Makweti Safari Lodge

About Makweti Safari Lodge

" Intimate and luxurious " is what Makweti sells itself as and it certainly lives up to it's this!.

Being one of the few unfenced camps in South Africa, Makweti has merged to become a part of the surrounding environment, allowing the wildlife to continue with their natural migratory patterns in, through and around the camp. 

Makweti’s Indaba Lounge is a perfectly positioned vantage point to take it all in, with views that extend across a natural flood plain and waterhole.
A highlight of Makweti, this water source attracts animals of all sizes and stature as they casually traverse through the unfenced camp, giving guests the ultimate bushveld appeal that is both exciting and awe-inspiring.

Local elephant herdsoften drink water from the guest pools, a spontaneous and breath-taking event that offers guests a close up view and almost natural experience with these wild animals.

The views from the main lodge change with every season, offering guests a unique treat as nature follows her inherent course every year. Views from the teak decks of the lodge across the undulating landscapes overhanging the Makweti Gorge with  a natural waterfall that flanks the western side of the main lodge.

 If you happen to bear witness to an authentic African thunderstorm raging across the Welgevonden Game Reserve, consider yourself extremely fortunate. Summer months promise this remarkable spectacle, that builds and erupts as quickly as it can disappear. All plants and beings take pleasure in the event as an almost audible sigh of relief emanates from the bush, thanking the heavens as the water nourishes the land once more.

Makweti Dining

 Seasonal delights extend to the kitchen where our chefs busy themselves creating unforgettable culinary masterpieces with locally sourced, seasonal fruits, vegetables and spices, to be paired with the finest of South African wines.

As a proud member of the “by-invitation-only” Chaîne des Rôtisseurs – the global hallmark of excellence in cuisine and culinary service – we are constantly and consistently creating authentic, African-inspired themes that resonate with flavour. Taste buds are titillated in our candlelit dining room, or in the outdoor boma (a traditional outdoor enclosure) under the vast African night sky where the cosmos sets an idyllic backdrop for transcendent gastronomic events.

Makweti Rooms

The intimate nature of Makweti is further solidified by having only ten guests at the lodge at one time. Every need and whim of the guests is attended to.
Five air-conditioned suites, built from African stone and thatch, are dotted around the main lodge, accessible by winding pathways through the natural bushveld.
Each one accommodates two guests and has an expansive, private deck facing one of Welgenvonden’s glorious views, with four of the five suites being complete with a private plunge pool.

Guests retreat to their own private space, where they can take in the events of the day, while listening to the intricate goings on of the bush..

We pride ourselves on offering the luxury of intimacy and congeniality at it’s best, in a breathtaking wilderness for only 10 special guests.

 All suites tend to the human need for comfort, while injecting a healthy dose of luxury and indulgence into the mix.
Melt into the king size beds (which can be exchanged for two twins), invigorate the senses with an outdoor (or indoor) shower, or warm up after a drive with a decadent soak in the Victorian bath tub as the chill rises off the land.

Enjoy the crackle of an open fireplace in your suite, as you sip on treats from the minibar and marvel at the changing landscape from day to night. Guests can greet the rising dawn with a hot cup of coffee made from the in-suite coffee making facilities before heading off on the morning drive, where it all starts over again; a daily routine that welcomes completely unique experiences.

Big Five Game Viewing

Makweti has two game vehicles and three dedicated, skillful guides for the guests. The diversity of wildlife in the reserve is simply beyond belief, especially to guests who are enjoying their first safari trip to Madikwe.

Walking safaris can be arranged by prior request, tailored to your unique preferences or interests, or you can sit back and relax in our open game vehicles, taking in the details and simply being in the moment.

Welgevonden is a private reserve which means that guests are not permitted to drive their own vehicles within the reserve. This adds to the exclusive nature of the Makweti experience.