Jaci's Tree Lodge

Lodge And Activity Highlights

• Terrapin submerged photographic hide
• Twice-daily game drives with tracker and guide
• Adults-only — no young children
• All meals, house drinks and a long South African wine list
• Elevated walkways through the riverine canopy
• Birdlife on the deck, not just on drive
• Private photographic game drives (payable extra)
• Outdoor showers and stone baths for two

General Lodge Information

• Lodge type; Safari Lodge
• Location; Madikwe Game Reserve, North West Province, South Africa
• Lodge size; 8 Forest Suites
• Recommended stay; 2-5 nights
• Malaria risk; None — Madikwe Game Reserve is malaria-free
• Getting there; Madikwe lies roughly 350 km north-west of Johannesburg — a 3.5 to 4 hour drive or a one-hour light-aircraft charter from OR Tambo

Experience Wildlife At Jaci's In The Madikwe, A Tree Lodge Like No Other

Jaci's Tree Lodge is an eight-suite treehouse lodge in the northern section of Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa, built on stilts in the riverine forest above the Marico River. You sleep in the canopy rather than under it, which changes the whole texture of a safari: the birdlife arrives at your verandah rail, and the bush below carries on without noticing you.

Jaci's Tree Lodge is about as authentic, friendly and welcoming as one could wish for. From the moment you arrive to the moment you leave, there is nothing but happy, smiling faces everywhere — and in a reserve now well supplied with polished lodges, that warmth is what keeps guests coming back to this one.

Jaci's Tree Lodge sits in a stretch of Madikwe that suits keen birders and romantics in roughly equal measure. More than 300 bird species have been recorded across the reserve's 75,000 hectares, and a good many of them work the riverine forest directly beneath the walkways.

Wildlife around Jaci's Tree Lodge is some of the finest Madikwe has to offer. African wild dog sightings are regular — Madikwe holds one of South Africa's healthiest populations — alongside elephant, lion, spotted and brown hyena, cheetah, and both black and white rhino. Madikwe is a "Big Seven" reserve in the local sense: the Big Five plus cheetah and African wild dog.

Jaci's Tree Lodge is one of the lodges in South Africa that we at Uyaphi can most certainly recommend — a firm favourite of ours, and for good reason. We have stayed here ourselves; see our own thoughts and photographs in the Jaci's Tree Lodge photo gallery.

Rooms and Suites

Jaci's Tree Lodge has eight Forest Suites, each perched high above the ground on stilts, linked by wooden walkways and looking out over the Marico River. Every suite has a large verandah — the best seat in the lodge for forest birdlife and for whatever walks the riverbank below.

Each suite at Jaci's Tree Lodge has a king-sized bed or two three-quarter beds, a luxurious stone bath, and a private outdoor shower with a view. Both the bath and the shower are built for two, which is rather the point of the place.

All suites at Jaci's Tree Lodge are fitted with air conditioning and overhead fans, so the rooms stay comfortable through Madikwe's 35°C summer afternoons and its cold, clear winter nights.

Cuisine and Wine

Jaci's Tree Lodge serves all meals, and the spacious dining area in the main lodge is where breakfast and the lodge's famous high tea happen. Dinner moves between the central guest area and the fire under the African stars, weather permitting.

On the far side of the large central fireplace at Jaci's Tree Lodge there is a small but fully stocked bar. Try the South African gins, take a cold beer to the deck, or work through a genuinely lengthy wine list — house wines, beers, soft drinks and house spirits are included in the rate.

Private dinners can be arranged on the verandah outside your own suite at Jaci's Tree Lodge — for the romantics, or simply for anyone who has decided not to move again that evening.

Lodge Facilities

Jaci's Tree Lodge keeps its shared spaces at ground level, so the walk down from the canopy leads to the fire, the pool and the waterhole:

• Indoor and outdoor dining areas
• Viewing deck
• Open-plan kitchen
• Cosy fireplace
• Lounge and guest-welcome area
• Outdoor boma area
• Fully stocked bar
• Bush swimming pool
• Bush gym and river walk
• Curio shop

Safari Activities

Game drives at Jaci's Tree Lodge run twice daily, morning and late afternoon into dark, with highly trained guides and trackers who know where Madikwe's wild dog dens and lion prides are working. Night drives include astronomy — Madikwe's skies, well away from any city glow, are worth staying out for.

A hide sits near the central guest area at Jaci's Tree Lodge, overlooking a large waterhole. It is the ideal spot to sit still with a cold drink and let the wildlife come to you rather than the other way round.

The Terrapin Hide is the standout at Jaci's Tree Lodge: a photographic hide sunk into the middle of a waterhole, putting your lens at water level with whatever comes down to drink. Guests have 24-hour access, so you can give it ten minutes or an entire day.

Star Bed sleep-outs above the hide are available at Jaci's Tree Lodge and are strongly recommended if you are staying three nights or more. They are safe, supervised, and the single thing guests talk about most afterwards.

Family Friendly

Jaci's Tree Lodge does not accommodate young children — the lodge is built on elevated walkways and stilts, and the age policy reflects that. If you are travelling with children, its sister property, Jaci's Safari Lodge, has dedicated family suites and a full children's programme, and sits a short drive away in the same reserve.

Madikwe Game Reserve is malaria-free, which makes it one of the safest options in Southern Africa for families, pregnant travellers and anyone who would rather not take prophylactics.

FAQ

Where is Jaci's Tree Lodge and how do you get there?

Jaci's Tree Lodge is in the northern section of Madikwe Game Reserve, North West Province, South Africa, on the Marico River near the Botswana border. Madikwe lies about 350 km north-west of Johannesburg — a 3.5 to 4 hour drive on tarred roads, or a one-hour light-aircraft charter from OR Tambo to Madikwe Eastern Airstrip, followed by a short game-drive transfer. Airstrip transfers are included in the lodge rate.

Is Jaci's Tree Lodge malaria-free?

Yes. Jaci's Tree Lodge sits inside Madikwe Game Reserve, which is a malaria-free area year-round. No antimalarial prophylactics are required for a stay here in any season. This makes Madikwe one of the few South African Big Five reserves suitable for pregnant travellers, older guests and anyone who cannot tolerate malaria medication — and it is a large part of why the reserve has grown so popular.

Does Jaci's Tree Lodge accept children?

No. Jaci's Tree Lodge is an adults-orientated lodge and does not accommodate young children, largely because the eight suites are raised on stilts and connected by elevated wooden walkways. Families travelling with children should book Jaci's Safari Lodge instead — the sister property in the same section of Madikwe Game Reserve, which offers dedicated family suites and a children's programme.

What is the Terrapin Hide at Jaci's Tree Lodge?

The Terrapin Hide is a photographic hide submerged in the middle of a waterhole at Jaci's Tree Lodge, placing photographers at water level with drinking elephant, rhino and birdlife. Guests of the lodge have 24-hour access to it, included in the rate, so you can spend ten minutes or a full day there. It is the single most distinctive feature of a stay at Jaci's Tree Lodge.

What wildlife will I see at Jaci's Tree Lodge?

Jaci's Tree Lodge traverses Madikwe Game Reserve, a "Big Seven" reserve holding the Big Five — elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo and both black and white rhino — plus cheetah and African wild dog. Madikwe has one of South Africa's strongest wild dog populations, and sightings are regular. More than 300 bird species occur in the reserve, with the riverine forest around the lodge especially productive.

When is the best time to stay at Jaci's Tree Lodge?

May to September is the strongest game-viewing window at Jaci's Tree Lodge: the bush thins, animals concentrate on waterholes, and the Terrapin Hide comes into its own. Nights are cold — pack properly. November to March brings green landscapes, newborn animals and migrant birds for birders, with hot afternoons and short thunderstorms. Because Madikwe is malaria-free, no season carries a health penalty.

Why Jaci's Tree Lodge, and When to Go

Jaci's Tree Lodge earns its place on a Madikwe itinerary for reasons that are easy to state plainly: eight suites and no more, a position in the riverine forest that puts birdlife at eye level, a submerged photographic hide you can use around the clock, and staff who have made warmth the house style rather than a trained routine. It is a lodge for couples, photographers and birders — people who want a specific thing from a safari and would rather not share the deck with a children's programme. Madikwe being malaria-free simply removes the last objection. Two nights works; three to five is where the Star Beds, the hide and the wild dogs start paying off properly.

We have been arranging African safaris from Cape Town since 1999 — twenty-seven years of putting people into the right lodge rather than the best-marketed one, with no booking fees and no credit card surcharges. Jaci's Tree Lodge fits beautifully into a wider South African route: a few days in Cape Town, the Winelands or the Garden Route, then the short flight north into Madikwe to finish on game. Tell us who is travelling, roughly when, and what you actually want out of it, and we will build the itinerary around you and confirm current season rates.