This old boy cant get enough of Impodimo. He comes around every few days, chews some grass, rubs his horns on some trees then crosses our walkway down to the water hole. Beautiful old gent. #buffalo #duggaboy #bushlife #bushgirl #impodimo #impodimogamelodge #madikwe #madikwegamereserve #beautiful #africa
Impodimo elephants, a regular sighting around the lodge and watering holes. #elephants #impodimo #impodimogamelodge #loxadontaafricana #savanahships (at Impodimo Lodge, Madikwe)
I'm a greedy traveller. I want every trip I take to be an 'everything trip', to combine the most impossibly contradictory experiences. No surprise then that I expect my accommodation to offer a good share of authentic and rejuvenating, balancing all desired comforts with an unique and off-the-beaten-path environment. It may seem like I just described the holy grail of travel hospitality but these multitasking gems do exist, I found just the right one at the Madikwe Game Reserve.
The highlight of my trip to South Africa was the safari, each person in the group had different requirements and expectations which made choosing a place to stay quite challenging. We wanted an immersive wildlife experience but no camping, a relaxing vacation but also intense game drives with expert knowledge (okay, perhaps only I asked for 'intense'), local cuisine prepared to a high standard with pescatarian and vegetarian options, a sustainable destination with a bit of luxury thrown in. Luckily for us, this basically describes the brilliant Impodimo Game Lodge.
The Impodimo is located in the malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve. The park itself is an exemplary success story in sustainable conservation: established in the early nineties on a depressed agricultural area, it championed wildlife management and tourism as a viable alternative source of livelihood for local communities, symbiotically linking the wellbeing of the ecosystem with that of local residents. Game lodges in the area are governed by strict rules that minimise impact on the natural environment, all operators have a strong sense of community and excellent track records in conservation.
We arrived via Johanesburg, a four hour drive straight north towards the Bostwana border, entering through the Wonderbook Gate at the western cluster. This area of the park is a treasure trove for game and bird watchers, with healthy populations of large mammals and the Big Five. It is, however, as far as you can get from the Marico River so hippo and other water loving creatures are a rarer sight.
As we approached the lodge we saw the staff welcoming us to our first game drive, with no time to waste as it was already late afternoon. The Impodimo has an excellent team of experienced rangers and trackers that work in tandem to provide the best wildlife viewing experience. It quickly became apparent that our ranger had the most ridiculously extensive knowledge which led me, naturally, to try to catch him out with some obscure question about animal behaviour, creepy crawlers or flora. Needless to say, I failed, the man knows everything, fact!
That evening, flushed with excitement from a rhino family encounter, we finally had our 'debrief' in the lodge's comfortable sitting room. Impodimo is a privately owned boutique that supports the local economy through training, employment and sourcing, it keeps a low-footprint by placing conservation at the heart of daily activities. It is also an unfenced lodge so animals roam freely through the property on their way to the bordering watering hole, or sometimes mistaking the raised pool for a drinking fountain.
Have you ever woken-up to the sight of pasturing zebras and curious elephants by your window? I have, it happened at the Impodimo. While this closeness to wild animals may be thrilling, the lodge takes great care to avoid disturbances by introducing a fairly regimented and very considerate routine, scheduling activities around the natural daily cycles of the bushveld. Basically, we were kept out of the way when animals (predators) were most active and hungry.
Thus the plan was set out. A pre-dawn wake-up call and a quick snack of biscuits and tea was followed by a four hour morning game drive, complete with a bush breakfast of muffins and a warming drink. Back in the lodge, a sumptuous brunch was served to a belly-full, we then dispersed to enjoy the facilities in whichever way we chose. In the afternoon, a late lunch was laid out by the pool before we headed out for our dusk drive interrupted only by a scenic sundowner stop. Dinner completed the day after which we were all ushered into our villas in the safe company of our friendly, reliable and armed ranger.
Relaxing in the sun by the pool, enjoying the bushveld views from one of the perched lounges, going on a terrifying bush walk, melting into a sumptuous massage in the privacy of our room's outdoor terrace. I rushed to pack it all in, even managing some time spent on the watering hole viewing platform, half in excited anticipation and half in terror of a close-up encounter. Let's just say I didn't act so gracefully when a klipspringer got too close, those little suckers had it in for me, one of them scared the bejeezers out of me during an outdoor shower incident...
Perhaps I would have been more protected (from myself, the animals didn't really seem to pose a threat) if I had stayed indoors in our stunning rooms. Each individual villa is inconspicuously located within the greenery. A magnificent netted bed dominates the large stylish and comfortable room. There is a sitting area, large closet with a safe, generous mini-bar and amenities which included mineral water, bug spray and a very useful flashlight.
Large floor to ceiling windows open to a covered patio overlooking the bush while the two deluxe suites have the added benefit of a private plunge pool. My greastest surprise was the sumptuous bathroom with its generous toiletries, fluffy bath sheets and robes, a full rolltop bath, not one but two showers, indoor and outdoor. Service was always attentive, as courteous as it was discreet, creating a strangely luxurious yet isolated atmosphere.
Mealtimes were always enthusiastically attended as the food was utterly divine. Regional cooking traditions were combined with gourmet techniques to produce elegant dishes of local meats and produce. The last night of our stay coincided with the Lunar New Year and a few Asian expats in our group were keen to celebrate their favourite holiday. To our surprise, the kitchen staff prepared us a themed desert complete with folded cookies and handwritten fortunes.
This last gesture was a perfect example of the personalised and dedicated service at the Impodimo. The lodge is nothing short of inspiring, the service uniquely kind and, in our short stay of three nights, our ranger and tracker did everything they could to provide an extraordinary safari experience. I shall forever be grateful for their tireless efforts, we did see the Big Five up-close, and then some!
What I loved: the relaxing calmness of being in the bush, the most amazing ranger ever!
What I didn't love: Limited evening time to enjoy the starlit skies.
Perfect for: mixing comfort with an immersive wildlife experience.
NOTE: This trip was part of a group tour hosted by
Lekker Adventures
. I was a regular paying guest, the opinions expressed on this post are, as always, sincere and completely my own.
Read on about the Madikwe Game Reserve in my wildlife safari post.
