Off-the-chart exclusivity at Dithaba by Madikwe Safari Lodge

Dithaba is generally used as an exclusive-use lodge. The whole of the property is built high up on the hill with leadwood trees incorporated into the design. It would be very hard to find better suites. We’ve got wooden decking, that thatch roof smell which is always reminiscent of Africa and quite exceptional views of the north-eastern plains. We’ve set up things for couples getting engaged, for people on an anniversary and we’ve hosted major wedding events. We can do pretty much whatever is within the imagination, as long as it is in keeping with the footprint of the lodge. Whenever you need something, someone is available to give it to you. It’s like five staff per guest.

You can see a lot of game just sitting on the deck, at the pool and we’ve got waterholes where we get a lot of wildlife coming through. We’ve got what we call the little klipspringer family, that translates to ‘rock jumper’. We’ve got bushbuck, we’ve seen wild dog through the fence, and we’ve even had occasions when the guards had to walk the guests home because they’d seen a leopard in the camp. The electric fencing is just to keep out elephants so it really is a wild experience. Then at night-time you’ve got incredible skies.

Aside from game drives, we also do safari walks, so you can go out with your field guide and experience wildlife at close quarters. The guides are very experienced so they know exactly how far they can go or when they need to back off. For me personally it’s always exciting to see elephant on foot because even in a vehicle you can get nervous if they come close but on foot it’s a whole different thing.

It’s not so much about the big events here but more about the small things. For example, if we find that someone liked the chilli sauce that we make, we will make a batch and give it to them as a farewell gift. It’s just about listening to people. Obviously, there’s always big events. We’ve even had country singers from the United States fly in and given private concerts – I can’t tell you who though…