On each game drive, you’ll be accompanied by a Guide and a Tracker. Your Guide will do the driving, and explain the wildlife behaviour you see. Your Tracker, who perches on a seat at the front of the vehicle’s hood, has hawk-eyes on the ground to pick up on subtle tracks and signs left by animals, and will help direct your Guide in search of wildlife. This seat may look precarious, but it gives the Tracker the best chance to spot what they are looking for. Because they’re sitting higher up, they’ll also often see wildlife a few moments before you do.

Our Guides and Trackers form bonds that last for years, and tend to always work in the same pairs. The intuitive understanding between them often borders on the uncanny and they are able to communicate wordlessly through practiced gestures and expressions. Watching them in action is an experience in itself.

Our vehicles are designed so that each guest gets a ‘window seat’ with an unobstructed view of the wildlife action. There’s plenty of space to maneuver your camera gear and a pocket on the back of the seat in front of you, where you can keep your warm clothes, water bottle, binoculars, and other gear safe and accessible. You can stick to your seat, or swap seats on different game drives to change your view and positioning in the vehicle.

Our focus is on a private and personalised safari experience for all our guests, so we’ll always prioritise your preferences as though you’re the only guest in the lodge. Out on game drive, we have the freedom to roam the reserve on our own route, crossing paths with other guests at sightings of sought-after animals, like leopard and lion.

Whether you’ve been on a game drive before or not, we can promise you that every adventure at Royal Malewane will be truly magical. To learn more about game drives at Royal Malewane visit: