Ngala Private Game Reserve, Kruger National Park, Limpopo Province, Luxury Game Lodge Accommodation South Africa
Overview: Ngala Private Game Reserve
Only private game reserve in Kruger National Park
Small Luxury Hotels of the World members
Game Lodge - 20 elegant cottages
Lavish Safari Suite ideal for honeymoons
Tented Safari Camp - six luxury tents
"Big five" and prolific wildlife
Huge breeding herds of elephant
Prime sightings of nocturnal animals
Frequent leopard sightings; black rhino
Twice daily game drives
Guided bush walks
Al fresco dinners in dry riverbed at tented camp
Ideal for conference
Diners
"Ngala (Game Lodge) has captured an atmosphere that is seldom found in
the wilderness - of unashamed luxury and romance that makes guests feel
like royalty. This is a place where guests can enjoy the ultimate
safari experience - the adventure and magic of 'old Africa', without
sacrificing modern day comforts"
Departures magazine
"Ngala means 'lion' in Shangaan, and indeed on my very first morning
here we came across 13 of them, all flopped down beside each other in
the shade of a tree...In my two days here, though, the game viewing was
marvellous"
Saturday Star newspaper "This
is how a safari should be experienced...I reflected as I later enjoyed
a pre-prandial scented soak - immersed in the romance of a bygone era
complete with colonial antiques, silver cutlery and crystal glassware"
Ngala,
meaning "lion" in Shangaan, is the only private safari reserve in the
world-famous Kruger National Park. Ngala Private Game Reserve is host
to two exclusive properties - classic Ngala Game Lodge in the north and
contemporary Ngala Tented Safari Camp in the south. Ngala has exclusive
traversing rights over 14 780 hectares (36 506 acres) of Kruger's two
million hectares (4 940 000 acres), one of the richest and most
strategically important wildlife areas on the continent.
When
you enter Ngala Game Lodge, you encounter a world capturing the romance
and elegant traditions of a bygone time, the era of classic safari.
The
lodge is set on the banks of the Mapone riverbed and features
antique-filled interiors and a timeless, unhurried atmosphere. We were
thrilled to open our first tented safari camp in South Africa, Ngala
Tented Safari Camp, set on the banks of the great Timbavati river. This
absolutely luxurious and lavish new camp acts as a satellite camp to
Ngala Game Lodge, about a 45 minute drive away.
At Ngala, you can experience remarkably close encounters with breeding herds of elephant and buffalo. See black and white rhino, giraffe and a host of antelope, along with the great cats and occasionally, wild dog.
At
sunset, sip sundowners at the waterhole and experience life in Africa
as described by legendary author and philosopher, Sir Laurens van der
Post: "All Africa was in that moment for me. Yes, the whole cast of the
first natural, primordial, legitimate theatre of Africa seemed gathered
there to make its final curtsy in the limelight of the sunset hour and
receive twilight applause before the night dropped its final curtain."
Ngala
has even more to offer. It is the scene of one of Africa's most
innovative conservation partnership agreements. CC Africa has joined
forces with the natinonal park authorities (Kruger National Park) and
the non-governmental South African Nature Trust Foundation. Under this
partnership, a percentage of all profits from Ngala flow into the
National Parks Trust to promote conservation projects.
Both the lodge and the tented camp are members of Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
Mammals: As a result of Operation Phoenix, one of the largest relocation programmes of its kind, Madikwe Game Reserve has a diverse mammal population.
Birds: A special feature of Madikwe lies in its unique location, a transition zone on the edges of the Kalahari, where a number of rare species occur naturally. Over 350 species of birds have been recorded at Madikwe including many interesting raptors. Listed here is a number species to look out for. Read More...
While touring in the North West Province visit:
Pilanesberg Game Reserve Explore the nearby Pilanesbeg Game Reserve - in an ancient volcanic crater "The Volcano that gave birth to a game reserve" Read More
Sun City Resort and Hotels Deep in the rugged bushveld, in the heart of an ancient volcano, lies the world's most unique resort. This is the internationally acclaimed Sun City. Read More
Top Destinations
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Pilanesberg Game Lodges
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Addo Elephant National Park
The first settlers in the Addo region immediately decimated the big elephant herds, because they frequently devastated their fields and plantations. So the number of elephants continuously decreased...Read More...
Durban Hotels
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Day Tours and Scheduled Tours
Scheduled Tours and Day Tours from selected african destinations...Read More...
Kruger National Park
The Kruger National Park is the primary destination in South Africa for many international tourists. Each year more than half a million visitors are registered...Read More...
Lion
Big 5 - The Lion
(Panthera leo) Most people will hope to see a lion or three while on safari in Africa. Luckily they are not quite as difficult to spot as the rhino or leopard. You have a good chance of seeing lion at most of the major game parks in southern and eastern Africa. Unlike most felines, lions are actually quite social and live in prides of up to 15 members. So, you can get the chance to watch the little ones play and interact with their bored looking mothers. There is nothing quite so chilling as hearing a lion roar in the night while you are camping but they are actually not prone to attacking humans unless you're unlucky and come across a man-eating lion.
Leopard
Big 5 - The Leopard
(Panthera pardus) While leopards are more numerous than rhino in the Big 5 pantheon, they are sometimes just as difficult to spot while on safari in Africa. Leopards use trees as observation platforms and for protection, so you have to remember to look up to see this solitary, beautiful cat. Leopards are shy and nocturnal, quite modest for a cat that can climb, swim and live in a wider range of habitats than most other wild cats.
Elephant
Big 5 - The African Elephant
There are two distinct species of African elephant: African Forest Elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) and the African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana). The largest mammal in the world is remarkably adaptable; you can see elephants in rain forests, deserts and savannahs while on safari in Africa. Elephants are usually quite peaceful if left alone, but if they feel threatened, watch out. There's nothing quite like being charged at by 12,000 lb's of animal, flapping its ears and trumpeting loudly. Did you know that an elephant's trunk has more than 40,000 muscles?
Buffalo
Big 5 - The Cape Buffalo
(Syncerus caffer) When you spot the Cape Buffalo while on safari in Africa, you usually don't spot them alone. They tend to appear in very large (and intimidating) herds. Even when looking at them through binoculars from a distance, the males always seem to be staring right at you with intense dislike. Weighing in at over 700 kg's (1540 lb's) even lions don't dare take a chunk out of this beast. Cape Buffalo are said to have killed more big game hunters than any other animal in Africa. Hence they have earned their place in the Big 5.
Rhino
Big 5 - The African Rhino
In Africa, there are two distinct species of rhinoceros; the Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) and the White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum). Both of these species have two upright horns on the snout.
Rhinos are large mammals (only second in size to the elephant), shortsighted, bad tempered but magnificent to look at. Unfortunately there aren't too many to look at these days due to poaching. Rhino horn, used for medicinal purposes, is much prized in the Middle East and the Far East where it is more valuable than gold.
There are two species of rhino in Africa, the Black rhino and the White rhino, both of which you can see while on safari. Black rhinos have suffered the most drastic reduction in population in the last 20 years. There are now only about 3500 left in the wild although valiant conservation efforts are increasing those numbers.
A Game Translocation Program Operation Phoenix is one of the largest game translocation exercises in the world. More than 8,000 animals of 28 species have been released into the Madikwe Game Reserve including... Read More
Park Entry Fees
The North West Parks Board has announced that the entry fee to Madikwe Game Reserve will be increased as of 01 February 2008. This is a once-off fee and is paid directly by clients on entry to the park. The new tariff for self-drive clients is R50 per adult and R20 for pensioners and children under the age of 12. Clients who fly in are charged landing fees of R100 per adult and R40 per child for park entry.
How to get to Madikwe
From Johannesburg travel to the Hartebesspoort Dam, Rustenburg and continue with the N4 to Swartruggens and then Zeerust... Read More
This website is not affiliated, associated or connected in any way with the North West Parks and Tourism Board or the Madikwe Game Reserve. Its purpose is to provide great accommodation deals, news, information and opinion on the Madikwe Game Reserve.