Marakele National Park

Scenic zero big 5

Beautiful but a complete lack of animals in the Big 5 section...not even common animals.

Beautiful landscapes, few animals

We visited the Park 4 years ago, so i don't know what's the current situation..
We spent a day in the park with our car, exploring a large part of it.
The park is divided into 2 zones, the first is flat, with a "bush" where you can easily see impala, wildebeest, warthog (and according to the rangers at the entrance, not seen rhinos ...).
In the second area the road becomes bumpy, the landscape becomes more mountainous and they told us that we should be able to see the "big four" (except the lion), but on a full day of search we have seen just some kudus and zebras ...
You could see on the road very recent traces of the passage of elephants and rhinos (droppings and broken branches), but it's amazing that even waiting for a long time we didn't heard or saw anything ...
Maybe because of the dense and narrow vegetation near the road ... but also from the high ground with binoculars we couldn't see anything on the move.
However the views are spectacular in the mountains, including the long, steep climb up to the top of the massif of Waterberg, where you should be able to see the colonies of griffon vultures.

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.

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

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.