Our vehicle is going nowhere – the road blocked, not by a broken-down car or Garda checkpoint, but a massive elephant who’s going to let us pass, but not before he’s munched on some tasty trees.When you think of African safaris, a few things come to mind – vaccinations and high prices. But here’s the beauty of South Africa as a destination: no jabs, no malaria, and safari at an affordable cost, with handy flights from Ireland.

What you get is an unforgettable holiday adventure, whether it’s with kids, for honeymooners, those looking for luxury on the cheap, or the adventurous.Jaci’s Safari Lodge is situated in the heart of Madikwe Game Reserve. It’s nowhere near as well-known as the world-famous Kruger Park – and that’s no bad thing. While Kruger has plenty of wild animals, it’s also got plenty of camera-toting visitors and traffic jams. But Madikwe is much quieter, and you get right up to the animals.How close? Very. My first few minutes on a game drive got me face-to-face with the king of the jungle… a ferocious-looking lion.
Game-drive vehicles have no windows, but never fear – your vehicle is big and the lion wouldn’t dare tackle a moving Land Rover beast.Safari isn’t Disneyland: life can be harsh – and brutally short – for the animals in the wild. One old lion has a dislocated jaw, probably from a fight with a fearsome buffalo, and the humans can’t interfere. It’s the circle of life from the Lion King, and that circle can be tough. But there are tender moments too – a pair of male lions have become best buddies, and by night, you can see them cuddling up like two (overgrown) kittens.