Sipping early morning coffee on the deck, two elegant nyala graze peacefully just beyond the pool. In the middle distance a family of warthog scurry past in single file, their tails up like flags to see each other in the tall grass.
But the large fenced area around Farm House in Madikwe Game Reserve is home to various antelope species and other small mammals too.
Exclusive-use Farm House is as big as Owners’ House and River House combined and has five bedrooms, built around a large central courtyard and linked to the living area by covered walkways.
The house is spacious and beautifully designed for a multi-generational safari getaway. It’s surrounded by lush lawns for the children to play on, and there’s an inviting pool for summer dips. Never far away, antelope live peacefully too.
In its previous incarnation, Farm House was, indeed, a tiny farm house, built in red brick. The old house was raised, and the eponymous Farm House was created to include some of the bricks and timber from the original dwelling. The main living area and bar is where the original farmhouse once stood.
Space to relax, unwind and reconnect
Just a 15-minute drive from River House and Owners’ House, Farm House also has its own resident chef, coordinator, full staff complement, private safari vehicle and personal game ranger just like the other houses.
Even though much bigger, the house has a cosy, home away from home feel to it and the staff are ever-friendly, hospitable and flexible – they will certainly be friends before you leave. Importantly, here you also decide exactly what you’d like to do when, and the staff magically materialise it.
Set on flat terrain and surrounded by bushveld, the area around the house is ideal for bush walks and exploration amongst the resident wildlife. There’s a sense of space and a feeling of freedom in the experience.
Inside Farm House, the bedrooms are also spacious, beautifully neutral and individually decorated to showcase the surrounding scenery.
Bespoke Afro chic accents and clean lines add to the sense of tranquillity that pervades Farm House. And more tranquil a setting and safari you could not wish for – with all the generations you can muster included.
Reviewed by Keri Harvey
Edited by Dawn Kennedy