Last Word Madikwe

Last Word Madikwe exceeded every expectation. The lodge is beautiful, the food was excellent and the game drives were incredible. We saw elephants, zebra, warthogs, baboons, wildebeest multiple times whilst watching the waterhole during the day inbetween drives/in the evenings. There is almost always something there! The entire team went above and beyond to make our stay special, particularly in helping my partner create a surprise proposal. The planning, attention to detail and discretion were outstanding, and they created a truly spectacular and unforgettable moment for us. Our guide Juandre was fantastic throughout all our game drives, aside from the fact we saw so many different animals, he always had more new interesting facts and anecdotes when we were lucky enough to spot them again. Every member of staff made us feel genuinely looked after. Danike, Liz and Jodie did such a fantastic job with the surprise proposal going way beyond what we could have asked for. We couldn't have chosen a better place to begin such an important chapter of our lives. A genuinely exceptional lodge and an experience we will treasure forever. We can't recommend Last Word Madikwe highly enough and would love to come back and visit one day!

Magnifique. Le lieu, l'accueil, le cadre, tout était parfait. Je recommande vivement :)

Hospitality was tops

Nothing

It was exclusive, personal & attentive staff. The watering hole next to the resort is a game changer! It's like a game drive, but lying down while enjoying a beer! Amazing experience! And they also have an underground hide to see the animals upclose! The food was exquisite & they made sure to meet our requests, especially since I'm a pescetarian. We had a pleasant surprise at night to have hit water bottles in bed! And during the game drive's too! It was cold, but the blankets were warm and comforting. Really enjoyed the evening dinner by the camp fire, what a lovely touch!

Well, other than, it's far from Johannesburg, about 4-5 hrs, we couldn't find anything wrong or bad. The rides are an adventure in itself and just be careful & hold on tight (when the ranger tells you). Else, you'd be flying up & down. But, everything is safe, just stay in the vehicle & take lots of pictures!

The waterhole and the hide, the safaris, the guide, the staff and the food!!!! I loved that I saw all the wildlife there and was also able to relax. I felt very safe as a solo female traveller

Unknown hidden cost at the end for the conservation fee and gate entry, which was unexpected and over 5500 ZAR

It was such a peaceful 2-night stay. The game drives were amazing with great sightings. The Lodge was comfortable, and the food was outstanding 👌 The staff were great and always attentive to our requests. Will definitely be back.

Tolle Lage direkt an einem Wasserloch. Schöne Wildgegend mit coolen Game Drives

The superb watering hole 50 yards from the garden where the animals visit you throughout the day as you relax.

The rooms are a little dated but they are addressing this in a couple of months.

We loved the hide experience. There were a constant stream of animals coming, especially elephants. The rooms were very comfortable and spacious. The food was excellent and prepared well. The staff was exceptionally friendly and accommodating.

It was all great. Unfortunately we were only able to stay one night, but that was entirely our limitation with no relection on this resort what-so-ever.

Warm and cosy. Tastefully decorated. Staff is friendly and helpful. Personal touch.

Le confort, le lieu

La nourriture

Wunderschöne Lage in der Natur an einem Wasserloch, sehr gut zur Beobachtung. Komfortables Zimmer und sehr nettes Personal. Die Qualität des Essens ist hervorragend. Wir hatten sehr schöne Buschfahrten am Nachmittag und am frühen Morgen. Wegen der Kälte wurden uns sogar Wärmeflaschen ins Auto gelegt. Wir sahen viele Tiere, es war ein tolles Erlebnis. Sehr netter und kundiger Safariguide.

Beautiful property and the hide and waterhole are fabulous

Pre breakfast very limited

Perfect location, a lot of animals - lions, rhinos, buffalo, zebras, cheetah... :) We felt being taken care of at every our step. Damien - is a fantastic game driver. We stayed just one night and it is just one big WOW! We will definitely come back.

I liked everything excelllent food nice location with a big waterhole where alwas elephants and very knowledgeable ranger (Sin Gin)

Beautiful property and great staff

N/a

The fact that it is a small lodge and more personal

We have stayed numerous previous times in the lodge before it became part of The Last Word and my personal view is that the lodge were much better maintained. I understand they had bad floods but the price we paid were quite steep .

great

Our room was at the back of the house,no view to waterhole.

The staff, all of them, were welcoming and professional. The facilities were very nice, both common areas and private rooms. The grounds were beautiful, with a large lawn and shade trees with scores of nesting masked weavers. The game hide was wonderful also. What truly sets Last Word Madikwe above the rest though were the stunningly good culinary treats. We looked forward to every meal and were never disappointed. We had stayed at another Madikwe luxury lodge several years ago and the food was good, but Last Word's meals were on another level. Finally, the complimentary adult beverages that we unexpectedly found in our rooms were quite good! Oh, and we saw a gazillion animals of all sorts of the game drives, many of them up close.

Not worth mentioning compared with the positives.

Location and staff are awesome.

Rooms coming slightly in the years.

The room was beautiful. An incredibly comfortable bed, gorgeous bathroom with luxurious bath and huge shower. All the staff were amazing. The food was superb.

The weather, but that had nothing to do with Last Word!!

Great location, easy access from main gate of reserve. Wonderful setting, having the watering hole and hide were a HUGE bonus, having meals and watching the animals drink a stones throw away is magical! Small plunge pool and gardens added to the overall ambience. Highly recommended accommodation.

As a solo traveler I would have liked meals together on a large table so we could all chat and talk about our game drive experiences, however, as many of the others staying there were couples (some honeymooners) I know this may not appeal to everyone.

It was stunning,with a fantastic relaxed atmosphere.the three bedroom lodge was off the scale

Stunning interior, with stunning views

Staffs were always ready for everything. Food was really tasty and great. Kind & Friendly. Hotel was luxurious, clean and comfy. We could see many elephants right in front of hotel, too. Outdoor shower is amazing. Lots & lots stars at night.. Beautiful area. ( Safari 👍)

Don't have.

Everything top level. The hide / bunker to view the watering hole was incredible, you could nearly touch the animals

Seriously nothing

Well maintained, quiet, and peaceful. There’s also lots of old charm. The staff, without exception, was great. The Last Word is especially excellent for viewing the animals because of a wildlife “hide” adjacent to a pond just past the perimeter of the property. The pond is an essential source of water for so many of the animals, especially given the lack of rainfall recently. There was a continual parade of wildlife, not just at dusk and dawn, but during broad daylight. The pond is also easily visible while eating any of the meals, which we all had outside.

Really nothing.

The water hole

Room service such as replenishing the fridge was poor

I would like to thank the entire Last Word team for the unforgettable stay we had there. Everything was beyond excellent. I wouldn’t be able to make the word limit here if I wanted to list what we liked about our stay. Gold standard of hospitality - I’ll tell you that. For those who are interested mostly in the game drives - I can assure you Damien is the best in this business, simply unbelievable skill and knowledge of the subject - you are guaranteed to learn something new about the wildlife. Thank you a thousand times Team!!!!

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Excellent, warm and friendly staff. The waterhole, 50 yards from the lodge, had a constant stream of animals: elephants, Rhinos, Giraffes, and numerous others. This was my fifth 3 day safari and I was amazed with the quality of the lodge, food and animal sightings on the twice daily drives.

Everything was great

Friendly staf, excellent food, wonderful game drives and an amazing garden with frequent visits of elephants, zebras etc

The Last Word Madikwe was simply fantastic, impeccable, far beyond our expectations. The room was wonderful, comfortable, and beautifully decorated. A highlight of our stay was the care and attention of the staff, which made our stay unforgettable. All the staff members are very attentive and pleasant. Damien was our ranger and went above and beyond to ensure that we had the complete experience and saw the big 5 and more. Every day, they left sweets, poems, and other treats in our room. The hotel is fantastic. There are only 5 rooms, which makes the experience very exclusive and unique. Because it's so exclusive, we ended up interacting directly with the other guests, making the atmosphere lighter and more enjoyable and allowing us to make new friends. A unique feature of the Last Word Madikwe is the Hide, which allows you to see animals drinking water in the river literally 1 meter away. It was incredible. One night, we saw a herd of buffalo drinking water while enjoying a glass of wine and the starry sky! The safari was amazing! They divide the guests into two cars, so it's super comfortable! We loved the surprise breakfast in the middle of the savannah! What an incredible experience! We will definitely come back and recommend it to all our friends! Thank you very much, Last Word Madikwe! We already miss it!

I wish we stayed longer hahahaha

Very low key and amazing watering hole on sight to see animals

N/a

We booked this resort at short notice because there were problems with our original booking. That was an absolute stroke of luck. The resort is unique in many ways. The staff are incredibly friendly and courteous and the guides on the daily game drives (5.30 a.m. and 4 p.m.) are incredibly knowledgeable (especially Damian). But the absolute highlight is the waterhole directly at the resort. There is a kind of peephole or trench that you can go into. From there you can watch the animals that pass by very regularly (elephants, kudus, zebras, buffalos, lions etc.) from a distance of just 4-5 metres. It was particularly nice that South Africans who have been going on safaris for 20 years were also guests at the resort. And they also said that this peephole and the entire experience is truly outstanding and unique. Perfect all round.

We enjoyed the extraordinary privacy! Outstanding! Courtesy of the employees!

Look no further, this is the lodge for your safari experience. Getting to the place from Johannesburg is very easy by car, they are in touch with you in case of any event. The lodge is just wonderful. This is the only safari I have been on but I think this is a very unique place. The place is very beautiful, service is top knotch, you feel at home but also you know you are having a premium stay. What is most unique about the lodge is the waterhole in front as many animals come during the day to drink water and you can witness this súper up close through an underground hide. It’s amazing and completely safe. The other unique aspect of this lodge is your game drive ranger. Damien is just the best. He goes the extra mile so that you see the most exciting sightings, we had so much fun.

Nothing it was perfect

Beautiful surroundings. Extremely comfortable bed. Fabulous staff. Exceptional food. Highly knowledgeable driver/guide Shaun. Underground hide at the waterhole a magical experience.

The patio was our only private sitting area and it wasn’t the best. Not particularly clean and not at all in keeping with the high standards of the rest of the property.

Magical place

nothing

We had a five night stay at The Bush House and we were truly blown away. It was genuinely one of the best experiences we have ever had and we can’t even begin to put into words how special it was. We had the most magical time and the memories that we have made will truly last a lifetime.  The Bush House was simply stunning, the lodge itself was so homely, our room was incredible, the food fantastic, the gardens were absolutely beautiful and of course there were the stunning views of the watering hole. The hide is incredible, you get so close to the animals and it’s truly a wonderful experience. The staff were outstanding and made our stay so special. They were absolutely fantastic in every way, looking after us, going above and beyond and always with a huge smile on their faces. A special shout out to Caitlin, Jodi and Roxy - nothing was ever too much trouble and they made us feel like The Bush House was our home. The game drives were so so special, we saw so much and it was really thanks to our amazing Field Guide Damian whose knowledge was incredible. The Bush House is such a special place, thank you again to everyone - an incredible team in one of the most stunning settings in the world. We really hope to be able to visit again in the near future.

Waterhole, underground hide and hospitality were great! Also the diners en the game drives. We've seeing all of animals! Thnx to the staff!

Nothing

My husband and I loved our stay at the Bush House. We stayed there for three nights and wish we could have stayed more. The food was delicious. The service was amazing. Our game ranger Damien was excellent and we will never forget all the animals we saw. The underground hide is brilliant. Wish we could return one day. Thank you, Mariana and Armando

Tolle Unterkunft mit schön eingerichteten und sauberen Zimmern. Schöne Gartenanlage mit vielen Vögeln. Das Wasserloch mit Underground Hide war ein Highlight! Engagierter Ranger mit dem wir tolle Gamedrives und Sightings hatten. Wir würden wieder hinfahren.

Absolutely excellent experience. Two wonderful game drives each day, good food and drink. The house and grounds are lovely and don't forget the waterhole with its underground hide, just before we left a group of elephants appeared and I was just a few feet from them, splendid.

Super Lage, tolle Unterkunft, wahnsinnig nette, zuvorkommende Gastgeber und tolles Personal, hier fehlt es an nichts.

Our stay there was perfect. They took care of all the details. All we had to do was enjoy the nature, the fantastic game drives, the delicious food and wine. Our ranger, Ashley, was fantastic. She made everything she could to provide us the best experience with the animals and she suceeded!!! We had unforgattable moments with lions, elephants, rinos, hypos and the nice zebras. All of them with their babies. Madikwe game reserve is not crowded and it leads to special moments observing the wild life.