Staying up through the night to guard the camp from predators; working with a vet to tranquillise an injured cheetah… just a few of the things you could get up to on a Madolo’s Retreat programme at Shamwari, South Africa. And you could be forgiven for feeling like you need another break to get over it.
While guests at the reserve’s nearby flagship luxury lodge Eagle’s Cragg (Brad Pitt is said to be a fan) enjoy a staff-to-guest ratio of 2:1, those opting for Madolo’s aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty.
The programme is marketed as a behind-the-scenes safari experience and is designed to get guests involved in the running of a game reserve, learning about conservation and joining rangers and vets as they go about their work.
A maximum of six guests can join a three or seven-day programme staying in the three-star Madolo’s Retreat lodge. I arrived half-way through the week and met Tony and Dominic from Brighton and Pauline from Manchester, who had already had an action-packed three days.
They’d cleared bones from animal cages at the Born Free Foundation – a sanctuary for rescued animals from around the world – and carried horse legs to feed the lions. “And I’m a vegetarian,” shrugged Dominic.
With real-life demands changing daily, the whole point of the programme is that it’s flexible. Guests take part in whatever’s going on – nothing’s done for show.
Programme manager Pieter Otto explained: “You never know the kind of things you’ll be doing. It could be tagging a rhino, relocating a giraffe or sketching elephant ears and trunk patterns to help with identification. But not knowing just adds to the excitement.”
Since guests spend more time out and about than regular safari-goers, they see more animals and often get up closer. While clients staying at other lodges in Shamwari are back at camp relaxing, Madolo’s guests have the whole 22,000-hectare reserve to themselves.
On my first night, we ventured out after dark with the aim of tracking lion – the rangers monitor their movements. After a couple of hours we’d found them, lazing in the undergrowth, unperturbed by our arrival.
On day two, after lunch, we headed out into the ‘wilderness area’ – a 3,000-hectare corner of the Shamwari reserve where jeeps are banned.
We packed our own rucksacks, complete with tin plate and spoon, and set off into the bush. We hadn’t gone far when we came across a group of warthog. We also saw zebra and a puff adder.
After setting up a makeshift camp and collecting enough wood to keep a fire burning all night, we barbecued dinner before hitting the sack. Throughout the night we had to stay up in twos, keeping watch.
I was on watch with Pauline and found myself jumping at the slightest noise. We heard jackals screeching in the distance, and then what I’d been dreading most – the low growl of a lion. Except it wasn’t – luckily, it was only one of our party snoring.
With a torch we scanned the area. Suddenly, I saw three sets of shining eyes, just metres away. A group of zebra sauntered past like ghosts.
We made it through the night and headed back soon after dawn, stopping at a watering hole en route.
“Everything tells a story,” said Pieter as he read tracks in the mud and helped us identify the animals that had visited recently (a white rhino and a warthog with her baby).
Back at Madolo’s, it felt like we’d arrived home. The lodge isn’t luxurious but it’s very welcoming. Martha cooks, Patricia keeps house, Michael guides and Pieter entertains.
Shamwari also has a similar programme for gap-year students who stay for longer periods in different lodging. “We find those on the Madolo’s programme are really motivated,” said Pieter. Indeed my companions wanted ‘something different’ from a holiday. Dominic and Tony were after a wildlife experience they could contribute to.
“I’m into conservation and this gives you a chance to really get involved,” said Tony. “It’s certainly different from your average safari holiday.”
