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Madikwe Game Reserve is a Big Five reserve, so the Tau waterhole can bring elephants, lions, rhinos, buffalo, and leopards, alongside giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, and abundant birdlife. It's also one of the best places in Africa to see the endangered African wild dog. The dry winter season concentrates animals at the water. Viewing is best at dawn and dusk in South African time (SAST, UTC+2), when the bush is most active.

Madikwe lies in the bushveld of South Africa's North West province, near the Botswana border, at the edge of the Kalahari. Summers (November-March) are hot — often 30-35°C — with afternoon thunderstorms and the year's rainfall. Winters (May-August) are dry, sunny, and mild by day but can be cold at dawn, occasionally near freezing. The dry winter is prime game-viewing season, as animals depend on waterholes like Tau.

Madikwe is in the far north of South Africa's North West province, on the border with Botswana, bordering the Kalahari. At over 750 square kilometres it's one of South Africa's largest game reserves, and notably malaria-free. The Tau waterhole — 'tau' means lion in Setswana — sits in front of Tau Game Lodge and is a reliable gathering point for wildlife, streamed live in partnership with explore.org.

The dry winter months (May to September) are best for wildlife at the Tau waterhole, when scarce water draws animals in reliably and the thinning bush improves visibility. Dawn and dusk are the most active times — Madikwe is on SAST (UTC+2) — as game comes to drink in the cooler hours and predators move. The green summer season is lush and dramatic but spreads wildlife out as water becomes plentiful across the reserve.