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South Africa Madikwe Family Safari

Ticking the box for both teens and younger children, this family adventure has the UK summer holidays in mind. Start in hip Johannesburg for the educational factor (and a whole lot of fun) with a chance to explore Nelson Mandela’s hometown by bike as well as stalagmite-studded caves. Then it’s off to the malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve, a game-changing safari destination for families. Here children can spy the cast of the Lion King on their very own game drives followed by marshmallow toasting in the boma.

Suggested itinerary, Safari
6 nights
Johannesburg, Madikwe Game Reserve
Safari, Family

£3,575 - £4,325pp. Price for family of 4 (2 adults and 2 children under 12) including international flights

Itinerary overview

Day 1

Johannesburg

Land in Johannesburg where you'll be met by a representative and transferred to your hotel in the...

Day 2

Johannesburg

We've kept today free so you can explore the city with optional activities at your fingertips to ...

Day 3

Madikwe Game Reserve

Stock up on snacks for your four-and-a-half-hour road transfer this morning to the Madikwe Game R...

Day 4

Madikwe Game Reserve

Families can roam the savannah on twice daily game drives while young explorers (3-5 years old) w...

Day 5

Madikwe Game Reserve

This morning for a different perspective, you might like to try a walking safari connecting you t...

Day 6

Madikwe Game Reserve

For an educational slant, conservationists in the making may want to take part in Madikwe’s estee...

Day 7

Madikwe Game Reserve & Departure

Transfer back to Johannesburg via road or a 1-hour flight (additional cost) in good time for your...

Day 1

Johannesburg

Land in Johannesburg where you'll be met by a representative and transferred to your hotel in the heart of the city featuring ample-sized rooms with twin double beds as well as interconnecting rooms. You have the rest of the day to unwind or head out at your whim discovering the city’s rich history, exciting food scene and creative buzz that gives Cape Town a run for its money.

Recommended Hotel

Hyde Johannesburg Rosebank

Ultra-modern with urban and chic interiors, Hyde Johannesburg Rosebank hotel is an ideal base for exploring Johannesburg.

Day 2

Johannesburg

We've kept today free so you can explore the city with optional activities at your fingertips to keep it flexible. Teens will no doubt love cruising the cool suburbs of Newtown and Maboneng, home to musicians and notable actors such as Black Panther’s John Kani. Your guide is part of Johannesburg's creative DNA and the best person to take you around its graffiti walls, art studios and local markets. Or why not try a spirited bike ride around Soweto – Nelson Mandela’s hometown – for a cultural injection plus a lot of fun. For an adventurous morning out, the Cradle of Humankind is worth the hour drive out of Johannesburg to explore limestone caves below where you can see stalactites, stalagmites and million years old fossils.

Cycle through Soweto

Johannesburg

Cycling is one of the best ways to see the Soweto township. You’re out there and there are no barricades between you and the people. It’s one thing to see buildings and houses, but it’s another to meet the people and get to shake their hands.

On this four-hour tour, you will cycle first to a place where you will have a 360-degree bird’s-eye view of Soweto, where you will be introduced to what the township is about, and touch on the history and current affairs. Then you will head  to Mzimhlophe, Zone 11, which started as a community for the men brought in to work the Johannesburg gold mines. Stop at street stalls or local shops to taste some typical snacks. Cycle to Meadowlands, which is somewhat middle class by Soweto standards. It’s where those who were forcibly removed in the 1950s from mixed communities such as Sophiatown were resettled.

From here, move on towards the Hector Pieterson Memorial. The Memorial marks the events of 16 June 1976 when student protestors were shot at by police, and many died. From here travel along the famous Vilakazi Street, where two Nobel Peace Prize winners used to live. You will see Nelson Mandela’s house and speak about his contribution and then Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s house. Last stop is at the backpackers for a taste of some traditional sorghum beer.

Private Maboneng and Newtown Tour

Johannesburg

On this fascinating tour you will be taken by a well-known local to see the incredible street art of Newtown and explore the vibrant area of Maboneng.

Newtown is a powerhouse of some of the most talented street artists across Africa. At Mary Fitzgerald Square, under a bridge you’ll find around 25 pillars of back-to-back street art. Your guide will explain just some of the stories that are behind the murals and graffiti artwork.

You will then travel to Maboneng. Here there has been major reconstruction of old infrastructure in this once run down neighbourhood known as Jeppestown. Mabenong translates as ‘place of light’ and its rejuvenation now spreads over seven kilometres. Here you will find art galleries, craftwork, a variety of restaurants and music spaces.

My Jo'burg Cradle of Humankind

Johannesburg

The Cradle of Humankind is a huge area peppered with limestone caves, its two standout attractions being the Maropeng Visitor Centre and the Sterkfontein Caves.

The Visitor Centre itself is interesting to look at, built in the form of a mound. When you enter, you take a journey through the earth’s history; a gentle ride on a small circular boat while learning about how the earth evolved. The ride takes you to the exhibition area where you could spend hours. The award-winning exhibition shows the development of our ancestors over the past few million years.

Sterkfontein’s dark, limestone caves are fascinating. You will walk down into these huge underground caverns with incredible stalactites and stalagmites. Mrs Ples is the reason that Sterkfontein became renown being one of the oldest fossil skulls to ever be discovered at more than two-million-years old. The other famous discovery here is Little Foot – a nearly complete, millions-of-years-old Australopithecus fossil skeleton.

Recommended Hotel

Hyde Johannesburg Rosebank

Ultra-modern with urban and chic interiors, Hyde Johannesburg Rosebank hotel is an ideal base for exploring Johannesburg.

Day 3

Madikwe Game Reserve

Stock up on snacks for your four-and-a-half-hour road transfer this morning to the Madikwe Game Reserve or if car journeys aren’t your thing, if you prefer, for an extra cost, we can arrange a premier scheduled 1-hour flight direct to the reserve. Perfect for families, Madikwe sits in a malaria-free zone with a handful of family-friendly lodges making it joyful to explore with your clan. Lelapa is one such lodge where children can enjoy their very own game drives and a whole smorgasbord of other kid-centric activities. Not to mention fab family suites featuring bedside hot chocolate mugs and bunk beds stashed with games and toys.

Recommended Hotel

Madikwe Safari Lodge – Lelapa Lodge

Lelapa means family, and this lodge has centred everything they do around homely service and is dedicated to smaller guests looking for adventure.

Day 4

Madikwe Game Reserve

Families can roam the savannah on twice daily game drives while young explorers (3-5 years old) won’t miss out on pancake-fuelled safaris spotting zebra, giraffe and elephant with highly attentive guides. Back at the ranch, it’s easy to swap television for an eco-house filled with animal skulls and other archaeological treasures followed by games around the swimming pool backed by a lively waterhole. Cue cookie baking, scavenger hunts and marshmallow toasting in the boma. There’s even a dedicated children’s menu – and not a processed meal in sight! Adults can dip in as they please although this might be the opportune time to retreat for a massage. Reconvene for stargazing under a dazzling sky and stories by the campfire.

A day on safari in the Madikwe Game Reserve

Madikwe Game Reserve

The Madikwe Game Reserve is the only park in South Africa not to permit day visitors. This means you can revel in the knowledge that you’ll see very few others vehicles during your safari explorations. Here you can find wildlife you wouldn’t even see in the much-lauded Kruger National Park such as aardwolf and brown hyena as well as gemsbok and the slender, long-legged springbok – South Africa’s national animal.

You may not have heard of Madikwe, it feels like that big a secret, although second-time safari goers might have caught whispers of its unique landscape and exciting wildlife. The reserve hosts not just the Big Five but also Africa’s Secret Seven – rare species known for their shy nature from African wild cat to the elusive aardvark. 

For families, it’s a no brainer due to the malaria-free aspect and lodges that offer children their very own breakfast game drives. This is also a place for walking safaris with highly knowledgeable guides whose finely tuned instincts can take you the closest you’ll ever come to a herd of elephant or a towering giraffe. Without the rumble of engines, you notice the smaller intrigues of the bush like the inconspicuous paw prints of a big cat or the intricate operations of a termite army.

Recommended Hotel

Madikwe Safari Lodge – Lelapa Lodge

Lelapa means family, and this lodge has centred everything they do around homely service and is dedicated to smaller guests looking for adventure.

Day 5

Madikwe Game Reserve

This morning for a different perspective, you might like to try a walking safari connecting you to the intricacies of the bush (minimum age is 16 years old). Don your comfy hiking shoes and head into the wild with a highly trained guide perhaps identifying tracks, studying plants and getting up close to plains game. After a thrilling morning of adventurous pursuits, there’s every reason to wallow in the pool entertained by the wandering wildlife.

Recommended Hotel

Madikwe Safari Lodge – Lelapa Lodge

Lelapa means family, and this lodge has centred everything they do around homely service and is dedicated to smaller guests looking for adventure.

Day 6

Madikwe Game Reserve

For an educational slant, conservationists in the making may want to take part in Madikwe’s esteemed rhino conservation (an optional activity). This involves helping gather DNA samples from and notching a sedated rhino in the company of a specialist veterinarian – a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If you're after extra insight without the heavy price tag, Lelapa’s field guides often conduct wildlife lectures and are all too happy to discuss the week’s findings regaling you with fun facts of the local area. After an exhilarating few days you might then want to hang by the swimming pool as the kids run riot on the lawn, take a dip in your suite’s private plunge pool or read, ensconced on the deck with views over the patchwork of acacia.

Recommended Hotel

Madikwe Safari Lodge – Lelapa Lodge

Lelapa means family, and this lodge has centred everything they do around homely service and is dedicated to smaller guests looking for adventure.

Day 7

Madikwe Game Reserve & Departure

Transfer back to Johannesburg via road or a 1-hour flight (additional cost) in good time for your onward journey.

Recommended Hotel

Madikwe Safari Lodge – Lelapa Lodge

Lelapa means family, and this lodge has centred everything they do around homely service and is dedicated to smaller guests looking for adventure.

Personalise your trip

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Call our Africa experts on

0800 294 9706

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Guide price information

Low Season

01 Jan - 30 Jun, 01 Sep - 19 Dec

£3,575pp

High Season

01 Jul - 31 Aug

£4,325pp

Guide price information is based on the included flights from London, accommodation, transport and experiences detailed in the itinerary above. Guide prices do not include optional things to do. Call us for up to date prices – the cost of your holiday depends upon the time of year you travel, how long you go for, preferred departure airport, airlines, hotels and things to do.

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Call our Africa experts on

0800 294 9706

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Kuoni is a brand of DER Touristik UK Ltd. Registered in England. Company Number: 395623. Registered Office: Touristik House, Dorking Office Park, Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1HJ

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