Kopano Lodge

Private emersion in wild luxury

Each of Kopano’s four spacious suites boasts a fireplace in the lounge and bedroom for the cosiest of chilly winter nights – either sipping red wine from a sofa or watching the moon bath the bush outside your window. The spacious decks with private plunge pools stretch out into the wilds of Madikwe so that you can enjoy the elephants and other animals that wander past slowly in the African midday while you laze in the rejuvenating water.

If it is privacy you desire, then a dinner for two, lit by the soft yellow glow of lanterns is the ultimate in wilderness romance – especially when preceded by a rose laden bubble bath.

If you need help to unwind and detach from the stresses of everyday life, one of Madikwe Safari Lodge’s qualified therapists will visit you in the privacy of your suite. The sublimely relaxing massages, facials, manicures, pedicures and reflexology treatments will evaporate the legacy of stress that everyday life imposes – leaving you to absorb the primal peace of Africa.

Kopano’s central area is equipped with a cosy lounge that invites you relax and look out over Madikwe while enjoying a yarn from one of the library’s excellent books and sipping your favourite cocktail. There is also a deck where you can unwind in the sun and contemplate existence and Africa.

The untrammelled wild

Madikwe Safari Lodge is nestled in the east of the 75 000ha Madikwe Game Reserve. This area is renowned for its outstanding game viewing. Madikwe is a rich tapestry of vegetation and topography that supports 66 recorded mammals and more than 300 bird species. The wilderness wonders of Madikwe are enjoyed with extremely knowledgeable Kopano rangers in the breath-taking beauty of the African dawn when the cheetah and wild dog wake to hunt the grazers on the plains and again at dusk when the lions move and the moon rises over the plains.

Madikwe is infused with history – some of South Africa’s most colourful historical figures walked the plains here. When you are not watching the reserve’s iconic wildlife, your ranger will regale you with the feats of Mzilikazi, famed King of the Ndebele, explorer and missionary Doctor David Livingstone and author Herman Charles Bosman who found inspiration for his classic stories on the banks of the Marico River nearby.

Meals in the wilderness

In addition to the excellent game viewing, Kopano offers stunning bush drinks under the moon, sheltered by the skeleton of an ancient acacia tree draped with lanterns. Feast at a private bush dinner under the roof of the Milky Way, stars twinkling in your wild dining room like a billion ancient African spirits.

In camp, breakfast and lunch is served on the main deck. Dinner, especially in summer is in the open-fronted boma – bathed in lantern light, with views of the moon hanging over the distant Dwarsberg Hills to the south.

Travelling to Kopano

Travelling to Kopano is easy. For the adventurous it is a scenic 4.5 hour drive from Johannesburg OR Tambo International airport (ORT). There is some gravel road driving but nothing requiring a 4 X 4. If you do not want to drive yourself but prefer the road option, Iconic Africa will arrange a road transfer with one of our trusted partner companies.

Iconic Africa recommends the 40 minute flight on a Federal Air flight from ORT. For honeymooners, this relaxing and intimate experience offers an ‘Out of Africa’ feel in the safety and comfort of a modern aircraft. Federal Air offers a daily flight from ORT to the Madikwe aircraft. From there, there is a scenic transfer to Madikwe Safari Lodge.