Johannesburg & Malaria-free Madikwe Safari
Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa and is a dynamic cosmopolitan city with lots of choice when it comes to shops, restaurants and bars and it has a great nightlife. It also has a good range of places to stay.
If you are planning to visit Johannesburg when you are in South Africa then the Madikwe Game Reserve is a great safari add-on option. A one hour flight or a four hour drive later and you will find yourself in the midst of this malaria-free safari country. Madikwe is a ‘Big Five’ game reserve and is one of the largest reserves in South Africa so it is able to offer amazing game viewing opportunities.
Day 1
Arriving in Johannesburg, collect your hire car from the airport and make your way to The Peech Hotel in Melrose. From this base, spend 2 days exploring the city. On your first day, you could shop till you drop as there are plenty of shopping malls to choose from. Sandton Shopping Centre is very popular, as is Nelson Mandela Square or if you prefer, the Oriental Plaza or Rosebank Flea Market. This evening enjoy dinner at one of the city’s trendy restaurants.
Day 2
Today visit the Apartheid museum or take a tour of Soweto township.
Day 3
Drive or fly to the Madikwe Reserve and stay at Madikwe Safari Lodge or one of the other great lodges in the area for the next 3 nights. Twice daily game drives as well as game walks are inclusive with your stay and you will more than likely get to view all the Big 5 animals during a 3 day stay and you might even get a sighting of a cheetah.
Day 4
Make the most of your game viewing opportunities on your game drives and enjoy the lodge’s facilities. Relax around the pool and indulge in a boma dinner this evening. A big fire and the stars overhead makes for a great dining experience.
Day 5
Today make sure that you do an interactive bush walk, instead of one of your game drives, if you have not done so already. You can really get into the thick of the bush and you will learn some very interesting facts from your professional guide.
Returning to Johannesburg by car, you could either stay another night or two or make the journey to the airport for your onward flight .
Flying, you would either make your way into the city again via hire car from the airport or transfer if you are spending a few more days, otherwise take a connecting flight straight from the airport.