Marakele National Park

Description

The Marakele National Park is situated in the heart of Limpopo’s Waterberg Mountains and, as its Tswana name suggests, is a “place of sanctuary" not only for the wildlife that call it home, but for all who visit as well.

Due to its location in the transitional zone between the dry western and moist eastern regions of South Africa, the park has a wide variety of game, birds, and vegetation. The mountain landscapes, grassy hills, and deep valleys are peppered with rare yellowwood and cedar trees, and even more rare cycads as high as 5m. Game to be spotted include leopard, lion, elephant, brown hyena, kudu, and less common antelope such as reedbuck, eland, and tsessebe. More than 800 breeding pairs of endangered Cape vultures have settled here, making it easily the largest colony in the world. One of the best places to spot the Cape vulture is at Sentech Towers, at the top of the Waterberg massif, accessible by a narrow tar road. The views from this point are spectacular and you may be lucky enough to see one of the large birds soar past.

Activities

• Bird watching and game viewing.
• Drive the mountain pass to an incredible view and close proximity to the Cape vulture colony. (accessible to sedan vehicles)
• Morning and Sunset drives.
• Morning and Sunset Bush walks.
• 2-night 4x4 eco trail.

In an effort to keep the park ecosystem as undisturbed as possible, facilities such as shops, restaurants, ATMS, and fuel stations are located outside the park in the adjacent town of Thabazimbi.