Hello, we are a family of three, two adults, and one teenager, planning to travel the first two weeks of September. I am seeking luxury game lodges that do not require light aircraft transfers. We would like ground transfers or commercial flights only. We are willing to rent a car and drive. It is important we are not in Maria regions and I do not want to take antivirals.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Initially, we are thinking of arriving in Cape Town, spending several days, renting a car up the garden route, stopping at Addo and staying at Shamwari. From there, I could use some help, where else should we go? We are fine flying commercial to other destinations in Africa and we would like to have another Safari experience.

And, if the plan to visit, Shamari is not a good one, we would like to have input from this forum on why.

We seek an authentic Safari experience, obviously see the big five, and maybe something extra. We just don’t want it to be like a big zoo. We want it to look and feel authentic. But we do value luxury accommodation, and wonderful food and we are willing to pay for the luxury experience.

Victoria Falls is not important to us.

Thank you for your suggestions.

The first place that comes to mind is the Madikwe reserve around a 3 1/2 hour drive from Johannesburg. This is a non-malarial reserve located right on the Botswana border; it contains the Big Five as well as wild dogs and other less-often seen species.

We stayed a couple of times at the Buffalo Ridge safari lodge which we found very comfortable. One appeal of Buffalo Ridge is that it's wholly owned by the local community of Lekgophung, a village of Batswana tribal heritage, located on the edge of the reserve.

You can see the lights of Gaborone, the Botswana capital, which is roughly 20 km from the reserve, so if you don't want to drive 3-4 hours from JNB airport, you could fly to Gaborone and collect a rental car there. Round trip air from JNB costs around US$250 and there are car rental offices at GBE; cars are allowed to cross into SA upon payment of a fee (around US$120) which might be worth it to you.

Map - JNB to Buffalo Ridge to GBE - https://maps.app.goo.gl/HQDXzaN2tVK1BHE68

The wildlife viewing at Madikwe is generally quite excellent. Our visits were at the same time of year that you're proposing, and the weather was warm without being too hot. (Remember, you're on the edge of the Kalahari.) The accommodations, food, and safari experiences were all comparable to high-end lodges we experienced in other parts of the country including the Sabi Sand reserve near Kruger NP. Note there are other luxury lodges in Madikwe; we'd see their safari vehicles from time to time on game drives, but I have no first-hand knowledge of what those lodges are like.

Madikwe Game Reserve
Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge in the Madikwe Game Reserve

I also wanted to comment on a couple of things you mentioned. We also have done the Garden Route between Addo and Cape Town, also at the same time of year. It would be easy to fly into PLZ (Port Elizabeth, now Gqeberha) and drive south via Addo. Our fave spot on the Garden Route was Plettenberg Bay, although of course the whole coastal area is terrific.

However, I also wanted to mention that one of the most enjoyable side trips we made from Cape Town at that time of year was north to West Coast National Park and the coastal communities of Paternoster and St. Helena Bay. In the spring, this region, extending northward all the way to Namaqualand, is carpeted with one of the most remarkable wildflower shows in the world. Paternoster is an historic fishing village, while nearby West Coast National Park contains a huge range of bird and animal life, and it's all just a couple of hours' drive from Cape Town. Map - https://maps.app.goo.gl/JAHhKWksKFT7VKTq9

Here are a couple of pictures from this area:

West Coast NP








Paternoster

If staying in a non-malaria area is of prime importance, South Africa is your best bet. Friends stayed at Madikwe safari lodge - Dithaba - and raved about it. Pics are stunning.