South Africa: Tlopi Tented Camp in Marakele National Park to undergo upgrades!

South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced planned upgrades to Tlopi Tented Camp in Marakele National Park in South Africa's Limpopo Province, scheduled to take place between April and October 2025. During this period, selected units will be temporarily closed for essential maintenance and improvements, while others will remain open for guest accommodation. Visitors should be aware that contractors will be working on-site, and construction activity may affect some views.

Tucked away in the heart of the Waterberg Biosphere, Tlopi Tented Camp offers a peaceful and unfenced safari experience along the picturesque Apiesrivierpoort Dam, just 17 km from Marakele National Park's main reception. This popular eco-friendly camp features well-appointed safari tents, each with two beds (plus two stretchers suitable for children), a private bathroom (including a shower, basin, and toilet), and a fully equipped kitchen with a fridge/freezer, two-plate stove, and electricity.
Guests can unwind on a private veranda overlooking the water, complete with deck chairs, a table, and braai (barbecue) facilities—perfect for a tranquil evening under the stars. One of the tents is also designed for wheelchair accessibility, ensuring comfort for all visitors.

Marakele National Park: Some tourist roads are currently undergoing rehabilitation!

South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced that some tourist roads within Marakele National Park in South Africa's Limpopo Province have sustained damage and are currently undergoing rehabilitation. While these roads remain open to visitors, SANParks advises using a high-clearance vehicle to navigate safely.

Visitors driving sedan vehicles should be aware that road conditions in certain areas - especially the main gravel roads - may be challenging. However, some sections remain accessible:

• The Kwaggasvlakte plains, just north of the reception, office complex, and camping site, can be driven with a sedan, though caution is needed in some spots.
• The entrance roads to the safari tent camp and bush camp, as well as the narrow track up to the towers, can also be accessed with a sedan.
• Most other roads in the park feature difficult terrain and are best suited for 4x4 or high-clearance vehicles. 

Located in the Waterberg Mountain Range, Marakele National Park is a stunning wildlife reserve in South Africa's Limpopo Province, near the town of Thabazimbi. It is approximately 250 km north of Johannesburg and is set in a malaria-free region, making it a fantastic year-round destination for safari enthusiasts.

For visitors planning a self-drive safari, ensuring your vehicle is suited for the terrain is essential for a smooth and enjoyable experience in Marakele National Park.

Would you like updates on road conditions and park alerts? Stay tuned for more travel insights on umhambi.blogspot.com!

South Africa: SANParks reintroduces Red Hartebeest and Elands to Marakele National Park!

South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced that it has reintroduced Red Hartebeest and Elands to the Kwaggasvlakte section of Marakele National Park to reestablish a balanced ecosystem and increase biodiversity. These animals may be spotted with tags on their ears, as SANParks has implemented Sigfox Wildlife Tracking technology. This advanced system allows SANParks to monitor their movements and better understand how they interact with their environment for more effective management.

Marakele National Park is located in the Waterberg Mountains of the Limpopo Province in South Africa. The National Park lies near the town of Thabazimbi, approximately 250 kilometers north of Johannesburg and Pretoria. It is home to the Big Five as well as to a wide variety of other mammals, including cheetahs, hyenas, giraffes, zebras, kudu, eland, impala, and various small mammals like meerkats and honey badgers.
The Kwaggasvlakte section is situated in the south-western part of Marakele National Park. The entrance gate to the National Park and the Bontle Rest Camp are located in this section, which is characterised by open plains, undulating hills, and grassy savannas.

South Africa: One-day protest action scheduled to take place in Marakele National Park!

South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced that it has received a notification for a planned protest scheduled to take place in Marakele National Park on 06 July 2023. According to SANParks the one-day protest action will be focused at main reception of Marakele National Park, where SANParks management will receive a memorandum of grievance from the organized group. It is for this reason that guests are advised not to cancel any bookings as a consequence of this one-day planned protest.
To minimize any disruptions in the delivery of service to the guests due to the planned protest, SANParks would like to assure its guests that contingency plans are in place and will be activated with immediate effect.

Marakele National Park is located in the heart of the Waterberg Mountains in Limpopo, near Thabazimbi, approximately 250 km north of Johannesburg, in a malaria-free area.

Limpopo: Marakele National Park gets a swimming pool!

South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced that the Bontle Camping Site in the Marakele National Park now has a swimming pool and a jungle gym. The official opening of the new facilities took place after the 2023 Powerade Marakele Marathon on 04 March 2023. The pool will be made available to all overnight visitors.
Marakele National Park is situated in the Waterberg mountain range in the Limpopo Province near Thabazimbi, approximately 250 km north of Johannesburg, in a malaria-free area. The National Park is home to the Big Five, the world’s largest colony of Cape Vultures as well as other typical African bush mammals including Brown Yyena, Sable, Impala, Waterbuck and Kudu.

The Bontle Camping Sitein the Marakele National Park consists of 36 sites with power points, arranged into three clusters, with one communal block per cluster. The camping site is located adjacent to the National Park's reception and administration offices.

Marakele National Park: Braai stands to be constructed at Bontle Rest Camp

According to South African National Parks (SANParks) the construction of braai stands at Bontle Rest Camp in Marakele National Park will be completed by mid July 2019.Bontle Rest Camp, which is located in close proximity to the main entrance gate of Marakele National Park, consists of 36 camp sites with power points, arranged into three clusters with one communal ablution block per cluster. The Rest Camp also has 10 tented units which consist of four family units and six two sleeper units. All these units have a private veranda and are self-catering.



Marakele National Park is located in the heart of the Waterberg Mountains and forms part of the Waterberg Biosphere in Limpopo. The National Park is home to most of the large mammals synonymous with the African bush, including elephant and leopard. Large predators such as brown hyena, leopard and now also lion, also occur in Marakele National Park.

South Africa: Annual tariff increase for two National Parks!

South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced the annual tariff increase for Marakele National Park in Limpopo and Golden Gate Highlands National Park in the Free State. The entry tariffs and other related tariffs for both National Parks are set to increase on 01 November 2017.

Marakele National Park - new fees

• daily conservation fee for adults: R48/person (South African citizens)
• daily conservation fee for childern under 12 years old: R24/person (South African citizens)
• daily conservation fee for adults: R96/person (SADC nationals)
• daily conservation fee for children: R48/person (SADC nationals)
• daily conservation fee for adults: R192/person (international visitors)
• daily conservation fee for children: R96/person (international visitors)
  

Activities such as morning/sunset drives will be R260/person whilst guided walks will go up to R350/person from R325/person.

Golden Gate Highlands National Park - new fees

• daily conservation fee for adults: R48/person (South African citizens)
• daily conservation fee for childern under 12 years old: R24/person (South African citizens)
• daily conservation fee for adults: R96/person (SADC nationals)
• daily conservation fee for children: R48/person (SADC nationals)
• daily conservation fee for adults: R192/person (international visitors)
• daily conservation fee for children: R96/person (international visitors)

• Rhebok Trail - R195 per person (only Adults)
• Horse riding - 1 hour ride: R110; 2 hour ride: R165 
• A tour to the Basotho Cultural Village will now be as follows: 
• Cultural Tour: R60 per person for South African citizens and R80 per person for foreign visitors  
• Herbal Trail: R60 per person for South African citizens and R80 per person for foreign visitors 
• Museum Tour: R60 per person for South African citizens and R80 per person for foreign visitors

South Africa: Two lions translocated from Marakele National Park to Karoo National Park

South African National Parks (SANParks) has translocated two lions from Marakele National Park in Limpopo to Karoo National Park in the Western Cape as part of its approach to managing lions in small parks. The two lions, a male and a female, are both four years old. They will join "Slyvester" (three years old), the lion who escaped from the Karoo National Park for 24 days in June 2015, in the holding boma he's been kept in since his recapture. SANParks hopes that while the three lions are in the boma, they'll bond and form their own pride before their release into the Park. The lion population of the Karoo National Park currently stands at 11 lions, while Marakele National Park currently has 24 resident lions including cubs.

Marakele National Park welcomes two new lions

To diversify the gene pool for lions in Marakele National Park, South African National Parks (SANParks) has released to new lions into the park. The cats, which are both male, were trans-located from Pilanesberg Nature Reserve in the North West Province. They arrived in Marakele National Park in March 2014 and were kept in a boma to acclimatise to the new surroundings and strengthen the bond with one another.
In 2013 SANParks already introduced two male lions as well as four lion cups to Marakele. The translocation of the two new cats brings the total number in the Park to 23 lions.

Marakele National Park is located in the Waterberg Biosphere in South Africa's Limpopo Province and covers about 670 square kilometres. The Park's accommodation options include two camp sites, namely Tlopi Tented Camp and Bontle Camping Site, and the Motswere Guest Cottage, a farm-house turned guest cottage self-catering unit.

South Africa: Another 10 bufallo released into Marakele National Park

The Marakele National Park in Limpopo used to be home to the famous Big Five, but due to a disease called Theileriosis all buffalo in the Park had to be removed in 2009. About two years later, in 2011, a herd of 15 sentinel bulls got reintroduced to initiate a test to determine the disease prevalence in the area. These bulls were tested again in April 2013 and confirmed to be negative for Theileriosis, so that the quarantine status on the Marakele National Park got fully lifted. Another six month later, a herd of 20 buffalo which comprised of nine cows and eleven bulls got released into the park. Following the successful re-introduction, SANParks now released another ten cows into Marakele National Park on 07 April 2014.

The Marakele National Park is located in the Waterberg Biosphere in South Africa's Limpopo Province and covers about 670 square kilometres. The Park's accommodation options include two camp sites, namely Tlopi Tented Camp and Bontle Camping Site, ans the Motswere Guest Cottage, a farm-house turned guest cottage self-catering unit.

South Africa: Marakele National Park home to the "Big Five" again!

The Marakele National Park in Limpopo used to be home to the famous Big Five, but due to a disease called Theileriosis all buffalos in the Park had to be removed in 2009. About two years later, in 2011, a herd of 15 sentinel bulls got reintroduced to initiate a test to determine the disease prevalence in the area. These bulls were tested again in April 2013 and confirmed to be negative for Theileriosis, so that the quarantine status on the Marakele National Park got fully lifted. Another six month later, on 15 October 2013, South African National Parks (SANParks) re-introduced a herd of 20 disease free buffalo (nine cows and eleven bulls) into Marakele National Park, so that the Parks in now home to the Big Five again.

 The Marakele National Park is located in the Waterberg Biosphere in South Africa's Limpopo Province and covers about 670 square kilometres. The Park has two camp sites, namely Tlopi Tented Camp and Bontle Camping Site. Eight new tented units are currently constructed at Bontle Camping Site (scheduled to conclude on 30 September 2013?!?!).

Video: Marakele National Park timelapse

Marakele National Park, located in the Waterberg Biosphere in South Africa's Limpopo Province, covers about 670 square kilometres and is home to the Big Four (buffalo do not exist in the park) Big Five as well as sixteen species of antelopes. Contrasting majestic mountain landscapes, grass-clad hills and deep valleys characterize the park. Marakele has two camp sites, namely Tlopi Tented Camp and Bontle Camping Site. Eight new tented units are currently constructed at Bontle Camping Site (scheduled to conclude on 30 September 2013). Vimeo user Peachy Cinema visited the park earlier this month and shot the timelapse video below. Enjoy!

Marakele National Park from Peachy Cinema on Vimeo.

Marataba Lodge (South Africa): A very close elephant encounter (video)

Some guests of the Marataba Lodge, a luxury safari lodge located at the foot of the Waterberg Mountains, recently had the the rare opportunity to get up close and personal with an elephant bull while on safari. A scary, but also fascinating encounter with the largest extant terrestrial animal on earth. During the video you can hear a calming voice in the background talking to the elephant, which indicates that tour guide was in control of the situation and didn't put his clients on high risk. Anyway, the encounter was probably still one of those once in a lifetime experiences all pax in the safari vehicle will surely never forget.

The closest Marataba elephant encounter ever from Marataba Safari Company on Vimeo.


The Marataba Lodge is a 5 star luxury tented lodge situated on a private concession in the Marakele National Park in the Waterberg region of South Africa. The national park is home to the big five and known for its contrasting majestic mountain landscapes, grass-clad hills and deep valleys.

South Africa: Marakele National Park safe following fire blaze

South African National Parks (SANParks) told the public in a statement, issued on 26 Sept 2012, that tourists planning to visit the Marakele National Park in the Waterberg Mountains in Limpopo this week are free to book and make use of the park following a fire blaze in the mountainous area of the park. The fire, which started on 23 Sept 2012 and got extinguished in the meantime, destroyed about 20% of the 67,000 hectares of land in the park. No fatalities or damage to property occurred as most of the animals and tourism infrastructure are in the plains of the Marakele National Park and not in the mountains.
Marakele National Park im Limpopo forms part of the Waterberg Biosphere and is known for its majestic mountain landscapes, grass-clad hills and deep valleys. The park is home to all the large game species from elephant and rhino to the big cats as well as to an amazing variety of birds including what’s probably the largest colony of endangered Cape vultures (approx. more than 800 breeding pairs) in the world. Up to five metre high cycads and tree ferns, yellowwood and cedar trees can also be found in Marakele National Park.