Madikwe Game Reserve: Morukuru Magic

The majesty of Africa’s wildlife is a testament to the power of nature

Jane Goodall

Morukuru is a magical place. Set on the southeast corner of the Madikwe Game Reserve, every day is an adventure, and what unfolds is totally up to mother nature. The private lodge is cozy and spacious with the most attentive, close-knit staff taking care of your every whim. In just a few short days, the staff starts to feel like family, and I teared up when we left after our first trip there and knew I had to find a way back. Our first experience at Morukuru was nine years ago for our 10-year wedding anniversary, and when we told our friends Jeff and Dhruv about the magic of Morukuru, they were sold. Jimmy and I had been waiting for a good excuse to go back, and celebrating our 10-year friend-o-versary with Jeff and Dhruv was the perfect occasion.

We arrived on a tiny prop plane that lands on a solitary airstrip in the middle of the reserve. As we circled for landing, we all excitedly yelled out and pointed at the animals we could already see. Elephants, zebras, giraffes…the safari had already begun! Our safari guide, Emile, greeted us as we exited the aircraft, and as we got settled into the jeep, our wildlife tracker came over to say hello.  Gummy!!! We were so excited to have the same tracker as we did on our first visit. Gummy has been a tracker for over 30 years and can spot the tiniest piece of fur or smudged paw print when tracking down animals. To complement his bush skills, he has a sweet and calm demeanor, just a joy to be around. On our 40 min drive from the airstrip to our lodge, however, hard core tracking was not required as the animals seemed to be lining up along the road to say hello. So many giraffe, impala, elephants, and even a couple kudu.

As we pulled up to the lodge, the rest of the staff that would be taking care of us during our stay were singing a welcome song for us. We were introduced to our hostess, Rochane, as well as our chef, Assie, and our butler, Sipho, in addition to the housekeepers and masseuse. Sipho had made us a welcome drink, Amarula with Kahlua. Amarula is a popular cream liquor in South Africa made with the fruit from the Marula tree. Delicious!

Our flight had, unfortunately, been delayed, so the team expected that we would want to relax and settle in with dinner as the focus for the evening. However, when we told Rochane that we had our hearts set on a short game drive that afternoon, she was on it to make it happen. Morukuru follows the Freedom Concept, “whatever you want, whenever you want”, and although they would give us recommendations, we were free to choose our own adventure. So, Rochane quickly gave us a tour of our lodge highlighting all the perks and amenities while Assie got to work putting together a light lunch before we headed out.

We enjoyed our lunch on the patio complete with a lovely local rosé. As you can see, Assie did not want anyone to ever go hungry, so our light lunch was actually quite a large portion of curry chicken, mango couscous, and a salad. It was so good that we, of course, ate every bit of it. So, with full bellies, we hopped in the jeep with Gummy and Emile for our first adventure together. Rochane and Emile warned us that with under an hour before the sun went down, we probably wouldn’t really have enough time to see much. But, luck was on our side. Two male lions had been seen earlier that afternoon enjoying a water buffalo for dinner. We made our way over to the spot, and one of the male lions was still there passed out with a full belly.

The last time we were on safari in Madikwe, we saw a momma lion and some cubs, but we never saw a male lion. So, we felt really lucky and were pumped to see one on our first short game drive. Little did we know what mother nature had in store for us in a couple days.

As soon as the sun goes down, the temperature drops fast out in the bush. Back at the lodge, we found the fires roaring in the dining room and the bedrooms. So cozy!

Assie continued to wow us with his creations for dinner. Freshly baked bread and tempura prawns with fried halloumi cheese was an amazing way to start.

The main course was a beef filet with red wine jus followed by a dark chocolate cake with vanilla and orange sorbet. Very happy and very full, we couldn’t believe how well (and how much!) we had eaten and how many animals we had seen already on our first half day.

Game drives start bright and early, at sunrise, for the best chance of seeing animals out and about before the day heats up. As Emile would say, let’s go see what the bush provides today. Our best sighting on the first morning was hyenas. We first saw two hyenas, one likely tracking the other, and we learned that they leave pastings – sticky, smelly anal gland secretions to mark territory and to track each other.

We also found a hyena gnawing on an old water buffalo carcass.

Hyenas are remarkable creatures and although they look really funny, they can run fast for long distances often exhausting their prey. Hyenas have always gotten a bad rap, not just from the Lion King, but long ago were also believed to be witches. When you hear their kackle, you will know exactly why. At another point during our trip, we were out on a walk through the bush and thought they were circling and about to attack us. They taunted us with their laughter. Our guide told us that they don’t hunt humans so we didn’t have to worry about being attacked. But, we were honestly a bit freaked out for a minute.

During early morning game drives, we would stop for a phuza, which means to have a drink/snack. Gummy would make me a hot chocolate while the others drank coffee. Of course, I couldn’t resist a splash of Amarula in my hot chocolate. Yum! Assie always baked up some bite-sized treats to send along, such as chocolate chip muffins and salty sweet granola bites (everybody’s favorite!!). This morning, I had asked Gummy if the elephant graveyard was still a thing, and sure enough, he remembered taking us there 9 years ago and found the exact same spot. At that time an elephant had recently passed away, but almost a decade later, some of the bones were still around. Here is a pic of me with the skull 9 years ago (which sadly was no longer around) and Jimmy and I with the femur on this trip:

We spent the rest of the morning hanging out with the grazing animals.

We learned that a group of zebras is called a dazzle. As we were admiring their beautiful stripes and unique patterns, we hear a long, loud obnoxious noise. OMG…did that zebra just fart!?!? Sure enough, Emile confirmed that zebras are quite gassy because they digest all the fibrous plants that they eat via fermentation. The large quantities of gas that are released as a byproduct is also why their bellies are so round.

Morukuru loves to surprise their guests with unexpected treats and experiences, which is a little harder to do since Jimmy and I had already been there. But, sure enough, Rochane pulled off a surprise, and instead of pulling into the lodge for breakfast after our safari, Emile took us to a special location to have breakfast out in the bush. The team had set up an amazing spread of fresh cheeses, yogurt with all kinds of toppings, tropical fruit, freshly squeezed juices, and some incredible sweet flapjacks. Assie prepared the main dish in a little black kettle that he called the hunter’s microwave – bacon, sausage, onion, tomatoes, and mushrooms all simmered together with a fried egg and cheese on top. Even out in the bush, Assie crushed it again.

Between the game drives, we had time to relax by the pool and get massages in the little cabana down by the river. A light lunch was served out by the pool, a beautiful salad with sea bass. Not that we were actually hungry, but the food is so good we just couldn’t help ourselves.

The afternoon game drive started out a bit quiet. It was windy, so animals tend to hunker down and are more skittish. Some of the smaller animals are still a delight to come across. We ran into Zazu and Pumbaa. Hakuna Matata!

Emile decided to head towards a watering hole at the edge of the game reserve where he thought we might have some luck to see some animals. Sure enough, as we came out of the bush and into the open field, we couldn’t believe our eyes. It was like Simba’s birth presentation….ALL the animals were there. Herds of zebra, impala, and giraffe on our left. Elephants marching their way into the scene right passed our jeep.

Not one but four white rhinos! Emile parked the jeep a respectful distance from the animals and told us that it was totally safe to get out and have our sundowner here. Sweet! We always stop for a sundowner during the afternoon game drives, but this was the only time we were this close to so many animals. Gummy and Emile set up an amazing sundowner spread as usual: gin and tonics, red and white wine, chicken wings, biltong, chips, pistachios. Most of the animal herds got scared off shortly after our arrival, but there were a few animals that were unphased by our presence. A zebra trotted past to say hello. We got a good laugh watching an elephant scratch his butt on a tree.

A momma and baby rhino had been hanging out at the watering hole over 100 yards away when we first arrived, but they were gradually making their way along the bush line from the watering hole towards us. We couldn’t believe how close they were getting, but they stayed hidden in the bushes for quite some time observing us.

We thought they’d wander back into the bush along with the other animals and honestly couldn’t believe it when they made their way out into the clearing just a few yards from us.

It was quite a surreal moment. Emile grabbed Dhruv’s phone and quickly snapped some pics to capture us in the moment.

They pranced along past us and a few minutes later when we thought the excitement was over, a huge male rhino came along following the female.

He was a big boy and maybe we should have been a bit more nervous for our safety, but he showed no interest in us. But, we can not say the same as we excitedly took more rhino selfies.

As the sun set on our magical experience that afternoon, we didn’t think the day could keep getting better. But, Sipho greeted us back at the lodge with a chocolate cake shot to get the party started. On our Morukuru wish list, we put down that we loved wild game meats, especially springbok carpaccio the last time we visited, and Assie came with it for dinner. The first course was a springbok carpaccio roulade. Just as delicious as it was beautiful.

The main course was eland fillet with cranberry sauce, parmesan mashed potatoes and grilled baby corn and squash. The best baby corn I have ever eaten. The eland was melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness! Although we were expecting it to taste similar to venison, the flavor profile seemed more like a blend between pork and beef. Perfectly paired with the cranberry sauce.

After dinner, Sipho kept the party going by making us a Springbokkie shot, which is a classic in South Africa combining crème de menthe with Amarula. The name comes from the country’s national animal, the springbok, and the colors represent the national rugby team. Another perk of our exclusive-use lodge at Morukuru is the fully stocked bar, and Dhruv and I were on a mission to determine the best shooters and cocktails. Amarula won in our taste-off versus Baileys! And a sleeper from Africa is called Strawberry Lips, a popular South African strawberry cream liquor.

Dhruv crushed it when he made all of us an Amarula and Kahlua cocktail for our finale nightcap. Our conversations quickly devolved from recounting our safari highlights to our favorite lines and songs from SIX The Musical.

Even after the late-night partying, we were up and ready to roll for an early morning game drive. Gummy and Emile had prepped the safari jeep with blankets and hot water bottles to keep us warm. All bundled up and hopeful for a big day, we didn’t even make it off the Morukuru property when Gummy spotted two male lions laying in the bush!! We couldn’t believe our luck!

We were able to get fairly close to them to observe their behavior. Emile told us that these two male lions had a special bond, and they indeed showed us how special while we were watching.

After they showed some displays of dominance and caring for each other, they were off on a hunt.

Two other male lions had encroached on their territory, so they were tracking these other two lions to scare them off. Their deep roars and grunts were incredible. Gummy and Emile were experts in predicting the path that the lions would take. So, they would park the jeep in a manner that the lions would literally walk right passed our jeep! At one point, I could have reached out and petted one…. if I wanted to die that day.

We never ended up seeing a giant battle between these two pairs of lions, so the assumption was that the other two other lions got scared off by the bellowing roars. But, we were amazed at the tracking behavior. At one point, both the lions were smelling and all up in a giant bush because the other lions must have left their scent there.

We were fortunate to see so much activity from a pair of lions as Emile told us that they are mostly found just sleeping the day away. We rounded out the morning with some other cool sightings including a herd of wildebeest and a waterbuck.

Our luck even continued into our evening game drive. Just like the morning, we weren’t far outside the Morukuru property when we found a herd of elephants.

We watched them for quite some time as they selected some of the best leaves to munch on and made their way passed our jeep on their way to the watering hole. Of course, the little ones are always our favorites. A 2-year-old baby elephant even raised his trunk at us as if to say goodbye.

Later into the drive, a call came through on the radio for Emile. Cheetah cubs have been spotted with their momma! Emile stepped on the gas to book it across the reserve in hopes of seeing them before they disappeared into the bush again. But, he started to slow when he came across a herd of water buck and asked if we wanted to stop for a minute here, and Dhruv proclaimed, “Water buck, don’t give a f*$#”.  We all died laughing, and Emile sped on through even scaring the crap out of a giraffe (and us!) as we passed too close. Emile thought that was the funniest thing he had ever heard and planned to use that line with future tour groups.

The cheetahs were super cute and were playing around while mamma watched over them. They would practice their stalking and pounce on each other and then roll around and play with some dirt balls (or was that elephant dung?).

We couldn’t watch them for long because they have rules on the preserve to protect the animals and give babies peace and quiet. But, the few minutes that we had with them were surreal.

After an amazing day spent with all the big cats, we pulled up next to some giraffe and a savanna tree with a giant termite mound for a picturesque spot for our sundowner.

Rochane worked her magic to surprise us yet again that evening. Due to the weather being too cold/windy the night before, Jimmy and I weren’t able to go out and spend the evening in the hide as we had planned. With only one free night left for the hide experience, we asked if it would be possible for the two couples to split the evening at the hide. We suggested that Jeff and Dhruv could enjoy dinner and drinks out at the watering hole, and then Jimmy and I could actually sleep overnight. The logistics were challenging, but Rochane took on our request with a smile.

So, after the sundowner, we dropped Jeff and Dhruv off at the hide. They expected a few finger foods out there, and they were surprised with an incredible spread prepared by Assie.

Jimmy and I got back to the lodge and found a romantic picnic set up next to the living room fireplace. The “finger foods” for the evening were phenomenal: steak and mushroom pies, scotch eggs, lamb skewers with tzatziki, a cheese plate, and breaded chicken strips. And, of course, sparkling wine to add to the romantic ambiance.

After dinner, we exchanged spots with Jeff and Dhruv, and somehow magically, the hide was sparkling clean when we arrived with no sign that Jeff and Dhruv had just finished their dinner. The Morukuru team is simply amazing and make every desire come true even when weather upsets the best laid plans.

Now, let me set our night-time scene for you. The hide is an open-air wooden hut in the middle of the bush set up by a watering hole. There is a tiny bathroom with a toilet and running water on the ground floor. The giant, comfy bed with mosquito net is set up on the 2^nd floor with a bit of extra space for a table for dinner. There is only a tiny electric fence about knee high between us and whatever animals decide to visit us at the watering hole during the night.

We hung out for an hour or two enjoying some red wine and the moonlit night, but the only activity at the watering hole was a jackal. This was similar to our experience nine years ago when all we saw was a jackal and some crazy birds splashing in the water keeping us awake all night. This time, there was much less water in the watering hole, so no birds kept us up. We were fast asleep under the warm down comforter when I awoke to a noise. I jumped out of bed in time to catch two hyenas at the watering hole. Although we were told that the light wouldn’t bother the animals, they ran off as soon as I shined the spotlight on them to try see them in the darkness. They were already gone by the time Jimmy woke up and got out of bed. Since I was already up, I headed downstairs to go to the bathroom, and from there, heard a loud noise that scared the crap out of me (not literally…lol). I ran upstairs and this time Jimmy was already up and ready. The two male lions were still on the prowl and walking right passed our watering hole!! One of them let out another deep roar. My heart was racing. We wanted activity at the watering hole, but a visit from lions is much scarier when it actually happens at night without Emile and his rifle around. One of them even started to come toward us when they noticed the spotlight. At what point are we scared enough to call Emile on the walkie-talkie to come save us!?!? Could he drive here fast enough so we don’t get eaten? Before we could think too much about it, they were off into the night. We could still hear their roars for another hour or so, so we think they stayed in the area for a bit. Not much sleep happened the rest of the night after that excitement.

The following day was our last game drive, and we were blessed by lots of sightings of all the grazing animals. More zebras, giraffes, and elephants.

The elephants were especially amusing today. We found them as they were just getting to the river for a drink. One of them was clearly the leader, and he had them all lined up and taking turns at the clearing by the creek. We couldn’t help but laugh when one of them got sick of waiting his turn. He stuck his butt in the face of the other elephant and shimmied past him to get to the watering hole. Seeing them interact with each other and their personalities coming through was a real treat.

Our final sundowner was a spectacular location called Anka’s viewpoint. Gummy and Emile got behind the stone bar and started prepping sparkling gin and tonics for our toast plus the usual snacks.

We had so much fun joking around with Gummy, Emile, and Rochane. They have so many crazy stories from their time as tour guides/hostess in the bush. We were trying to convince them to start a blog to showcase their Morukuru journey since they had just recently joined the Morukuru team. Although Emile hates posing for pictures, we got him into the blogging spirit and took this one for their blog cover shot. Dhruv suggested that they needed a good thirst trap. Lol.

Such a beautiful group of people to spend time with at an absolutely stunning sunset spot.

The last night celebration continued with a brai back at the boma near the lodge. The boma is a beautiful enclosed outdoor space with a fire pit, a grill, and entertaining space.

We started with Assie teaching us how to make a special homemade bread on a stick in the firepit. Once cooked, the warm bread is filled with honey and butter.

Brai is the South African term for a barbeque. Assie grilled us up some delicious impala loin, chicken legs, boerewors (South African sausage), and braised oxtail. The side dishes included an egg potato chive salad and pap with Malva pudding topping it all off.

Pap is a traditional cornmeal side dish similar to polenta. Rochane told us that families pass down their special recipes for pap, boerewors, and Malva pudding. Everything was absolutely delicious. We couldn’t have asked for a better way to end our time out in the bush. Sitting by the firepit swapping stories with Rochane and Emile, indulging in Assie’s amazing local cuisine, sipping lots of celebratory bubbles and more of Sipho’s outstanding cocktails, and, last but not least, getting in a little inebriated “exercise” performing the Punjabi carry….what an evening to remember!

The Morukuru team truly puts together an unforgettable, bespoke experience. Saying goodbye the following morning was hard. The whole team lined up and sang a touching farewell song.

We miss you, Morukuru Family. We will be back again!