SANParks.org Forums

just after some advise please

looking to go to marakele in march, staying at the tlopi camp.

how many tents are there?

do we need to pack / take anything special with us for the trip e.g. fuel, food etc.

are there any maps of the park available?

Hi,

as we are reaching the Marakele N.P. in May and staying at the same camp I'm interested in your experience.

I guess a map will be available at the gate

I have visited Marakele a couple of times, both staying at Tlopi. This is a beautiful park, and the drive up the mountain is an unforgettable experience.

There are 10 tents. Each has a bedroom, with 2 beds, a bathroom, kitchen and braai. Each overlooks the pond which provides some magnificent sunsets.

Hope this helps

PS If I knew how to post a picture, I would.

Dear simonbee

If you have a look on our website, you will find a lot of information related to Marakele. Use this link
http://www.sanparks.org/parks/marakele/
and make sure you also browse under the Tourism heading (on the left of the page) once you have reached the Marakele info:
http://www.sanparks.org/parks/marakele/tourism/accommodation.php
http://www.sanparks.org/parks/marakele/tourism/facilities.php
http://www.sanparks.org/parks/marakele/tourism/tips.php
http://www.sanparks.org/parks/marakele/tourism/general.php

Hope this will assist you.

[Only if you have a link to the image on another web page.] Click on the add image button 2nd from the right at the top.
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Hi there,

I see on the website that most of the park is only accesible with 4x4's. Do you have an indication as to how many kilometres can be driven with a normal sedan and how many kilometres are only for 4x4's? Will it be worth visiting the park in a sedan from a game viewing point of view?

Also, are there organised game drives that one can go on? If so, what are the costs?

Most of it is accessible with normal sedan's. Some off the sandroads may have been temporarily closed (Check before leaving the camp!), the tarroads are as far as I know always open.
Don't be put off by the word sandroad, they are well kept, and you won't bog down.
Kilometers I don't know, but believe me, it's enough!


It will even be worth visiting in a tank from which you can see nearly nothing, with one eye taped closed.

Unless you're really, really unlucky you'll have a great vacation.

Hi there

Which site of Marakele are you referring to? There are the Kwaggasvlakte area (Bontle camping & picnic sites) and then the Greater region (Thlopi tented camp etc.).

Roads report as on 29-30/01/2005:
The roads at Kwaggasvlakte are mainly accessable by sedan motors except during heavy rains. One can then easily get stuck in the middle of the road. They have tried to fix this by using gravel stone and very unsightly building rubble(bricks, mortar.) Why not use natural stone?

The gravel roads at the Greater area are mainly for 4x4's and high clearance vehicles. There are +- 7km which could be negotiated :shock: by sedan if it does not rain.

Dear Erwin,

The whole of kwaggasvlakte where Bontle campsite is situated is sedan friendly. The network of pathways is probably about 30km if it was all stretched out in a straight line. It is a small area, but well stocked with game, including tsessebe, sable and white rhino.

However the highlight of the park is the drive up to the towers on the mountain top. This road is tarred the whole way. (It used to be the service road for the Sentec towers on the mountain top). Although it is only 20.5km of tar from the public dirt road to the mountain top, the road is very narrow and steep and it will take you at least an hour each way, and more likely alot more if you are game viewing and birdwatching.

The track starts off in bushveld, where rhino and other general game may be seen. Then it moves past a grassy vlei area, where common and mountain reedbuck, eland and red hartebeest may well be seen. The the steep climb starts, and klipspringer should be seen, plus the afore mentioned species as one looks back over the vlei. Up on the mountain top rock hyrax (dassie), elephant shrew and baboon are likely, and the montane birds are very tame and inquisitive. Cape Vultures and possibly jackal buzzard and verreaux's eagle will soar overhead.

While Tlopi Safari Tent Camp can be reached easily in a sedan, the roads leading from the camp and linking up with the tar road are 4x4 (or 2x4 with high clearance). However one can sit on the deck of one's unit and see what game comes to drink. The Wild Dog were active at the dam recently. Elephant used to be more evident here, but most of them have migrated over the mountain to Marakele PTY Ltd which is owned by a Dutch businessman, who helped SANParks finance acquiring additional land and erecting fencing. Although this part of the park is currently off limits to visitors to the National Park, the road to Hoopdal is a public road that passes along the boundary fence. It is regular to see elephant, cheetah and wild dog along this road.

If possible can SANParks include a park map on the web site for this park? All other parks have this. Sedan and 4x4 roads can be marked on the map. Then it would be easier to see where you can go with either.

Hi, these questions may sound a bit naive, but I just moved here from Germany.
Is it possible to go camping at Marekele mid of March? Or may heavy rainfalls occur, flooding the whole camp site?
Another enquiery: I want to spend a romantic time in the bush, is this at all possible on the campsite or will there be a lot of people running around?
Thank you very much for your advise, Kai

Hello Kai,
I can't tell you about rain in march (i'm French...) but I visited Marakele in August 2003. The park is splitted into 2 parts : the camping lies in the smallest one ; it's a rather big camping (I think 35 camping sites), so maybe you won't find it romantic. On the opposite, the 2nd part of the park is definitely wild. There are two possibilities for accomodation : Tlopi (individual huts, overlookink the dam, I think it's romantic : of course, the neighbours are not that far but you stay in your own "home"), and Modikela (I stayed there with my family : 3 clusters of 4 small huts -each comprising 2 beds-, each cluster having its own boma -kitchen- ; when I was there , 1 cluster wasn't busy ; a couple stayed in the other one ; I think this place is rarely overcrowded). Both Tlopi and Modikela are definitely wild places. If you like , that can be great. I liked it so much !!!

Nicolas

Hi, I have been to So. Africa 3 times in my life and am coming back to visit some friends in Joburg in April. I would like to drive up from Joburg and spend just 2 days here. First, is it rainy season there at that time? 2nd, is there much game to see? 3rd, I understand the food facilities are actually in a nearby town? Am I correct? And lastly, how long does it actually take to drive there from Joburg?

I have been to Kruger, Mala Mala and Sabi Sabi. Was just wondering since I have a just a short time would it be worth driving up there on my own?

Thanks for the input.

Hi tjhollingsworth and welcome,

I have not been there myself but it will be wortwhile to visit. It is a beautiful part of our country, the Waterberg mountains. Most roads are only accessible by 4x4.

It is not or main rain season in april, but as with all weather you'll never know!

It is about +- 2.5 to 3 hours from JHB.

Please go to http://www.sanparks.org/parks/marakele/

Shortly,

Shop: In Thabazimbi.
Restaurant: In Thabazimbi.
Roads: The access road to the park is tarred; internal roads are gravel. The camp and surrounding areas are accessible by 4x4 vehicles only.
Electricity: Only the tented camp and camping site is supplied with electricity.
Fuel: Petrol and diesel available in Thabazimbi.
Garage: In Thabazimbi.
Medical services: Doctor and hospital in Thabazimbi.
Telephone: There are no public telephones in the park, but these are available in Thabazimbi.
Post Office: In Thabazimbi.
Police: The nearest police stations are located 12 km from the office and camping site in Thabazimbi and approximately 18 km north of the Kareehoek turnoff at Hoopdal.

Enjoy!!

Andrew (forum member) will be visiting Marakele shortly and hope to get a report from him within the next week.