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MMarakele National Park in the Waterberg Mountains of Limpopo province has everything you’d expect to find in a malaria-free game park: a variety of bird and animal life, with the awe-inspiring savannah and bushveld landscapes of Africa in the background.
But that’s not what you’ll think when you arrive; trust us; your hopes of spotting 3 of the Big 5 – elephant, rhino and lion – will shift out of focus when you first set eyes on this South African jewel. This landscape will most decidedly be in the foreground…
Dominating everything is an enormous rose-tinted mountain range called the Kransberg. How will it look at dawn, you wonder, camera-finger twitching. Will it still be as beautiful at dusk?
Then you start noticing the tall camelthorn trees. They are like sculptures here, the great grey-green nobility of the bushveld.
In the camps, warthogs kneel reverently, eating the green lawn. The vervet monkeys swing in trees a discreet distance away (but they’re endlessly observant and lightning-fast, so don’t leave food out or your windows open when you’re away from your accommodation).
But this is also serious wildlife country: something you’ll remember when you find a broad lion pugmark on the road or glimpse a golden pride in the bush. Or when you encounter elephants – they love to drink from the pools at the private lodges… and sometimes rip up the odd tree on their way out.
You’ll see waterbuck, impala, zebra, kudu and baboons, sometimes all together in one glorious tableau under the tall camelthorns.
At a sprawling dam you may find pied kingfishers on the hunt and white-faced whistling ducks, tip-turning themselves to peer under water.
Most special of all is the easy drive up to the Cape vulture colony atop that gorgeous Kransberg, part of the great Waterberg plateau. All around you, you will see enormous powder-pale wings patrolling the skies. Down below, the bushveld stretches to the horizon and beyond.
Just as unforgettable is the sight that greets you early next morning – the buttresses of the Kransberg transformed by the pink dawn light. And in the afternoon, you’ll find yourself mesmerised by those cliffs again, watching as they turn a deep peach rose and then vanish into the night.
Did You Know?
TTravel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
SANParks Reservations
Tel: +27 (0)12 428 9111
Email: reservations@sanparks.org
Marakele National Park
Tel: +27 (0)14 777 6929
How to get here
From Pretoria or Johannesburg, drive north up the N1, then take the turn-off to Bela-Bela and follow the R516 through Leeupoort to Thabazimbi. The entrance to the Marakele National Park is on the Alma road, 12km out of Thabazimbi.
Best time to visit
Late autumn through to mid spring (April to October) is delightful – winters in this part of the world are mild and dry, although nights can get cold.
Around the area
Marakele National Park is part of the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve. Here you can find crafts, horse-riding, places to stay in rural communities, more game viewing, museums and more.
Length of stay
Stay for at least 2 nights to maximise your game-viewing opportunities.
Where to stay
In the national park, there is a fully equipped tented camp as well as a camp site. Then there is Marataba, a 23 000-hectare private concession with a stylish luxury lodge contained entirely with Marakele National Park.
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