DISCOVER ZIMBABWE: A COMPREHENSIVE TRAVEL GUIDE
10 June 2025DISCOVER ZIMBABWE: A COMPREHENSIVE TRAVEL GUIDE
10 June 2025ADVENTURE STORIES
TRIP REPORT: MADIKWE PHOTO SAFARI 2025
My first time hosting our Madikwe safari was nothing short of incredible. This was my second visit to Madikwe Game Reserve, and once again, it delivered in every possible way. We spent six nights at Nkurru Lodge, a place that feels like a home away from home. Nkurru offers not just comfort and elegance, but also the constant thrill of wildlife right on your doorstep with the watering hole in front of the lodge. From the warm welcome by Monique, Grant, and the Nkurru team, to the delicious breakfast and dinners (and who can forget the famous Nkurru Pizzas!), our stay was made incredibly special.
Madikwe continues to surprise me. It is a place filled with anticipation and endless possibilities. Here is what our day-to-day safari activities looked like:
As tradition would have it, we kicked off our first afternoon at Thlou Dam, a well-loved dam that rarely disappoints. This spot has become a personal favourite, always full of life and a reliable place for elephant and rhino sightings. As we watched the animals come and go, it felt like the perfect way to ease back into the rhythm of the bush and prepare for what the week would bring.
Our first of many lion sighting came on Saturday afternoon, when we found a pride of lions - four females, four cubs, and one male - finishing off a waterbuck kill. An incredible sight to witness. The cubs, with their bellies full and playful curiosity, were a reminder of just how precious these encounters are.
Sunday, our focus was wild dogs. We spent the day tracking two different packs, determined to find them. But as I always say, the bush gives you what it wants to give you, and that day, it just wasn’t wild dogs. The dogs may have won this round, but we weren’t giving up.
Did you know?
Wild Eye has been leading industry leading photographic safaris to every corner of the wild world since 2011. Over the years we been able to create an extensive tour calendar, consisting of incredible scheduled photo tours & safaris.
Monday morning reports of a leopard near the inselbergs had us lingering in the area, hopeful but realistic - leopard sightings here are rare and never guaranteed, especially in Madikwe. As the other vehicles left, giving up on what seemed like an impossible sighting, we waited. And waited.
Then, as if rewarding our patience, a leopard stepped out, even if only briefly. Cameras clicked furiously, hearts raced, and we shared a quiet victory as the leopard disapeared back into the bush.
That afternoon, the goal was simple: golden dust. We stopped at one of the Hotspots, cameras ready, hoping a rhino would co-operate - and one did. Dust flew, light glowed, and shutters fired. It was one of those Madikwe moments where everything just aligned.
At first, the week didn’t come easy. Sightings were scattered, and we had to work hard. But that’s part of what makes it special - when the sightings come, you truly appreciate them. On Tuesday morning, we found a female lion with her cubs, but she quickly moved into a dense thicket. To avoid putting pressure on her, we moved on. Not long after, we stumbled upon another lioness hunting alone. We decided to sit with her for a few hours, photographing her from every angle. She was cooperative and calm, offering us some incredible opportunities to observe her intense focus and graceful movements.
Later that afternoon, we had another highlight: two territorial male lions. With pink sunset skies as their backdrop, it was one of those scenes that make you pause, lower your camera, and just take it all in.
Our final full day delivered the week’s most unforgettable moments. That morning, we successfully tracked a female lion and her four four-month-old cubs. When we first arrived, they were all huddled together, tucked into one another, trying to keep warm in the cool morning air. The light was soft, the setting perfect, and the cubs were full of curiosity, never to far away from mom. It was an incredibly special moment to witness.
Just when we thought the morning couldn’t get better, we found another lioness, this time with four six-month-old cubs, resting on a termite mound right next to the road. We spent over an hour with them before they stood up and wandered off.
It was a great way to round off the morning, and we headed back to the lodge for a well deserved breakfast.
As the week came to a close, we looked back on the incredible week that we have had. The bush had made us work for our sightings, but it also rewarded us generously. We saw rhinos, elephants, lions, brown hyenas and even that one incredible leopard. We learned once again that timing, patience, and respect for the wild are what make a safari meaningful.
What made this trip even more special was the Nkurru Lodge team. Monique, Grant, and the entire staff went above and beyond to make us feel at home. Their warmth, attention to detail, and passion for hospitality truly made our experience incredible. We left with hearts full, memory cards loaded, and friendships formed.
Madikwe, you never disappoint. See you again next year!
Until next time,
Working in the bush has developed me into a passionate guide and photographer deeply committed to capture the beauty of the great outdoors through my lens. I’m always on the lookout for the perfect shot and eager to share the wonders of nature with others.