The more the merrier – Molori tops the ‘family safaris’ holidays bucket list

The family holiday is experiencing a decided upswing, with both close and extended relations looking to rekindle and deepen connections. Togetherness is key, with renewed vigour for life and appreciation of family ties very much top of mind.

The need to experience nature at scale and to reconnect with the earth and each other finds the perfect match in a family safari. And Molori Safari, the jewel of Madikwe, is the perfect location. Exclusively booking all five of Molori’s private villas for one large family is paradise found, and the answer to today’s holiday needs.

The luxury lodge is primed to host family groups who can communally experience a safari of a lifetime in this malaria-free Big Five reserve. Along with new-look interiors boldly refurbished over the past two years, the lodge now features an expanded art offering from the private Ichikowitz Heritage Art Collection, and new ‘art rugs’ especially commissioned and handwoven by master craftsmen. And Molori’s new spa is a heavenly sanctuary under the trees, with the original treatment room refurbished in soothing olive greens, greys and natural woods.

Here’s more of what sets Molori apart.

1. A sense of home

Originally a private family retreat, Molori has retained its feeling of intimate familiarity, which is one of many reasons why multigenerational families love booking the lodge exclusively. It sleeps up to 16 guests in five individually decorated suites, and children of all ages are warmly welcomed.

Small numbers and a highly experienced and passionate team allow this intimate safari experience to be entirely flexible, which makes for a superbly relaxing retreat – especially with little ones in tow.

2. Focus on the kids

From popcorn stops on game drives to steaming outdoor jacuzzis to enjoy, plus animal-print manicures (understandably, the most popular treatment on Molori’s spa menu), children are in for a treat. Each child receives an interactive safari book on arrival, but they soon discover that their guide is a gifted storyteller, identifying everything from dung to footprints and alarm calls along the way.

Back at the lodge, parents can happily retreat to the spa or reading deck knowing that the kids are in good hands while doing a cookery course or making pizzas with the chef.

3. Unparalleled wildlife experiences

This starts with the superbly experienced and entertaining guides – the secret to a great safari: they have the ability to change what could be an indifferent experience into a truly wild, educational one that is tailor-made to guests’ interests. 

With one of the most active waterholes in the game-rich 75 000-hectare Madikwe reserve – no fewer than three elephant herds quench their thirst here daily – there’s no doubt that Molori’s sunken hide gives it the edge, especially for seasoned safari lovers. Guests who’ve never experienced the fascinating dynamics of elephant families from the safety of an underground hide are always spellbound here. They’re endlessly fascinated as guides explain how elephant rumbles can be heard up to 12 kilometres away, and why they flap their ears constantly and shower themselves with sand. It’s the ultimate close encounter that creates lifelong memories.

The hide does double duty as a gin and whiskey tasting bar, and guests can also have meals in the adjacent glass-lined dining area.

Immersive one-day encounters at Madikwe offer guests the rare opportunity to experience collaring or rhino notching events with the wildlife vet and conservation officers, while Molori also offers one-day and overnight experiences at the K9 facility at their sister conservation lodge in the Magaliesberg, Moledi Gorge, which specialises in anti-poaching programmes across the continent.

4. Star gazing 

Molori offers a private astronomy experience to all guests, including children, through the technologically advanced Meade telescope. Set on a giant tripod on a hill behind the lodge, the telescope enables stars, comets, planets and galaxies to take on new meaning as the entire family gets the chance to view the moon’s craters up close or discover that Saturn’s rings are clearly visible at over 1,2 billion kilometres away.

A boma evening or bush dinner under the inky blackness of a star-strewn sky will never be the same again…

5. Personalised service

There is nothing staff at Molori like more than to surprise their discerning travellers with a personalised stay and genuinely caring, off-the-charts service. One guest noted, ‘We travel a great deal and have been blessed to stay at some spectacular resorts across the globe but Molori astounded us in every way. Literally every member of staff embodies an authentic spirit of gregarious hospitality and an unrelenting commitment to service of the highest order’.

6. Seamless air access 

Private charters with Federal Air dovetail perfectly with international flight arrival times and fly in twice daily from Johannesburg to the Madikwe airstrip, a 10-minute game drive from the lodge.

7. Absolute privacy

Of particular interest to celebrity families (and honeymooners) is the privacy afforded by the luxurious Presidential Suites, Metsi (593m2) and Molelo (619m2). Set apart from the rest of the lodge, each has its own private game vehicle, and may be booked with a personal butler and chef. The two bedrooms are thoughtfully located at either end of each suite, giving parents and children space. Both suites have a study and library area for working parents who need to keep in touch, and an additional bed for an au pair can be arranged. 

For more information on Molori, visit https://www.roraprivatecollection.com/molori-safari/. Call +27 (0) 82 613 5723 or email reservations@molorisafari.com.  

EDITOR’S NOTES

Image credits:

Interior Design – Hesse Kleinloog Studios Hesse Kleinloog (hkstudio.co.za)
Photography – Inge Prins Inge Prins Photographer

Photographic styling – Klara van Wyngaarden www.instagram.com/klara.v.w/

Featured artists on the rug project:

Athi-Patra Ruga www.instagram.com/athipatra/

Maja Marx www.instagram.com/majamarx/

Nabeeha Mohammed www.instagram.com/nabeeha_m/

Cameron Platter www.instagram.com/cameronplatter/

Jody Paulsen www.instagram.com/jody_paulsen/

Koos Groenewald www.instagram.com/koooooos/

About Molori Safari 

• Molori Safari is recognised throughout the world as one of South Africa’s ultra-luxurious hideaways set in one of the most breath-taking natural landscapes.
• The five-suite luxury lodge is situated in the 75 000-hectare, malaria-free and game-rich Madikwe Game Reserve bordering Botswana. It is South Africa’s fifth largest game reserve.
• This exclusive-use destination affords absolute privacy for discerning travellers, one of the many reasons why international celebrities, African heads of state, and royal families have enjoyed a private safari experience at Molori over the years.
• Madikwe is home to the ‘Big 10’, which includes the Big 5 as well as hippo, cheetah, hyena, giraffe and the endangered African Wild Dog. The reserve is also home to some 350 recorded bird species.
• Molori Safari is part of the Rora Private Collection comprising five safari properties, all privately owned and operated by the Ichikowitz family.

Molori’s Conservation Ethos

• Molori Safari ensures that its guests leave with a deeper knowledge and rich experience of South Africa’s natural assets. They tell the stories of the total ecosystem that makes up South Africa’s magnificent natural environment, which includes wildlife, insects, plants, astronomy, people and cultural diversities. Their focus extends to more than just the Big 5 on a safari experience.    
• The Ichikowitz family is passionate and committed to the conservation of wildlife. Through Molori lodge operations and the Ichikowitz Family Foundation, they facilitate and contribute to many conservation projects – not just in South Africa but across the continent.
• Molori is committed to conservation and offers guests conservation experiences that include wildlife notching and collaring in the Madikwe Game Reserve. These are linked to conservation efforts undertaken in the game reserve. The funds generated go towards the ongoing conservation of wildlife and provide immersive one-day encounters to guests who get to experience the actual collaring or notching event with the wildlife vet and conservation officers. 
• Molori offers helicopter fly-in-and-out day and overnight experiences, with trips to the Ichikowitz Family Foundation’s K9 facility at their lodge in the Magaliesberg, Moledi Gorge, which specialises in anti-poaching programmes across the continent.