Marakele National Park – Overview

Part of Unesco’s Waterberg Biosphere Reserve, mountainous Marakele National Park hosts all the Big Five and its cliffs support a large colony of Cape vultures. The main public sector can be explored on a few gravel roads, but large mammals are scarce. The wilder Marataba sector operates as a private reserve where two small lodges offer an exclusive safari experience.

Best Time To Go

May to September (Dry season)

High Season

Never (The park is little visited)

Size More info

670km² / 259mi²

Altitude More info

983-1,986m / 3,225-6,516ft

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Pros & Cons

• Beautiful rugged mountain scenery
• Excellent birding
• Off-the-beaten-track destination with great wilderness appeal
• Self-catering accommodations for self-drive visitors in the public sector
• Upmarket lodge in Marataba sector offering good Big Five viewing
• Home to one of the world’s two largest Cape vulture breeding colonies
• Malaria-free
• Wildlife viewing in the public sector is erratic and predator sightings are rare
• Far away from South Africa’s main tourist attractions
• The road network is limited, and some tracks are 4x4 only

Wildlife

A variety of large mammals has been introduced into Marakele since it became a national park in 1994. Visitors to the public sector should see antelope such as impala, klipspringer, greater kudu and the rare tsessebe. They might also encounter elephant, white rhino, warthog, giraffe and plains zebra, but lion, cheetah, leopard, black rhino and buffalo are scarce. Wildlife is more prolific in the Marataba sector.

Scenery

Marakele lies in the transitional zone between South Africa’s dry western and moister eastern regions. It is characterized by rugged mountain landscapes, rolling hills and deep valleys, most notably the tall sandstone escarpment for which the Kransberg (literally ‘Cliff Mountain’) is named. Magnificent yellowwood and cedar trees, beautiful suikerbos protea shrubs, 5m-/16ft-high cycads, and tree ferns are just some of the botanical delights.

Activities

The public sector’s limited circuit of game-viewing roads can be explored by self-drivers in any vehicle. A scenic highlight is the narrow road up to Lenong Viewpoint, which offers good birding, with Cape vultures soaring overhead. Guided game drives and bush walks are offered in the public sector. Upmarket lodge packages in Marataba sector include expertly guided game drives in open 4x4 vehicles, as well boat trips and bush walks.

Weather & Climate

Marakele’s two distinctive seasons will dictate how you dress while visiting the park. It’ll be cool clothes in the hot summer months (October to April), but ideally with some wet-weather gear in case of occasional storms. By contrast, you’ll need lots of warm layers to combat the cold nights of the dry winter season (May to September).

Best Time To Visit

Despite the dusty haze that develops in the dry winter months (May to September), this is the best time to spot wildlife. Animals tend to stick close to rivers and waterholes in winter, and even when they do duck into the bush, there’s less ground cover to hide them. That said, birders will want to visit in the wetter summer months (October to April), when migratory birds pass through.

Want To Visit Marakele NP?

• Tour Operators for Marakele