Molori Safari Lodge, the jewel of Madikwe, is the perfect family holiday.
The luxury lodge is primed to host family groups who can communally experience a safari of a lifetime in this malaria-free Big Five reserve.
The lodge added new features and expanded art offerings from the private Ichikowitz Heritage Art Collection, and a new spa is a heavenly sanctuary under the trees, with the original treatment room refurbished in soothing olive greens, greys and natural woods.
Here’s what you can experience at the Molori lodge:
A sense of home
The retreat aims at focusing on family and reconnecting. Hence, Molori has retained its feeling of intimate familiarity, which is one of many reasons why multi-generational families love booking the lodge exclusively. It sleeps up to 16 guests in five individually decorated suites, and children of all ages are warmly welcomed.
Small numbers and a highly experienced and passionate team allow this intimate safari experience to be entirely flexible, which makes for a superbly relaxing retreat – especially with little ones in tow.
Focus on the kids
From popcorn stops on game drives to steaming outdoor jacuzzis to enjoy, plus animal-print manicures, children are in for a treat.
Each child receives an interactive safari book on arrival, but they soon discover that their guide is a gifted storyteller, identifying everything from dung to footprints and alarm calls along the way.
Need a break from the kids after a fun-filled day? Back at the lodge, parents can happily retreat to the spa or reading deck, knowing that the kids are in good hands while doing a cookery course or making pizzas with the chef.
Wildlife experiences
This starts with the superbly experienced and entertaining guides - the secret to a great safari.
With one of the most active waterholes in the game-rich 75 000-hectare Madikwe reserve, there’s no doubt that Molori’s sunken hide gives it the edge, especially for seasoned safari lovers.
Molori also offers visitors one-day and overnight experiences at the K9 facility at their sister conservation lodge in the Magaliesberg, Moledi Gorge, which specialises in anti-poaching programmes across the continent.
In addition, there’s a gin and whiskey-tasting bar available, and guests can also have meals in the adjacent glass-lined dining area.
Star gazing
Molori offers a private astronomy experience to all guests, including children, through the technologically advanced Meade telescope. Set on a giant tripod on a hill behind the lodge, the telescope enables stars, comets, planets, and galaxies.
Seamless air access
Private charters with Federal Air dovetail perfectly with international flight arrival times and fly in twice daily from Johannesburg to the Madikwe airstrip, a 10-minute game drive from the lodge.
Absolute privacy
For celebrity families and honeymooners is the privacy afforded by the luxurious Presidential Suites, Metsi (593m2) and Molelo (619m2). Set apart from the rest of the lodge, each has its own private game vehicle and may be booked with a personal butler and chef.
The two bedrooms are located at either end of each suite, giving parents and children space. Both suites have a study and library area for working parents who need to keep in touch, and an additional bed for an au pair can be arranged.
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