You’ve heard your friends gush about the experiences that they had on their luxury safari. What’s it really like to be on a game drive safari in South Africa with Etali?
In short: it’s awesome!
Imagine an elephant almost brushing by the vehicle as it walks past. Imagine hearing the roar of a lion as he calls his pride. Imagine speeding through the bush to keep up with African wild dogs as they hunt.
Start Early To See What Nature Has In Store
There are two game drives at Etali—a morning drive and an afternoon drive. Morning drives start early, with a wake-up call at 05:00 (during summer) or 05:30 (during winter). After a quick coffee/tea and morning snacks, you’ll venture into the wilderness at first light, when wildlife is at its most active. If you aren’t a morning person, what you’ll see on game drives will make you one.
That’s because you never know what’s around the corner. Madikwe Game Reserve is home to a huge diversity of wildlife. Etali guests regularly see elephants, lions, rhinos, buffalo and a plethora of plains game like giraffe, blue wildebeest, zebra, kudu, impala and warthogs. You’ll often also see leopards, African wild dogs, cheetahs and brown hyenas. The only thing that is guaranteed is that nature will surprise you with what it offers that day.
These wildlife encounters are undoubtedly the highlight of any game drive. Each sighting is unique and offers a chance to observe these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat.
Enjoy Intimate Wildlife Sightings In Madikwe Game Reserve
Wildlife sightings in Madikwe are intimate. Madikwe is huge, over 75 000 hectares / 290 square miles. That’s about the size of Philadelphia, Berlin or Dubai. Check out our post about why Madikwe is a top reserve for your South Africa safari.
Each lodge in Madikwe has a limited number of game viewers, and wildlife sightings are restricted to a maximum of 2-3 vehicles per sighting. (This is not the case in some game reserves, particularly ones where self-drives by the public in their own vehicles are allowed.) Because of the expertise of its guides and trackers at finding wildlife, Etali often has the first and only vehicle at a sighting. Wildlife encounters are special moments.
Learn About The African Bush From Your Safari Guide And Tracker
During the drive, your experienced guide and tracker will navigate the terrain, interpreting the bush for you: the wildlife, tracks, plants, smells, sounds—you name it.
Your guide drives the vehicle and is knowledgeable about the local ecosystem, animal behavior, and conservation efforts. They’ll share fascinating insights and answer any questions you may have, offering a deeper understanding of the natural world around you. Because of the amazing photographic opportunities offered on drive, your guide will also position the vehicle for the best angles and lighting conditions.
Not all lodges have trackers. Etali does, because they enhance your safari experience. Trackers are skilled at identifying and interpreting animal tracks, signs, and behaviour. There is nothing more exciting than learning from a tracker how they are spotting tracks and following them to find the wildlife sighting.
Explore In Specially Modified Game Viewers
You’ll explore Madikwe’s network of gravel roads in a game viewer safari vehicle. The game viewers are Land Cruisers that have been specially modified for the rough terrain of the wilderness. Etali’s game viewers are covered on top and open on the sides, giving you a chance to hear the sounds of the bush and feel the breeze—but without feeling the sun beating down on you.
Your tracker sits on a seat mounted on the hood or bonnet of the vehicle—they have a bird’s eye view of the surroundings. Then there is a seat for the safari guide (who drives the vehicle), and a passenger—this is often the favourite seat of photographers because it is lowest to the ground.
Behind the guide, there are three (3) rows of seats at different heights. Unless you want to safari with others, Etali limits the number of guests per vehicle to 6, so there is an empty seat per row.
You Will Not Go Hungry!
In the middle of the morning game drive, you’ll take a break in the bush for coffee or tea and some snacks. If it’s winter, by this point the sun and the hot plunge press coffee will warm you up. If it’s summer, you’ll feel the heat starting to build and you’ll enjoy the coffee and the breeze.
After the drive, you will end up back at Etali on the main deck overlooking the waterhole for a big breakfast.
You do not go hungry on safari! The food at Etali and that our chefs prepare is the level of quality that you would find at fine dining restaurants in any of the major international cities.
Rest Before The Afternoon Drive Or Take Advantage Of More Activities
During the day, in between game drives, you have options:
- Relax in your luxury room that includes a heated plunge pool
- Enjoy a swim at the main lodge pool
- Chill out at the boma for a ground-level view of wildlife at the Etali waterhole
- Book a wellness treatment at Etali’s spa
- Go on a day drive to focus on bird-watching
- Go on a bush walk
- Take a tour of the reserve’s “Ops Room” to learn more about Madikwe’s successful anti-poaching efforts. This is a special experience unique to Madikwe.
Enjoy The Afternoon Game Drive
Each day, there is a second game drive that starts in the afternoon, usually around 15:30 or 16:00, depending on the season. (In fact, if you and others in your vehicle agree, you can go on safari at any time that you please. Leave earlier; leave later; stay out longer; whatever you would like.) Please make requests—although sightings cannot be guaranteed, if you are keen to see a particular animal, tell your guide and tracker and they will do everything they can to find it for you.
As the sun begins to set, you will stop for the time-honoured safari tradition of sundowners. Your guide will find a picturesque spot where you can sip drinks and watch the colours of the sky change as the sun dips below the horizon. When was the last time you watched the sun rise and the sun set?
After the sun sets, you’ll continue on drive…in the dark. Your tracker has a spotlight that she or he shines around to spot nocturnal animals such as leopards, hyenas, and owls. Night drives offer a different perspective on the wilderness and the creatures that inhabit it.
Etali Moment
The thing about nature is that you never know what you might see. It’s different every time. The other day, we asked Enos (one of Etali’s guides) and Mathilda (one of Etali’s trackers) to try to find lions. You don’t know what you might see unless you ask…
Not only did we have a touching sighting of a lioness looking after her own cub as well as her sister’s 7-week old cub, but we also spent time alone with 4 lions who were trying to hunt. The young male, who was with three females, kept messing up the hunt by moving and allowing the prey to spot him. More than once. You could feel the frustration of the females and you could see them try to leave the male behind. It was like watching a live soap opera playing out in front of us.
At one point during all of this, Enos had parked the game viewer to wait for the lions to re-group. And re-group they did…in the shade cast by our game viewer. The lions were so close that the only camera that could film them was a smartphone. This video below was taken with a smartphone, with no zoom. That’s how close the lions were.
Ready to experience the game drive of a lifetime?
Book your African safari with us now to make your own Etali Moments.
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