Impodimo Game Lodge

Lodge Highlights

• Completely unfenced camp — wildlife walks through
• Malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve, no prophylactics needed
• Big Five, plus wild dog, cheetah, brown and spotted hyena
• Two guided game drives daily, roughly three hours each
• Guided walking safaris on request
• Waterhole and outstanding birdlife in front of camp
• Exclusive-use villa for families and small groups
• Swimming pool, library, viewing deck and outdoor showers

Lodge Information

• Lodge type; Safari Lodge
• Location; Madikwe Game Reserve, North West Province, South Africa
• Lodge size; 8 Luxury Suites (+ 1 Villa)
• Recommended stay; 2–5 nights
• Malaria risk; None — Madikwe is malaria-free
• Getting there; ~360 km from Johannesburg, 4–4½ hours by road, or a 1-hour light-aircraft shuttle from OR Tambo

Impodimo In The Madikwe — Unfenced Five-Star Game Lodge And Wildlife Experiences

Impodimo Game Lodge is a five-star, completely unfenced safari lodge in the Madikwe Game Reserve, North West Province, South Africa, built along a rocky ridge above a natural spring with long views over the reserve and across the border into Botswana. Madikwe covers 75,000 hectares on that border, it is entirely malaria-free, and it is closed to day visitors — only guests booked into a lodge may enter, and all game viewing is guided. Getting here is refreshingly easy: roughly 360 km from Johannesburg, four to four and a half hours on good tar, or about an hour by light-aircraft shuttle from OR Tambo to one of Madikwe's two airstrips, then a short game-drive transfer to camp.

Impodimo Game Lodge is unfenced in the truest sense, and it is not uncommon for lion, elephant or a hunting pack of wild dog to move straight through camp. After dark an armed ranger walks you to your suite. That single fact changes the whole texture of a stay here — you are not looking at the bush through a barrier, you are living inside it — and it is why Impodimo ranks so highly on our scale of all things fantastic.

The waterhole below the lodge does the work of a second game drive. Elephant, kudu and warthog file down to drink through the heat of the day, and the birdlife in the surrounding trees is exceptional — this is a spot where a pair of binoculars and a cold drink on the deck will happily eat an entire afternoon.

Impodimo Game Lodge has been a firm favourite of ours at Uyaphi.com for years. It is the five-star grading, the warm and unforced hospitality, the excellent guides, the spacious suites and the seriously good food that keep us coming back. All of that — and we have not even started on the wildlife.

We have stayed at Impodimo ourselves; our full photographic write-up is here: Impodimo Game Lodge photo gallery and review.

Rooms and Suites

Impodimo Game Lodge accommodates guests in eight glass-fronted thatched suites, each air-conditioned and each angled into the hillside for privacy and for views out over the Madikwe bushveld. There is no "back" room here — every one of them faces the reserve.

Each luxury suite runs across three spaces: a generous bedroom with a fireplace and reading chairs, a full en-suite bathroom with a large bath and both indoor and outdoor showers, and a covered private verandah. Beds are king or twin, both draped in mosquito netting, and every suite has air conditioning, ceiling fans, a fireplace and a fully stocked mini-bar.

For families and small groups travelling together, Impodimo Game Lodge also offers a two-bedroom villa: two luxury en-suite rooms either side of an open-plan central living area with its own kitchen, private verandahs and a private pool, all under one roof. The views from the villa are the best on the property, with the waterhole directly in front of it.

Cuisine and Wine

Impodimo Game Lodge feeds you properly, and then feeds you again. A day runs to early-morning coffee and nibbles before the drive, a two-course brunch on return, a thoroughly indulgent high tea in the afternoon, and a three-course dinner after the evening drive. The cooking is outstanding and unpretentious — bush food done seriously.

Impodimo Game Lodge serves dinner in two settings depending on the season: the indoor dining room in winter and in wet weather, and the outdoor dining terrace and adjoining boma through the warm summer months, where the fire and the night sounds do most of the entertaining.

The bar at Impodimo Game Lodge carries a proper spread of South African wines alongside local beers, whiskies, brandies and gins. Local and selected imported drinks are included in the rate; premium brands are charged.

Lodge Facilities

Impodimo Game Lodge is built around a thatched central guest area holding an indoor dining room, an outdoor dining terrace, an adjoining boma, a bar, a lounge and an upstairs library. Our favourite corner of the whole property is the second-floor viewing deck — a camera, binoculars, something undemanding to read, and the reserve laid out below you in complete silence.

• Swimming pool
• Lounge
• Library
• Wi-Fi
• Curio / gift shop
• Babysitting
• Bush dinner venue
• In-room spa treatments

Safari Activities

Impodimo Game Lodge runs two guided game drives every day, each led by a professional ranger and tracker in an open vehicle. The morning drive leaves just after sunrise; the afternoon drive runs through to sundowners and returns after dark, when the spotlight brings out the nocturnal cast. Each drive lasts roughly three hours, depending on sightings and weather.

Madikwe Game Reserve delivers the Big Five — lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino — along with African wild dog, cheetah, and both brown and spotted hyena. The reserve's wild dog population is one of the reasons serious safari-goers keep returning to Madikwe rather than elsewhere.

Mid-drive, Impodimo's guides stop for coffee and rusks in the morning or a cold beer at sunset — the chance to stretch your legs and talk to the guides, who are interesting chaps and know the reserve intimately.

Impodimo Game Lodge also offers guided walking safaris in the surrounding bushveld for those who want the bush at ground level. Walks are arranged directly with the guides or reception rather than fixed to a schedule, and they are well worth the early alarm.

Family Friendly

Impodimo Game Lodge genuinely welcomes children, which in Madikwe is less common than you would expect — several of the reserve's best lodges are adults-only. Malaria-free Madikwe is one of the easiest introductions to safari there is for a young family, with no prophylactics and no long-haul light-aircraft hops to negotiate.

The lodge runs a kiddies' programme built around the bushveld and its wildlife: biscuit baking and decorating, plaster casts of animal tracks, paper mask making, and art from leaves and seeds gathered on guided walks around camp. On arrival each child gets a personalised pack of goodies and activities for the gaps between drives.

Please note: Impodimo Game Lodge is unfenced and wildlife does move through camp. Children must never be left unattended, indoors or out.

Spa and Wellness

Impodimo Game Lodge brings the treatment to you — massages are given in-suite or on your own private deck by experienced therapists, so there is no walking anywhere afterwards. Book for the middle of the day, in the long gap between the morning and afternoon drives, when the bush has gone quiet and the heat has settled.

Treatments are charged separately from the rate and are best arranged on arrival, or in advance with us if you would like a particular slot held.

Impodimo Game Lodge FAQ

Where is Impodimo Game Lodge and how do you get there?

Impodimo Game Lodge sits in the Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa's North West Province, on a rocky ridge on the Botswana border roughly 360 km north-west of Johannesburg. Guests either drive, which takes four to four and a half hours on tarred roads, or take an hour-long light-aircraft shuttle from OR Tambo International Airport to one of Madikwe's two airstrips, followed by a short game-drive transfer to camp.

Is Impodimo Game Lodge malaria-free?

Impodimo Game Lodge lies inside the Madikwe Game Reserve, which is a malaria-free area. No anti-malarial prophylactics are required for a stay here, which is one of the main reasons families with young children and first-time safari travellers choose Madikwe over the Kruger or the Okavango Delta. Standard travel health precautions still apply, and we recommend confirming current advice with your doctor before departure.

How many rooms does Impodimo Game Lodge have?

Impodimo Game Lodge is a small, intimate property of eight glass-fronted thatched luxury suites, each with air conditioning, a fireplace, an en-suite bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers, and a private covered verandah facing the reserve. There is also a separate two-bedroom villa with its own kitchen, living area and private pool, suited to families or two couples travelling together.

Is Impodimo Game Lodge fenced?

Impodimo Game Lodge is completely unfenced, and wildlife including elephant, lion and African wild dog moves freely through and below the camp. For this reason an armed ranger escorts every guest between the main lodge and their suite after dark, and children must never be left unattended anywhere on the property. It is the single feature that most defines a stay at Impodimo.

What wildlife can you see at Impodimo Game Lodge?

Impodimo Game Lodge sits inside Madikwe Game Reserve's 75,000 hectares, which hold the full Big Five — lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino — plus African wild dog, cheetah, and brown and spotted hyena. Birdlife around the lodge is exceptional. Game is viewed on two guided drives daily; Madikwe is closed to day visitors, so vehicle numbers at sightings stay low.

What is included in the rate at Impodimo Game Lodge?

Impodimo Game Lodge rates cover accommodation, all meals with teas and snacks, local and selected imported drinks, and two guided safari activities each day. Park entrance fees, the bed levy, premium-brand drinks, spa treatments and items of a personal nature are charged separately. Rates at Impodimo are quoted per person per night sharing, in South African Rands, as part of a tailor-made safari itinerary.

Is Impodimo Game Lodge Right For You?

Impodimo Game Lodge suits you if you want a five-star Big Five safari without the malaria tablets, the long transfers or the sense that you are one vehicle in a queue. You are four hours from Johannesburg or an hour in a light aircraft, so it slots neatly onto the front or back of a Cape Town trip, a Victoria Falls leg, or a business week in Gauteng. It is a particularly good choice for first-time safari-goers, for families with young children, and for anyone who wants to be genuinely inside the wilderness — unfenced, escorted to your room after dark, with elephant drinking below your deck at midday.

If your priorities lie elsewhere, tell us and we will say so honestly — some travellers want a river frontage, an adults-only camp, or the sheer scale of the Kruger, and Madikwe is not always the answer. But when the brief is malaria-free, five-star, Big Five, easy to reach and warm to children, Impodimo is very close to the top of our list. Tell us your dates, who is travelling and what you want out of it, and we will build the whole itinerary around you — flights, transfers, gate access and the lot. We have been doing exactly this since 1999.