Rockfig Lodge is a privately owned safari lodge which is situated in the Western sector of Madikwe Game Reserve. Our intention is to provide you an outstanding African safari experience. Rockfig Safari Lodge is a small, private and intimate space where you have the freedom to design your own unique safari experience and make memories that will last you a lifetime. Unwind in luxury in our modern villas
We were so fortunate to stay in the beautiful Tshukudu Suite, meaning Rhino in Setswana, at Rockfig lodge Madikwe.
Madikwe Game Reserve is a Big 5 park offering a number of luxurious lodges in a malaria-free zone, and is just a mere 4 hour drive out of Jhb.
Rockfig lodge is a privately owned lodge which is the only lodge in the reserve that offers a self catering stay, or you can choose the all-inclusive option. But believe me you do not want to miss out on the culinary magic that chef Kyle serves up, just delicious.
The modern suites are relatively new so they are immaculate, decorated with warm tones and distinctively unique African art, luxurious finishes and all the amenities you could ask for. The unit has its own splash pool and beautiful panoramic views which make you feel like you are the only guests there. I honestly could live here!
We took the weekend to unwind in our very own luxury modern villa, and despite the freezing weather and strong winds and not being able to take advantage of our pool, or the lovely pool and deck area at the main lodge, we really did make ourselves at home, keeping warm with the fireplace that links from the dining room into the bedroom, and although we opted for the all inclusive meal option, I really could see myself cooking up a storm in this gorgeous kitchen.
The game drives were exciting and we had many incredible and unique sightings once again including massive elephants playing boisterously against a dramatic overcast sky, and amongst another large herd one of the tiniest baby elephant I’ve seen yet, still trying to figure out what to do with its trunk. We encountered a cheetah family made up of 3 well fed and curious juveniles and a very capable mom. After our brief stop to enjoy a gin and tonic just as the sun is beginning to set we settle for a few minutes at the most scenic waterhole which is abundant with jackals, elephant herds, rhino, zebra and impala all perfectly backlit by yet another unbelievable African sunset.
We would love to stay in the beautiful family suite with our boys one day and we will certainly be dreaming of visiting Rockfig Madikwe soon again. Thank you to Lizette and her team for their impeccable hospitality.
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Date of stay: August 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:The lodge is small so make sure you book in advance to make sure you get availability
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from sarika ramjee, General Manager at Rockfig Madikwe Game Reserve
Responded 12 Sept 2021
Dear livingbreathlessly Wow! Thank you so so much for your amazing review! The wild life this time of the year is absolutely amazing! I will be sure to pass along your beautiful comments to all the staff. Thank you once again and I look forward to hosting you in the near future
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I stayed at Rockfig Lodge for 3 days with my family in the Leopard Villa. It was an unforgettable experience. The villa is wonderful with 3 suites, a large dining room, living room, two kitchens, a private pool with its own deck and a private waterhole where we could see a buffalo bathing. The service was fantastic! Nadia was always there to help us, always, welcoming us home from each safari, providing us the best treatment possible. Food was marvellous. A 6 course breakfast after the morning drive and a 6 course dinner afte the afternoon drive with lunch and high tea in between, all prepared customized to our dietary restrictions by the excellent chef James who was always there carefully explaining the contents of each meal, which were all superb, including one boma night (the open air dinner around the african bonfire). The two daily safaris were the highlight of an incredible experience. Guided by our driver Honest, rentless until he found the animals we were searching, we saw 4 out of the Big Five (only the leopard we couldn't find). Many times he was the first guide in the reserve to find a specific animal, like lions and cheetahs for instance, and then he would call by radio the vehicles of other lodges to join us observing the animal. The game drives were fantastic, we saw uopclose: lions, cheetahs, spotted hienas, white and black rhinos, elephants, giraffes, zebras, gnus, kudus, impalas, wild dogs, jackals, warthogs, baboons. I strongly recommend a visit to Madikwe, specifically to Rockfig Lodge. Best value for each dollar spent.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had the most amazing time at Rockfig staying for 10 (yes, ten!) nights in Jan 2020 for our honeymoon.
We stayed in the beautifully presented Nare / Buffalo suite which was superbly decorated throughout with our own private plunge pool and terrace. The room was kept impeccably clean with our two turn downs a day - the housekeeping team were amazing. The decor was lovely through with a modern twist on classic Africa.
We opted for the full board option and wow, just wow!! The food was of a caliber you would anticipate from a high end restaurant, 4 course breakfast, lunch and 5 course dinner (with high tea also!). The food was a real highlight of our time at Rockfig and the restaurant team were incredible. Dots, Sandile & Sylvester always willing to go that extra mile, made our experience even more special. They are a real credit to Rockfig.
Our ranger Honest was superb on our game drives. We done 19 drives in total... One of them a 6 hour day drive and we only wish we could do 19 more with Honest. He is impeccably knowledgeable about all things in the bush, animals, birds, trees, plants, weather, you name it - Honest knows. Each drive felt like we'd entered a different world, game sightings a plenty on all the drives. Lions, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, rhinos, warthogs, impalas, buffalo, hyena all in and amongst some of the most beautiful scenery and landscapes we have seen anywhere in the world.
For us, Rockfig was paradise. You are at one with nature coupled with high specification accommodation.
However, maybe most importantly is the Rockfig team.
Whether game drives with Honest, In the restaurant with Dots, Sandile or Sylvester, In the bar with Bryan having a black label - The team Nadia has at Rockfig must be one the best in the world.
We love you guys and we can't wait to visit again.
Mr & Mrs Thomas
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Date of stay: January 2020
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:All of the lodges are secluded and each provide their own unique piece of paradise!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rockfig honestly blew us away! We truly had the experience of a lifetime here. The team were such an incredibly friendly and helpful bunch, and treated us like family from the minute we arrived. The chef catered for me as a coeliac absolutely amazingly, making sure I didn't miss out on anything. He has so much passion for his cooking, and rightly so, as the effort he puts in on a daily basis is huge and the food is absolutely incredible - truly some of the best food we've ever had! A 3 course breakfast and a 6 course dinner, not to mention lunch and afternoon tea were all spectacular, and could feed a pack of buffalo! The safari drives were amazing and our guide, Pierre, did a brilliant job in getting us up so close to cheetah, lions, buffalo, rhinos, giraffe, elephants and everything else in between. We were blown away with how much we saw and the amazing close encounters we experienced. One other mention was the Braai dinner they put on for us one night around the fire pit, which was such a special experience. The private lodges are incredible too - absolutely huge private houses in which you almost feel like royalty, with every little touch including indoor and outdoor showers, and a private plunge pool and garden. The whole place is beautifully interior designed which just adds to the magic touch. Every member of staff gives 100% and we were so sad to leave when the time came. We will 100% be back and also recommending Rockfig to EVERYONE. Great value, and an incredible experience - thank you to you all once again!!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: December 2019
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is an excellent lodge in many ways. The accommodation is spot on. The extra touches in lodges ooze quality all the way. The lodges are private, immaculate, clean, and the service excellent. Stephan our game driver was well informed, smart and not the usual show off! He was genuinely interested in his work tried hard for us and we saw some great game. What let this place down was food. The chefs were good but working with poor ingredients. The food well presented hot but poor quality and overpriced consequently. There is little to no choice. The wine list is either R300 or R900 no middle ground. It's such a shame we went for a birthday they made us a cake did a great braai lit the fire the music was great. This place should just pitch good South African food. Decent portions and Pasta and Pizza options rather trying to do French A la carte which cannot be done without good ingredients. For breakfast we were offered cooked but there was no fresh fruits, yogurts, cereals and the bread was poor quality. The food was cooked and presented beautifully its such a shame. I would definitely return but self cater. This is such a loss of revenue opportunity for an otherwise fabulous place.
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Date of stay: October 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Stephan Du Preez, General Manager at Rockfig Madikwe Game Reserve
Responded 14 Nov 2021
Dear Amandacor, Thank you for your wonderful review. I'm so happy to see that you enjoyed your experience with us. We have discussed your comments regarding our food and i can assure you, that our ingredients used are of the highest quality, I am really sorry that you had a bad experience with our food we are always looking for new ways to improve. With regards to our wine menu we have reviewed it and are in the process of changing it. Once again thank you very much for your stay with us, and I would definitely pass on your wonderful comments to all staff and I certainly we hope we can host you again in the near future.
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We stayed 4 nights in the Family villa and it was truly incredible!!! We are a family of four (kids 2 yo and 4 yo) and the villa was incredibly spacious. Also the private garden with our own watering hole, viewing deck, full sized pool and outside dining area were nothing but amazing. Lots of animals including elephants were just right there in front of us while we were relaxing on the viewing deck.
Be advised that most lodges do NOT take young kids along on game drives. At Rockfig this was not a problem at all. We had our own private ranger who was willing to be flexible with the drives to accommodate nap times. Since young kids are unpredictable and therefore can be a risk while out in the bush, our ranger was very mindful and careful of this while there were animals close to us.
This however wasn’t even the best part: the incredibly friendly, helpful and accommodating staff made our stay the best stay possible. We had in-room dining. Te staff served our kids their dinner at an earlier time so we could enjoy our 3 course dinner outside, accompanied by I burning fire, while the kids were nicely tucked in for the night. And the quality of the food was outstanding. A perfect way to end a beautiful day!
We can only recommend Rockfig. The flexibility they showed us because we had young kids that have a certain routine when it comes to meal times and sleeping times was just amazing.
We just made our next booking to stay again with them in November. We can hardly wait!
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Date of stay: March 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Rock Fig Lodge Madikwe, General Manager at Rockfig Madikwe Game Reserve
Responded 30 Apr 2022
Dear dorienv941 Thank you so much for your amazing review! I am really glad you and the family enjoyed your stay with us. We honestly loved having you here and your kids are absolute gems! I hope we can host you and the family again in the future
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We stayed for four days at the Rockfig lodge and we were so happy we decided for this lodge and game reserve. The accomodation is clean, spacious and modern. The bed is comfortable and there is also a big kitchen and a grill outside for self catering. Since we were on holiday and didn't bring any food we chose the restaurant option. And we did not regret it. It is possible to eat 5 times a day. Before the game drive, after the game drive, lunch, before the game drive in the afternoon and finally dinner. Lunch and dinner are smaller and very tasteful dishes. And this is good because otherwise it would be too much food. The cook is very skilled and the food is a mix between local ingredients with an international touch. Especially the snacks before the afternoon drive were very good. I dit not expect this on safari and I could not have wished for anything else. And when we needed anything else, for example fruits, we just had to ask and got what we wanted. So I cannot complain. There are two game drives a day and we missed non of it. The game driver Stephen was so nice and friendly and he knew so much and also shared his knowledge with us and explained so many things about animals, plants and the region. I learned a lot and I could not have wished for a better game driver. Sometimes we saw many animals and sometimes not one. And this is nice about Madikwe because you know the animals are in the wilderness and if they want to hide they can and you just don't see them. So we had to try and find them and the tracking was so interesting and we got just so exited. So the animals were not served on a silver platter and I think this is just what a real safari should be. So I just can say thank you to all the staff who made this experience possible.
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Date of stay: October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Rock Fig Lodge Madikwe, General Manager at Rockfig Madikwe Game Reserve
Responded 30 Apr 2022
Dear c_lineg708 Thank you so much for your wonderful review! I am so glad you have enjoyed your stay with us and I will definitely pass your wonderful comments to all the staff and Stephan. I hope we can host you again in the future
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We actually stayed there in Jan’20 but COVID happened and it’s taken me time to catch up!!!
My partner is Kiwi and it was his first time to South Africa so I wanted to make sure it was special. It was amazing to return back home and stay in such an exclusive, special lodge
The rooms are beautifully laid out, decorated and spacious. If you think the photos are stunning - it’s better in real life! We really enjoyed the space to e joyed the outside patio and splash pool, whilst being kept safe by the electric fencing from wildlife
You may leave w a few extra if’s on your hips as the food is sublime and very generous!!
Our game drives were excellent and we saw everything except leopard. We were lucky to see 2 of the 4 cheetah as well!!
This is such a special place - definitely add it to your ‘must do’
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Date of stay: June 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Rock Fig Lodge Madikwe, General Manager at Rockfig Madikwe Game Reserve
Responded 30 Apr 2022
Dear ZivanaA, Thank you very much for your beautiful review! I am really glad to hear that you and your partner enjoyed your stay with us. I hope we can host you both in the future and hopefully find that elusive leopard for you
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We just finished an amazing 3 day stay at Rockfig. The lodge is beautiful, the staff super friendly and attentive, and the food is abundant & delicious! The safari drives were unforgettable thanks to our diligent and adventurous ranger, Stephan. We saw the painted dogs 3 times, (the first time we came upon them finishing their kill & got an extended viewing of these elusive beauties) and unreal lion action. We had multiple close up encounters with 4 different male lions, not to mention cheetahs, hyenas, rhinos, elephants, water buffalo and many more. AM drives ended with a hot drink and a variety of baked goodies and PM drives ended with a delicious “sun downer” drink of your choice and snacks - both out in the Bush where you could enjoy the scenery (and in our case some curious elephant bulls!). Stephan was very knowledgeable and engaging. Returning to the lodge after PM drives you are greeted by the wonderful hosts, Chene and Neo, with a hot towel and special drink. The meals, courtesy of the lovely Chef Jessica, were all fresh and healthy (with plenty of opportunity to over indulge: Breakfast before and after your drive, lunch, high tea and 3 course dinners.). We were a family of 5: my husband, our two teenagers, and my mother (who will be 81 in January!). Everyone loved it. We stayed in the Inkwe family house, which is a huge house with 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, huge living/dining rooms and kitchen, unbelievable decks all around, your own barbecue and pool area and a lookout deck over a watering hole! We were worried it might be too far from the dining lodge for my mom but she had no problem on the walking path. We enjoyed every minute and can’t wait for our next visit.
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Date of stay: November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rockfig lodge, Madikwe is the perfect place to unwind and lose yourself in nature. The suites are beautifully situated, immaculately clean and elegantly furnished. Staff greeted me on arrival with a smile and a refreshing drink. And on returning back from amazing game drives, the outside fire was lit and the dining area set up ready for an evening meal. My game guide made sure that each drive was unique and special in its own way and went out of his way to find me a sightings. All staff went out of their way to ensure that I had the best first experience of Madikwe and I can’t thank them enough for their hospitality. I will definitely be returning!
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Date of stay: May 2021Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from sarika ramjee, General Manager at Rockfig Madikwe Game Reserve
Responded 02 Jun 2021
Dear Nadia B Thank you for your amazing review! I am so glad to hear you have enjoyed your stay with us and we are looking forward to welcoming you back in a few days time. I will be sure to pass on the wonderful comments to all the staff. It is definitely reviews like this that keep all staff motivated and inspired :)
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There are more places to choose from in the Zeerust area.
PRICE RANGE
R 16,195 - R 20,961 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
South AfricaNorth-West ProvinceZeerust
NUMBER OF ROOMS
4
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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