Resorts / South Africa / Madikwe Safari Lodge (Lelapa Camp)
Madikwe Safari Lodge (Lelapa Camp)
Madikwe Safari Lodge's Lelapa Camp is its family camp. Children under 6 are kept off shared game drives and offered private-vehicle or short children's drives; ages 6–11 join normal drives.
⚠ Kopano and Dithaba camps are restricted to guests aged 16 and over unless booked exclusively; use Lelapa.
Drive times from V&A Waterfront.
The facts parents check first
- Kids' club
- Kids' Adventure Safari Club (Eco House) · included · Informal nature activities such as spoor identification and bush crafts; the lodge FAQ says it is not a formal kids' club, so ask what runs when you stay.
- Rooms for a family
- Family Suites with a separate children's room (bunk or twin beds) plus a parents' room; a third stretcher bed can be added. Maximum 4 per family room plus an infant under 2 in a cot.
- Pools
- Communal pool overlooking the waterhole and a private plunge pool on each Family Suite deck.
- Babies
- Infants under 2 can sleep in a cot in a family room; babysitting is available for an extra fee.
- Board
- All-inclusive
- Nearest big attraction
- Madikwe Game Reserve game drives
- Family offers
- Eco House kids' activities included in rates; children 0–5 stay free.
Why families pick it
- Rooms: Family Suites have a separate children's room with bunk or twin beds, a parents' room and a plunge pool.
- Kids' club: Eco House activities included in rates: spoor tracking, bush crafts and bush bumbles for young children.
- Getting there: Under-6s not permitted on shared game drives; private vehicle costs extra (R9,500 a day on the current terms page).
- Teens: Walking safaris are for guests aged 16 and over.
- Value: Children 0–5 free, 6–15 at half the adult sharing rate, per the lodge's policy.
Best room for four
Family Suite. Children's room separate from the parents' room, plus a private plunge pool.
Good for
Families with children aged 6 and up, or younger ones if you pay for a private vehicle.
Think twice if
Expensive; the lodge says the kids' activities are informal, and the youngest children miss the main drives.
Other family resorts in South Africa
Some details could not be confirmed on the resort's own site and are left out. What we read: madikwesafarilodge.co.za, madikwesafarilodge.co.za. Partner links may earn us a commission at no cost to you.