and brown, with spots of green. Warm up during the evenings next to fires lit in your suite’s fireplace and inside the main lodge building.
Yes, we cater for all dietary requirements. We opened our Kosher kitchen more than 20 years ago and have served thousands of Kosher guests. (For Kosher guests there is a surcharge of R750 per person per day.)
Our chefs do their own shopping on a weekly basis, and purchase ingredients to meet our guests’ dietary requirements and wants and needs.
Absolutely. We have been welcoming children at Etali for almost two decades. We offer children’s activities (for example baking cupcakes, manis/pedis, etc.).
If your young ones are above the age of 6, they are welcome to go on regular game drives with you.
If your young ones are under 6 years old, we offer two options for game drives:
We also offer baby-sitting services for R750 per day if you’d like to relax on game drives or during spa treatments knowing that your little ones are being well looked after.
Yes, you can book a private game drive vehicle, which will allow you to have a private vehicle, private guide and private tracker. This is a great option because it allows you total flexibility in your game drives—you can leave late, leave early, stay out longer, etc. If you book a private game drive in advance and we confirm that one is available, the exclusive vehicle is guaranteed, at an additional cost of R8 000 per day.
There is no minimum stay, although we recommend staying at least three nights to experience Madikwe’s wildlife. Our most common stays are for 3- or 4- nights.
Most of our guests fly into OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa. Etali is a 5-hour drive from the airport.
We’re also only a 45-minute drive from Sir Seretse Khama Airport in Gaborone, Botswana (and there are now direct flights between Cape Town and Gaborone!).
We can arrange road transfers for you with trusted transport companies that we’ve been working with for years.
There are also scheduled flights between OR Tambo and the Eastern Airstrip inside Madikwe Game Reserve itself. This is about an hour flight. Your guide and tracker will collect you at the airstrip and you’ll do a game drive to the lodge, which is about 20 minutes away. We can also arrange this flight for you.
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