Address: Madikwe Game Reserve, North West Province, South Africa.
Capacity: Three luxury game lodges ("villas"): Owner's House (4 people), River House (6 adults, 4 children); and Farm House (10 people), all operating on an exclusive use basis.
Children welcome.
The Morukuru Family in Madikwe, a group of 3 luxury game lodges (the "villas"), overlook the Marico River in the malaria free Madikwe Game Reserve. The villas, Owner's House, River House and Farm House, are all part of the unique Madikwe Morukuru Family experience.
Even more wonderful are the utterly private safaris - your personal game ranger, works with a gifted Shangaan tracker bringing you the very best that there is to offer at Madikwe Game Reserve - including sightings of the Big 5 - lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo and as a special surprise, Brown Hyena, Spotted Hyena, Wild Dogs and Aardwolf. Truly an array that very few game reserves can offer.
There are no set schedules at Morukuru, you are the masters of your stay with us and have complete freedom to do as you wish, when you wish.
Morukuru was the winner of the World Luxury Hotel Awards for 2011.
The entire staff complement from rangers and trackers to all the personal butlering and house staff at the Lodge are entirely at guests' disposal and will do all in their power to provide an amazing experience at Morukuru.
Morukuru is situated on private land, a jewel in the magnificent wildlife crown that is Madikwe Game Reserve. Teeming with game and wildlife, as well as more than 340 different bird species, the Morukuru game drive experience is made more memorable by the fact that the drives are totally tailored to fit in with guests wishes & interests.
Morukuru is entirely centred around the guest experience. An array of activities from exciting safaris (game drives, bush walks, fishing or bird-watching) or romantic starlit sleepovers at the hide for adults, to a creative cornucopia of meal settings and options, or the very latest in digital entertainment back at the Lodge awaits one.
Morukuru overlooks the Marico River, and many different species of fish live in its Khaki green depths. These include Yellowfish, Catfish, Bream, Eel, Papermouth, Three Spot Tilapia and Carp, amongst others.
Owner's House can accommodate up to 4 guests (in 2 presidential en-suite bedrooms); River House can accommodate up to 6 adults & 4 children (in 3 presidential en-suite bedrooms & 1 kids/study room) and Farm House can accommodate from 4 up to 10 guests
The villas all operate on an exclusive use basis. You have the entire property to yourself, with personal staff to attend to your every whim.
We accept a minimum of 2 and maximum of 4 guests guests at Owner's House.
Morukuru Owner's House is the pride and heart of Morukuru - the epitome of bush lodge elegance and charm. The entrance is shaded by a mighty Morukuru tree, the lodge's namesake, a sturdy and impressive sentinel standing guard over all who enter.
Two spacious, full en-suite bedrooms with air-conditioning and fans, fireplace and insect-screened sliding doors, mirror each other on either side of the central living area where plush soft furnishings, Madikwe stone crafted by the local community, wood and glass elements work together to create a pleasing synergy of contemporary African décor, style and ambiance. The living area boasts state-of-the-art digital entertainment and home office facilities, as well as an elegant dining area and formal lounge. Two terraced balcony areas provide outdoor seating for a the endless array of Morukuru-styled culinary experiences, prepared by our dedicated chef, emerging from from a fully-equipped private kitchen, as diverse as high tea, open-air pizzas or an 'out-of-Africa', colonial style dining experience complete with crystal glassware, crisp linen and silver cutlery lit by candle and starlight.
Morukuru Owner's House also has a fully-stocked, custom-designed wine cellar, featuring a great selection of good South African house and estate wines, which the butler, who has been empowered to study South African wine so as to be able to advise guests knowledgeably on food-and-wine combinations, will give interested guests an enthusiastic tour.
Those guests favoring a more intrepid style of bathing will delight in the unforgettable experience afforded by the famed bushveld bath at the Owner's House. This is set against a backdrop of cascading water from the heated infinity pool situated one level above.
We accept from 4 guests up to 10 guests (maximum 6 adults and 4 small children) in River House.
River House is a multi-level luxury house on the banks of the Marico River, where the background sound of cascading waters will coax you into a permanent state of restful bliss.
River House can accommodate six adult guests in three double en-suite bedrooms, each featuring every comfort, including super-king size beds, crackling log fires (Gas fires), cooling and heating A/C, and large tree-shaded private decks. The spacious bathrooms have tubs with bush views and indoor as well as outdoor private showers.
The separate family room/study can comfortably accommodate 4 children in four bunk beds. They also have access to recreational facilities such as satellite TV, Playstation, computer with internet and DVDs.
River House combines European styling with handpicked African pieces, wonderful indoor and outdoor flow, plenty of al-fresco dining and unwinding opportunities, and the ultimate of holiday luxuries: a staff of seven to eight at your beck and call - including your own chef, butler, hostess, nanny (if needed), housekeeper and a private safari guide and tracker for you to personalize your itinerary completely.
The superbly appointed living area offers fine dining for a complete party of ten, with cuisine prepared to your taste and requirements by your personal chef. On moonlit nights, dine around a crackling bonfire in the boma. Guests can also have their breakfast in the morning sunshine, lunch in the shaded garden, or dinner by starlight and candles on the pool deck overlooking the Marico River.
The pool is heated and surrounded by comfortable loungers for relaxing. A wooden veranda surrounds the lodge perimeter, providing quiet nooks for the private bush showers and leading to a romantic riverside raised walkway for the more energetically inclined.
Note: River House enjoys a completely private location, yet is within strolling distance of Owner's House - an ideal combination should you wish to book both for a larger party that requires shared gatherings along with maximum privacy.
We accept groups from 4 guests up to 10 guests.
Just on the other side of the Morukuru Hill on Morukuru's Private Property, just 10 minutes away from the Lodge and the Owner's House, a heaven of space and bush luxury has been created, just for you to enjoy and relax. A completely redesigned old Farm House, supporting all the luxury one can wish for is there at your service.
Morukuru Farm House can accommodate 10 guests of all ages in 5 beautifully appointed presidential rooms opening their windows with real life bush view pictures. Amazing green eco settings, modern design, spacious and light rooms, a living which will give you the feeling of bouncing on the sofa and a bar at your back and call. The garden invites you to have a stroll leading you to the trendy and nicely decorated heated swimming pool or to one of the patio's to enjoy a specially made cocktail by your personal butler. Your own ranger and tracker are always ready to hand you the secrets and tales of the bush during your outdoor activities. Whenever you want. And if you are travelling with children, the stars of the future, the entire team is going to make a kiddie's world go round.
Rates vary depending on your lodge selection, the time of year and specials available.
Contact us for your own quote, individually calculated by our experienced travel specialists. Each quote is based on the season, specials available, lodging quality and various other factors.
A lodge may offer special or discounted rates from time to time. Special rates are not offered during peak periods, public holidays and long-weekends, and are subject to availability.
Morukuru staff members are very family-orientated and thoroughly enjoy interacting with and teaching our junior guests more about the African bush. There are so many fun ways for children visiting Morukuru to interact with Mother Nature; and we ensure that these outdoors activities are all totally safe and supervised by skilled and experienced rangers at all times. Whether its taking youngsters out on a first time fishing expedition, complete with patient guidance and lessons in how to fish, and a fish barbecue at the riverside to round off the days catch, children at Morukuru will really enjoy the safaris on offer.
Our children receive a Morukuru Kidz Backpack filled with Safari treasures. We offer the service of a Nanny for those parents that wish to have a little time to themselves allowing them to relax knowing their children are being cared for. Children are kept busy with baking, kiddie-adventures, swimming, fishing and much more.
Morukuru is entirely centered on guest's experience. We can offer game drives, bush walks (children under 16 will have bush walks on non big five private Morukuru property), fishing, bird-watching, fun outdoor mini-adventures like supervised exploring for junior guests, romantic starlit sleepovers at the double-storey bird hide for adults, creative meal settings and options like bush breakfasts, pizza picnics, candle-lit dinners and memorable barbecues at the riverside. Local dancers from the nearby Molatedi village are also a firm favourite. We also offer guests the possibility of having massages during their stay with our onsite therapists.
We look for creative ways on an ongoing basis to partner with our local communities in Madikwe, such as Molatedi. This partnering takes the form of many different initiatives, from the dancers who perform at Morukuru sourced from the local primary school; to the book donation project initiated by Morukuru staff, who encourage guests to donate books to the school library at Molatedi.
Other local community projects include the eradication of the Sickle bush at Morukuru, which was undertaken manually in order to provide local employment; as well as the planting of trees along the Morukuru entrance driveway. Trees are also sold to guests, who can then choose to plant them somewhere at Morukuru, Madikwe or at home. As a result of this particular project, the community is building a greenhouse in order to assist with the growth and harvesting of trees for continued supply.
In a duel environmentally-friendly and community empowerment initiative, Morukuru also recycles refuse, which the community collects and resells items such as glass or tins to companies which deal commercially in recycled materials.
Situated in the Madikwe Game Reserve, access to the lodge is either by road or by air. It is about 4 hours' drive from Johannesburg via the N4.
We offer our guest the possibility of getting to and from Morukuru using our close partners Federal Air/Madikwe Charters. The Federal Air Hangar and lounge is based at OR Tambo International Airport. The duration of the flight is about 50 minutes.
Helicopter transfers can also be arranged should this be a requirement as we have a helicopter platform on our private property at Morukuru.
GPS Co-Ordinates
Owner's House 24 47.171S 26 26.426E
Morukuru Lodge 24 47.133S 26 26.432E
Helipad 24 47.060S 26 26.621E
Airstrip 24 44.012S 26 24.465E
All photos copyright Morukuru Family
Following your visit, how would you rate your experience at Morukuru Family?
a jewel in the magnificent wildlife crown ❈ centred around guest experiences ❈ 'Morukuru Kidz Backpack'
