Marakele National Park

A memorable experience

Our first safari so nothing to compare it to but we had a lovely trip - enjoyed everything with no complaints

Nice experience, great lodge.

park is a bit small

Wonderful, but best spent in a tent or caravan.

I go often to Marakele National Park, always as a camper. This is the only way to truly enjoy Marakele.

There are three things that stand out about Marakele, and that make the park unusual. Firstly, there is the campsite that is unfenced, and that is often visited by numerous mammals and lots of birds. It is not uncommon for white rhinoceros to wander through the campsite, and often you can hear them at night munching on grass outside your tent. Secondly, there is access to the mountain areas with several species of birds that are not easy to see elsewhere, and large flocks of Cape Vultures. Thirdly is the variety of habitats and the large number of bird species that can be seen there, especially in summer.

While there is plenty of wildlife, and it is worth seeing, the number of species is lower than some of the other parks, such as Pilanesberg, and the thick bush can obscure game viewing. But, that is also part of the charm, and the challenge of the park. The Waterberg Mountains creates some stunning scenery, and the open campsite gives good access to wildlife that wanders through. The birding is excellent, and never disappoints.

Scenic and Serene Marakele National Park

Marakele National Park, one of the SAN parks is best for the scenic beauty, wildlife, birds and should not be missed if you are in South Africa. It is easily reachable. Food, accommodation and other traveler requirements are available at the nearby town Thabazimbi. You can spend 2+ days inside the park to fully enjoy the beauty of this park. The accommodation inside the park is very good and one should stay and enjoy the nature and wildlife. It is having rough roads that would test your driving skills as well. Wild lifes that are spotted during the visit include Giraffe, Rhinoceros, Impalas, Zebras, Ostriches, Vultures etc., The memorable scenic places include the drive on Mbidi road and the site of the valley, while driving down from the top Lenong Viewing point.

The mountain section is spectacular for its scenic beauty; the plains section is less interesting as wildlife is hidden in the thick vegetation, so spotting animals is not easy. Road network is limited so it is often crowded

Great camping experience

The wildlife in the park self wasn't that great, but it was almost the end of our holiday en maybe we had seen enough. But the campside was great! No amazing. Great view of a little lake with al kinds of animals like rhino's! And Ostrichs walking around the campsite, real fun.

Camping in the wild

Camping in Tlopi tented camp in Marakele NP is a unique experience. As Tlopi is unfenced, the wild animals come very close. We had a big elephant next to our tent. The monkeys that visit are a bit annoying though. The tents are not luxury, but everything is there. Good beds, a shower and a closed kitchen. The wooden deck is looking out on the water, where birds are abundant and all kind of animals come to drink.
The park is not big, but the scenery is stunning. When we visited there was not much game to be seen. Next to the elephants we saw rhino, giraf, ostrich, wildebeest and impala.

There is a unfenced tented camp, beautifully situated at a lake where we stayed a couple of days. You can drive up the mountain for a lovely view, or drive into the bush to see rhinos and other animals from nearby (watch my video of Marakele at youtube). Mix of dirt and tar roads.

Beautiful scenery, but unfortunately we didn't spend long enough to appreciate it to the full