THAKADU RIVER CAMP
Madikwe Game Reserve
South Africa

Introduction

Thakadu River Camp is located on the banks of the Marico River in Madikwe Game Reserve, the area is malaria free and the region is host to an incredible diversity of wildlife. Thakadu, has a genuine warmth and pride instilled in its staff and in the general atmosphere.

Camp Description

Thakadu River Camp consists of twelve tented suites, each with their own viewing deck overlooking the Marico River. The main camp comprises an open plan lounge, dining and reception area, with the swimming pool, bar area and lapa offering views of the gully and river to the north. The decor of the camp has a strong Afro-Asian Safari ambience to it, with use of natural stone, fibres, cloth and carpets as well as metal and wood featuring prominently throughout the camp. The tents are large and spacious and are wonderfully decorated and appointed. Within the canvas frame, the interior is uniquely designed to incorporate a full bathroom. Each tent has a sliding door that opens onto a private deck overlooking the river. Of the twelve tented suites, four are family units, each with an extra sleeper couch catering for children.

Game Viewing

Madikwe Game Reserve is home to a tremendous diversity of fauna and flora, including the white and black rhino, buffalo, lion, elephant, leopard, cheetah, and wild dog. The lodge is a superb walking and open vehicle safari destination, where guests are accompanied by well trained and informative rangers who are able to interpret the many encounters whilst on safari. Open vehicle game drives, walks, tracking, stargazing, bush dining, birding, and botany interests are all activities that are available to guests. The Madikwe Game Reserve is a bird watcher's paradise, with over 340 species listed here. These include many species of raptor, such as the Martial Eagle, the African Fish Eagle, the Secretary Bird and the Pale Chanting Goshawk. Spotted Eagle Owls are common here, as is the tiny Pearlspotted Owl.

Community Visits

The Madikwe Game Reserve, has been immensely beneficial to the local surrounding communities. Two lodges have pioneered the concept of community upliftment through a unique eco-tourism model in which a community trust owns the lodge and employs community members to run it. The lodges have helped to uplift the rural village communities of Molatedi and Lekgophung respectively. Guests will now have the opportunity to see first-hand exactly how the communities have benefited from the profits accrued by the lodges. Guided tours of the communities by a local community ambassador provide visitors with a chance to meet the kgosi (chief) and learn about the local culture, ethnic heritage and ancestral history of the local people. The tour of Lekgophung includes a visit to the traditional kraal, the heart of the community where important meetings and events are held. Depending on when they visit, guests may be lucky enough to witness one of the many traditional ceremonies that take place in the kraal. Both communities have used the profits from the lodge to build clinics and schools to meet their educational and healthcare needs. At the Lekgophung community, visitors can view the tannery, a successful entrepreneurial business venture. They can also take a tour of the hydroponics vegetable project in Molatedi village, the produce from which the villagers use as food and to sell commercially in Pretoria. Locals are proud of their villages and the work they have put into developing them, and show visitors around with enthusiasm and warm African hospitality.

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Madikwe Game Reserve