FAQ's

Absolutely. We have been welcoming children at Etali for almost two decades. We offer children’s activities (such as, baking cupcakes, plaster of Paris, pizza making, 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:

• book a private game viewer (in which case your private guide and tracker will ensure that the appropriate distances are kept from dangerous game), or
• partake in bumble drives in the middle of the day.

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. According to Park rules, children under the age of 6 are not allowed on regular game drives, because they get very close to dangerous game (for example lions).

We offer two options if you would like to go on safari with your young ones:

• book a private game viewer (in which case your private guide and tracker will ensure that the appropriate distances are kept from dangerous game), or
• partake in bumble drives in the middle of the day.

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.

Etali is a 5-hour drive from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. We can arrange a road transfer for you.

We’re a one-hour flight from OR Tambo to the reserve’s Eastern Airstrip (where our guides will collect you and drive you to the lodge, approximately 20 minutes away). We’re also only a 45-minute drive from Sir Seretse Khama Airport in Gaborone, Botswana.

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.

Yes! Etali is located in the middle of a game reserve, where wildlife includes snakes, spiders and scorpions. We live at the lodge and can assure you that it’s quite easy to live in harmony with these creatures. They are not as frequently seen as many people think. If you see a snake, scorpion or spider, enjoy the chance to observe it and ask someone at the lodge what it is.

There are more snakes, spiders, scorpions and other insects out during the summer season, and much less during the winter season.

We suggest wearing closed-toed shoes when walking around the lodge grounds.

For insects, we use a local product called Ecomist (an insect repellent that doesn’t smell or negatively affect humans) in the suites, and a pest control company comes monthly.

Etali offers two game drives each day, one in the morning (for a few hours from dawn) and one in the afternoon (for a few hours before dusk and into the night). We are flexible—if you want to go on a drive in the middle of the day, just ask. If you’re interested in a drive into the night, just ask.

Yes! If you’re interested in going on a walk, please arrange it with the lodge before your visit. You must be older than 16 years, and if you are older than 60 years, you must have a doctor’s note saying that you are fit.

We have eight luxury suites and the family suite. The luxury suites generally have two adults per suite (sometimes parents ask for small beds to be included in the suites for their children), so the lodge’s maximum capacity is only 16 guests. You don’t get lost in the shuffle—you’re a known, valued guest who is greeted by name.

Of the luxury suites, one is reserved for guests who are mobility-impaired—the room is accessible by wheelchair.

We also have a family suite, which are two back-to-back rooms with interleading doors. The family suite has a larger deck and a larger heated pool and holds 4 guests.

Game drives are the highlight of your stay at Etali! In addition to game drives, you can also enjoy our wellness centre (offering various types of massages, manicures, pedicures, with a mini-gym and a steam room); go on a bush walk; or do a tour of Madikwe’s Ops Room, to learn more about anti-poaching activities in the reserve. We can also organize a trip to one of the local schools.

Absolutely. We have been welcoming children at Etali for almost two decades. If your young ones are above the age of 6, they are welcome to go on regular game drives with you.

We also offer baby-sitting services and children’s activities (for example baking cupcakes, manis/pedis, bumble drives).

The main lodge, including all of our dining areas, and luxury suite 5 are all accessible by wheelchair. The areas that are not accessible by wheelchair are the other luxury suites.

Most of our guests fly into OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. We are reachable by road transfer from OR Tambo, which we can arrange for you. It is about a 5-hour drive.

There are also scheduled flights between OR Tambo and the Eastern Airstrip inside Madikwe Game Reserve itself. This is about an hour flight, and then our guides will collect you at the airstrip and you’ll game drive to the lodge about 20 minutes away).

There are also flights between Cape Town and Gaborone. Gaborone is the capital of Botswana, and believe it or not that’s our closest major city (about 25km away).

Koos Potgieter founded Etali in 2000 (he built it from scratch!) and owns the lodge. He lives at the lodge itself. This is somewhat unique to have the owner on premises. It means extreme attention to detail and service levels.

Etali first opened its doors in 2001 and has been hosting guests ever since.

Etali means “good new day” in the language of one the local cultures. Koos Potgieter, the lodge’s founder and owner, chose this name for the lodge because he wanted it to be a place of new beginnings.

There are approximately 25 staff who work at the lodge, in the following departments: front-of-house (managers and wait staff), kitchen (chefs and scullers), housekeeping (housekeepers and laundry), maintenance, security, and guides/trackers.

The staff at the lodge normally work in cycles of 3 weeks on, one week off. Whilst they are on their 3-week cycle, they stay in the staff village on the lodge grounds. Although most of our staff grew up and live in the communities surrounding Madikwe Game Reserve, the sheer distances are too much for them to travel home each night.

Animals visit the waterhole at any time. There is more predator activity at dawn and dusk and into the night. During the day, there is often a lot of plains game (impala, zebra, wildebeest, klipspringer, warthogs, kudu and giraffe) and elephants.

All of the Big 5—lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino—regularly visit our waterhole. Other regular visitors include spotted hyena, brown hyena, cheetah and wild dogs. Waterhole sightings are particularly good during our dry months (especially June, July, August and September).

It is difficult to say what animals guests might see at the waterhole. Much of it comes down to what animals are coming for a drink and when they are coming. We can definitely say that sightings at the waterhole are more frequent during the dry months. During that time, some guests actually skip game drive and stay at the lodge watching wildlife at the waterhole!

We can also say that guests who stay with us for 3 nights usually see lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and cheetah, often wild dogs and hyenas, and the reserve’s leopard sightings are becoming more common.

We have! Wildlife is wildlife and predators killing prey to eat is part of the cycle. Seeing a kill at the waterhole is a rare event—happening a few times a year—but it has happened before and will undoubtedly happen again.

Etali has 8 luxury suites and a family unit. There are a maximum of 16 adult guests at the lodge at any given time. This small number allows us to offer personalised service.

You can see Botswana from the main deck! Botswana is about 7km from the lodge. Our closest major city is actually in Botswana—the capital, Gaborone.

We usually serve dinner at our boma deck every other night. It’s a special experience, because the boma deck is on eye level with the waterhole—it’s a great opportunity to see wildlife from a different perspective.

It depends!

October through February is generally our summer season, when we get rain. We are in a semi-arid region (read: it’s very dry) so it doesn’t rain that much. On average during those months is around 2”-3.5” of rain, but it is possible to get a few days of heavy rain. Daytime high temperatures are generally around 80-90°F, with lows of 65-70°F.

The bird life during this time is at its peak—Madikwe Game Reserve is home to over 400 species of birds during the summer!

The beginning of December is when most prey species give birth—there are a lot of young impala, zebra, and wildebeest around.

March and April are “fall”—moderate temperatures that are cooler in the mornings and evenings, the possibility of some rain (with an average ranging from less than an inch to 3 inches per month), and a bush that is still green from the summer rains. Daytime highs are around 75-90°F, and lows of 50-65°F.

May, June and July are the dry or winter months, with little to no chance of rain. Temperatures are near-perfect during the day (70-80°F) and chilly at night (36-50°F). The bush is starting to dry out, animals become dependent on the year-round water (including Etali’s waterhole!).

August and September are “spring.” They are still dry months with little to no chance of rain, but the temperatures are getting warmer. Daytime highs are around 70-90°F, and lows are 48-53°F.

Like most everywhere, our seasons are not fixed—sometimes the rains start early, sometimes late for example. These are just guidelines.

Our busiest times of year are from 15 December through 7 January; in August; and during Easter.

Etali receives predominantly overseas guests, and also receives many guests from the local area (South Africa and Botswana).

Tipping is entirely up to you—there is no requirement to tip. Some guests tip nothing because that is the culture in their country; some guests tip extravagantly because that is their culture.

Generally, tipping at the lodge is divided into two parts—the first being tips going to your guide and tracker (which they will split) and the second being tips going to the rest of the staff (including the front-of-house staff that you will interact with, but also all of the more behind-the-scenes staff like the kitchen, maintenance and housekeepers).

During your stay, you’re welcome to ask for tipping guidelines!

The length of game drives can vary. We normally offer two game drives each day, one in the morning and another in the afternoon into the evening. Each drive typically lasts between 3-4 hours, but can be longer or shorter depending on what you see and what you want to do. You are coming to go on safari and we want your safari experience—and your whole experience at Etali—to be the best one.

Your trip will already be paid before you arrive at the lodge. The only things that would need to be settled at the lodge itself are extras like items that you purchase at the Curio Shop, wellness centre treatments and gratuities.

For these extras, the lodge accepts payment in the local currency (called South African rands) or via Mastercard or Visa (this is how most of our guests pay).

Although the lodge has a 3-strand electric fence around it, the fence is primarily to prevent elephants from coming into camp. There can be other wildlife inside the lodge—from plains game like the klipspringers who live in the lodge grounds, or even predators (although this has happened only a handful of times in the last 20 years). So, for your safety, we escort guests to their rooms at night.

You can book directly with Etali, or you can book through an agent. We accept both types of bookings. 

If you book directly with us, we can also assist with organizing a road transfer or flight between OR Tambo International Airport and Madikwe Game Reserve. 

To book directly with us, please email reservations@etalisafari.co.za or call +27 12 346 0124.

Our game drive vehicles seat a maximum of ten guests: one in the front next to the guide, and three people per row in each of three rows. That gives us the flexibility to accommodate a larger group traveling together that would like to be in a single game viewer. However, when we plan which guests will go in which game viewer, we try to limit the number of guests to six people per vehicle. That allows two people to sit in each row, with the middle seat open in between them.

Yes! We are located right in the middle of Madikwe Game Reserve, where the wildlife is able to roam freely. Etali is fenced, but the fence is designed to keep elephants out—not other animals. Generally the large wildlife in camp are our family of klipspringers (which are small antelope that do not chase humans—they eat leaves and run away if humans get too close) and a kudu that often stays within the lodge grounds.

That being said, there have been unusual times (like when the wild dogs ran through the lodge grounds during Covid, or when a cheetah took refuge on the path to the staff village) where animals have come inside the fence. Our staff are trained to be on the lookout for any animals inside the camp, and will alert guests if they see any (and if the animal is accessible by vehicle, will do a game drive so you can see!).

We also provide an escort for you at night walking to and from your rooms.

Yes! Each of our luxury chalets has a large walk-out deck accessed by sliding doors of the room. The decks are raised and have a wooden railing. We are in the middle of a game reserve—so there are definitely animals big and small around.

It’s an amazing experience to sit out at night and watch wildlife and listen to the sounds of nature. Don’t forget to jump into your heated plunge pool after dinner for an unforgettable experience!

The local currency is called the South African rand.

No! Madikwe Game Reserve is not in a malaria area.

Although it does not often happen that a guest needs medical attention, it has happened sometimes and we are prepared. 

Etali’s guides are all formally trained in first aid—it’s a requirement to be a guide. In addition, Etali contracted with a qualified paramedic who can reach the lodge in approximately 30 minutes. We also have a contract for emergency evacuation services. 

In all cases, we recommend that our guests purchase travel medical insurance for their trip.