Welgevonden Game Reserve: My malaria-free safari in South Africa

Welgevonden Game Reserve

In the heart of the Waterburg Region of Limpopo Province, the scenery of the Wegevonden Game Reserve is wild and romantic, with scarlet sunsets just perfect for sundowners. It’s a huge area, with over 37,000 hectares of land made of plains, hills and bush land. The reserve is full of varied wildlife, including the Big 5, well as some fantastic other wildlife, including cheetah, aardvarks, giraffes and zebras. 

We were picked up at Johannesburg airport and driven straight up to the reserve, which took about 3 hours and was a very easy journey. We could definitely have hired a car and driven ourselves but in the end we decided to book a transfer, that way we could just sit back and relax before arriving at our lodge. 

Welgevonden is in such a great location because you don't have to take an additional flight to get to the Kruger, so it's perfect as a stop on a round the world trip if you're passing through Johannesburg, or after spending some time in Cape Town. 

Where to stay in the Welgevonden

There are several different lodges to choose from in the Welgevonden Reserve. I split my stay between Laluka Lodge and Ekuthuleni Lodge, which were both fantastic but quite different. 

Laluka Lodge is elegant and relaxed, with attentive staff and a lovely vibe. It’s nestled in the heart of the bush, with wonderful views out over the surrounding forest. There is a little watering hole and hide, we saw zebras and wildebeest drinking from our room! The rooms are just gorgeous, with a modern African design. The little plunge pools in the rooms are perfect, with an outdoor shower that leads into the bathroom, it’s all so well designed. There is also a full wardrobe area to keep your bags and clothes tucked away so the room doesn’t feel messy.

The food was wonderful, really special with a real fine dining feel. We had something different every day, including a fun braai on one evening. I’m not vegetarian but the veggie food was delicious as well as the usual excellent meat, including a delicious wildebeest steak. We also had lunch alone by the pool one day, and a private boma dinner on another evening.

The drinks were good value and the staff were so friendly. Something I loved was that we could buy a bottle of wine and drink it over several nights which was good value. The hospitality was just above and beyond, we had lovely sundowners out with our guide on the safari, but also a special sundowners with all the guests and delicious canapés and wine when we watched the sunset. The owner Didier was always there to welcome us back from our game drives, excited to hear what we’d seen and recommend a Belgian beer or a glass of wine.

We also visited Laluka Farm, where they grow almost all the food eaten at the lodge. It was so brilliant to see - endless herbs, salad leaves, chillies and every other vegetable under the sun, as well as cows, pigs and chickens.

The rest of our time was spent at Ekuthuleni Lodge. This was a lovely place, with only 5 rooms and a really relaxed vibe. It's right in the centre of the reserve, which was such a good location for getting to the far edges of the park. On one of the mornings we wanted to head to the southern plains and we got there so quickly due to Ekuthuleni’s central location. The rooms were relaxed and comfortable, with incredible views and patios that overlooked a wide area in front of the lodge. Wildlife is constantly passing through – when we arrived we drove through a herd of zebras, before an elephant slowly marched across the plain as we were having breakfast. 

The other real highlight of Ekuthuleni was the food. We had one of the best lunches there, with a proper spread of nibbles like fried chicken, tomato tartlets, sun-dried tomato hummus, meatballs and salad. We also enjoyed a fantastic dinner with one of the best steaks I’ve ever had, which considering you’re in the middle of a game reserve is very impressive. Even the breakfast was out of this world, with delicious fresh fruit in cocktail glasses and fluffy banana pancakes after getting back from our early morning game drive. I’d really recommend this lodge, for great guided safaris as well as wonderful food. 

The structure of each day was fairly similar, not matter which lodge you are staying at. Early mornings usually started at around 6am when we met for a quick coffee before heading out on our morning game drive. The start of the day is always so exciting, heading off into the bush with plans of what wildlife you’re hoping to find! The mornings are cool, and the lodges provide blankets to snuggle up in the safari vehicles. 

We had some brilliant sightings in the early morning, including an incredible leopard lying on a rock above the road with a full belly after a night of hunting, lots of zebras all over the road and elephants grazing the morning mist. After coming back to the lodge for breakfast, you'll have free time to relax and enjoy yourself, using facilities like the pool and spa. 

In the late afternoon, you'll head out again on a game drive, looking for creatures as the day starts to cool off again. Depending on what you see, the plan for the day will be adjusted - one evening at Ekuthuleni we went out for a game drive and found a leopard feasting on a wildebeest and stayed out watching it so ended up having quite a late dinner. On another day at Laluka Lodge, we decided to go out on an all morning game drive, enjoying breakfast and lunch out in the bush, as we explored a further away area of the reserve. 

The guides are always mindful of what wildlife you'd love to find, of course nothing is guaranteed but there are definitely areas of the reserve where cheetahs love to explore or herds of elephants hang out. Our guides at both lodges were brilliant, making such an effort to find things we wanted to see. With Jacob, our guide at Ekuthuleni, we discussed which areas of the reserve we'd already explored from Laluka and he made an effort to make sure he showed us some new places. We even told him we hadn't seen many giraffes and then 5 minutes after we started our game drive, we turned a corner and found 6 giraffes, 2 of which were adorable babies! 

Planning a malaria-free safari in South Africa? 

If you’re looking for a malaria-free safari in South Africa, then look no further. Whether you’re looking for a romantic honeymoon, a family holiday or a peaceful safari break combined with Mauritius or the Seychelles, we can help you plan your trip to the Welgevonden Game Reserve. If you want to start to plan, give us a call on 1273 320 580 or request a quote.

We are experts in planning tailor-made holidays to South Africa, as well as round the world flights, so we can work together with you until we’ve created your perfect holiday.