Category: Madikwe Game Reserve

What is the true meaning of relaxation?   According to experts, it is relaxing or a state of relaxation, including a recreative form, activity, pastime, and diversion. A holiday at Morukuru Family Madikwe ticks all those boxes. Included is the opportunity to take relaxation to the next level by visiting one of our Spas. Guests at the Owner’s House and River House have their therapeutic facility, and now guests at Farm House have a private wellness haven.

The much-loved, five-bedroom Morukuru Farm House has recently undergone an extensive refurbishment and now includes the new spa building and a viewing deck overlooking a waterhole. These additions were conceptualised by owners Ed & Anka Zeeman, who envisioned positioning the building overlooking the Western vegetation towards the Onverwag Koppies to capitalise on the most beautiful sunsets. This space is ideal for relaxing me-time or deck dinners, joyful sundowners, and peaceful massages in the Spa treatment room. The design has resulted in a magical multipurpose space – a place to be pampered, enjoy a meal, or just unwind, relax and enjoy the beauty of Madikwe.

Both spas are headed up by Paige Pieters and her team of professional therapists. Paige’s resume includes training in the beauty, hospitality, and event industries. She has developed a deep understanding of guest service and acquired a wealth of knowledge in providing exceptional experiences. With two years of service at Morukuru Family Madikwe, Paige is well-positioned to support the team of therapists and deliver enhanced relaxation to our guests.

Both spas exclusively use Africology skincare and body products. These are 100% natural, cruelty-free and vegan-friendly and pack a real punch with ingredients like Rooibos, Aloe Ferox, Marula and African Potato. Paige told us, “These ingredients possess remarkable properties. They are renowned for their therapeutic attributes, such as their ability to soothe and moisturise the skin. They contain antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, making them beneficial for promoting skin health. They have anti-inflammatory properties and can relieve skin irritations and sunburns.”

Our Spa menu offers three different types of facials, and we grilled Paige on one she would suggest for someone experiencing dehydration, puffiness or fatigue from travelling by plane. Without hesitation, her answer was “The African Goddess Facial. And I highly recommend our Intonga Amastrachi, a unique massage experience. Massage is a powerful and versatile therapy that offers numerous benefits for body, mind and spirit. During this treatment, wooden sticks are rolled, pressed and manipulated over the body, targeting specific areas of tension and promoting relaxation.”

Suzaan Motseohedile is part of Paige’s team and has dedicated nine years to Morukuru Family Madikwe, delivering bliss to our guests. We asked her to tell us more about the Inkomfi Renewal treatment. “This is a guest favourite. I gently exfoliate the body with a blend of walnut and marula shells. This scrub buffs the skin. Next, Neroli body balm leaves the skin soft and bright. Often after a long flight, guests can experience skin dehydration and stress. This treatment restores and nourishes.”  Guests can add a touch of holiday glam by enjoying the African Potato Pedicure. Suzaan explains: “Feet are often neglected. Everyone enjoys a pamper. I start with a peppermint food soak. This is followed by gentle exfoliation, herbal cuticle oil, and a luxurious food massage with body butter. Soft and moisturised skin is revealed, and then there is the tough decision of what nail polish colour to apply. LOL!”

Amy Thebyane  is chasing 15 years of service at Morukuru Family Madikwe – which might be a record. She is highly qualified with specialist Africology training under her belt. “Africology is a skincare brand that incorporates the beneficial properties of South Africa’s indigenous healing plants into its products. The brand emphasises using high-quality organic active ingredients and 100% pure natural essential oils in its products. I recommend the Africology Balancing Rose Facial to clients with sensitive and stressed skin.”

Morukuru Family pays particular attention to their little guests – offering many age-appropriate activities. Youngsters are also welcome to enjoy mini mani’s and pedi’s.

Amy shared this quirky story about one of her mini-clients” I once had a little guest. She was having a mini mani and loved the experience and enjoyed the whole sequence, especially the scrub and the smell of our wrap. When we got to choosing her varnish, she astonished me by choosing ten different colours, one on each nail. Kids are crazy!”

Paige, Suzaan and Amy are our dream team, and they are standing by to take your Morukuru Family Madikwe experience to a higher level of relaxation.

Meet Ranger Dohan as he shares his passion for safari and some of his most memorable sightings.

What is your first memory of being in the bush? My first memory of the bush must be when I was about three. My mother and I visited Kruger National Park with my grandmother and late grandfather. The one thing that I’ll never forget about this trip was the first night spent at Pretorius Kop. There were so many Hyenas’ walking around outside the fence.

Was your family a “bush family”, and where did you spend your family holidays? We were an outdoors family. Ever since a young age, we would go camping. Often Game Reserves.

Many individuals love spending time in the bush for leisure … but not everyone wants to make it their career … what made you decide on this line of work? The first time my family and I went camping in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, I met a guide called Stefanie. She noticed me having a look at the game-viewing vehicles. For some reason, she took a liking to me. I must have been about 14 years old. So she invited me to spend the following day with the ranger team. At that stage, the camaraderie within the team interested me. Eventually, when we did job shadowing at school about three years later, I got to tag along with a team at another park close to Cape Town. During this adventure, I was included in the darting of a caracal in the Cape Fold Mountains. Being hands-on in this process showed me that this life is for me.

How did you get started – Tell us about what training you did to qualify as a ranger. I did my training through The Nature College in the Klein Karoo. That area is not a Big Five destination, so it showed me that there is much more to the bush than just the Big Five. Flowers, tracks and birds were vital in this area.

How long have you been in the bush, and any thoughts on further training/change of direction or – specific areas of interest you would like to study up on? I have been doing this since 2012. I started on an Ostrich farm in the Karoo. The property had a game farm aspect, and the farmer entrusted this department to me. I have been fortunate to have had opportunities to work in many different areas of our country, including the Karoo, Addo, Kruger and now Madikwe. The one thing I would like to learn more about is the history of the Madikwe Reserve. There are many signs of indigenous inhabitants here – things like ruins, pottery shards and village sites. History has always intrigued me, and I want to understand it better.

Learning from an experienced person is always valuable – did you have a mentor who influenced you this far in your career? Who do you turn to if you are baffled by something in the bush? The one guide I see as a mentor is a gentleman called Dean Wilkinson At a young age, he took me under his wing and taught me plenty about assessing different aspects of the bush. Even though it is quite a few years later, I still get to see him on the Madikwe Game Reserve.

What is your favourite part of the job? It is challenging to pick one part of the job. It would have to be introducing our guests to an African sunrise and sunset. The sunsets in Madikwe are the most beautiful I have experienced. The range of colours can only be explained as “breathtaking”. However, I think sunrise has to take the cake. There is nothing like being out in the morning when it is still dark. As soon dawn approaches it is like someone flicked a switch. You can hear each bird waking up and singing to celebrate the new day. Then, the animals start getting vocal, and it is incredible sitting with a cup of fresh coffee and experiencing this every day.

Skills development is very important – tell us a bit about how Morukuru is committed to ongoing training and how you contribute to this by upskilling your team. Training and upping your skills are not always related to new qualifications and courses. Although we are encouraged to work on that, and our management is always happy to support us in this regard, our team makes a difference. This gives us the X-factor in creating a bush holiday like no other. Almost every day after morning drives, we sit and enjoy a cup of coffee. The stories shared the ranger team of Armand, Shane, Dean and Evan. This gives new guys like me an understanding of the game trails, the behavioural differences between the prides of lions and even just something simple as wild dog dynamics. Even though this is not traditional training, this family effect of being part of the Morukuru Family. This is what makes us the best safari team I have ever been a part of, and this is what filters through and brings a better guest experience.

Do you have a favourite animal – and why? My favourite animal must be the Elephant. There are so many animals that have a daily routine and similar personalities. It is the elephant that stands out when it comes to character. Each is unique, and each has a different way of doing things. When looking at a herd it is clear who is in charge. It is clear who the naughty one is and which ones the babies prefer to spend time with. It is just their individuality that makes them stand out miles above any other animal for me.

You are privileged to witness incredible sightings – which three stand out in your memory? The three sightings that would stand out would defiantly have to be the first time we found the wild dog pups on our private property last year. Also, recently my tracker and I found an Elephant cow going into labour, and we got to see the whole birth process. And lastly, it will have to be my first Pangolin sighting in Madikwe. It was late at night, and my wife found it returning from bush dinner. After she radioed me, Evan and Shane interrupted their guest dinners to come and join the sighting. After the guests were back at the houses, we even took the staff to see this rare animal. Just the joy on everyone’s faces made it amazing for me.

When you get some time off from your duties – how do you like to spend your time? I love playing golf on the area’s surrounding courses when I am not on duty.

Guests really enjoy sundowners when they are out on the afternoon drive – when you are off duty – what is your go-to tipple? When I am not on duty and feel like a refreshing drink with the sunset, it would have to be the traditional South African drink, Brandy and Coke.

Guests also enjoy experiencing an authentic South African braai. Are you a braai master – and can you share any of your tried and tested recipes? I do consider myself a braai master. My wife and I have a reputation amongst the staff of always braaiing when there is the opportunity. My go-to recipe to impress someone would be Snoek (fish) on the braai. I like a butterflied fish basted with butter, lime, garlic, and apricot jam. Braai it skin side down on aluminium foil on the grid until the translucent meat on the top changes colour. This is when I would coat the meat side with breadcrumbs, and flip it meat side down for an additional 2min and remove. As I am originally from The Cape Town Winelands region, this is a very traditional meal I grew up with.

Share your top 3 tips for visitors to get the very best out of their safari experience.

● Be prepared to wake up early. You want to be away from the lodge as the sun rises to experience the bush waking up.
● Don’t only focus on the Big Five, be open to learning about history, birds, plants, geology and their connections.
● Ask your guide questions. Our guides are fonts of knowledge, and the information makes your safari experience much better.

All teenagers are different. But many are obsessed with shopping, going to parties, hanging out with friends, gaming and using social media. Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg’s favourite pastimes are hanging out at home with her dogs or her family and walking and hiking. At 19 years old, she is still a teenager  but is known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action against climate change. In one of her inspirational speeches, Greta said, “We live in very dark times in many different ways, and it feels like the situation in our society is getting worse at the same time as the planet is getting worse. Everything is moving in the wrong direction, and we cannot fix the climate without fixing all these other issues — they have to be combined.”

Meadow Timmermans (11 years old) visited Morukuru Family Madikwe with her family, who was celebrating a special milestone in their grandparents’ life. Meadow, too recognised that things are “moving in the wrong direction”. Just like Greta, Meadow decided to take action to make a difference. Read about Meadow’s trip to Morukuru Family and how this life-changing experience sparked her sense of social justice. Motivated by her experience at Morukuru Family Madikwe, Meadow set in motion her own project for change.

Tell us about your visit to South Africa and Madikwe Game Reserve.  What was special about it?  I loved visiting Madikwe Game Reserve with my family for my grandparents’ anniversary. We had a great time. I loved the game drives and seeing all the beautiful wild animals in their own environment!! That is something different from going to the zoo. You never know what animal you will see. We also saw a Lion that killed and then ate a zebra. Sad, but also cool to watch. We also assisted the rangers to collect the DNA of a rhino! That was a great experience!! We helped to take blood samples of the rhino. We even were allowed to pick a name for the rhino, we called her Dolly!! So now she is registered in Madikwe Game Reserve as Dolly.

You spent time with the kids from the local community – how did that make you feel?  That was really nice! My grandparents bought presents for the children, like pencils and notebooks. They were so happy with these. This made me a bit sad because they were so happy with very basic things like pencils and a notebook. In Holland, we consider stationery something normal and nothing special. We played games together. That was really fun! We taught them some typical Dutch games, and they taught us African games. And though we could not really understand each other, we had a lovely afternoon.

Why did you decide to raise money and do a collection for the school kids? When I got back to Holland, I found out that my friend Sophie wanted to do a school project, but she did not know which foundation to support. So I told my classmates my story about our visit to Madikwe. That’s when Sophie and I planned to do this project together. We started brainstorming about what we could do to help and how we could keep the costs as low as possible. We decided to do something nice for children who are economically disadvantaged. We wanted to make a difference and make them happy.

How did you go about raising money and selecting the goods to donate? We decided to collect school stuff for the children in South Africa. We walked around our neighbourhood and went door to door, asking people if they had some school supplies they would like to donate for our school project. Lots of people gave us nice stuff. We collected a huge box. Then we researched what it would cost to ship it to South Africa. Because that was a lot of money for such a big box, we asked our teacher if we could write something in our school newsletter. So we did and asked the parents of the children of our school if they would like to donate some money for our project. Luckily we collected more than enough money! So our box could be sent to you!!

We are so grateful for your efforts – what would you like to say to other kids your age about trying to make a difference in the world? Try to make a difference! We had a lot of fun figuring out this project. It was a good lesson to see what it takes before our project was finished. Our teacher made us figure it out all by ourselves. That was not easy sometimes, but we were proud that we managed to work it all out. It is nice to make other kids happy when they are less fortunate.

What would you like to be when you grow up?  I would really love to be a veterinarian! Maybe even a zoo veterinarian! Because I love animals! And I am not scared of any of them. When we helped the rangers to collect the DNA of that rhino, I felt so great. It was nice to help the rhino and made her a bit more safe from poachers.

We would like to make you our first official Morukuru Goodwill Ambassador – how do you feel about that? I would be honoured! And I hope to be able to visit Madikwe Game Reserve again in the future.