SANParks.org Forums

Hi guys.

Planning a trip to Marakele in late February, early March'2012. Have a few questions please. I'm traveling via Potch/ Klerksdorp to Marakele and looking for the quietest road possible (rural boy curse, i guess )
I picked up the possible opening of the tarred road section dividing park in two, any feedback on this and will this change anything when I visit? And the new camp being built near Bontle, EIS finished, will it be open?
I see no reports on any buffalo, so I guess the "corridor" situation has not been resolved? We will be travelling with small compact SUV with 190mm ground clearence, with 15" wheels, 4x2, but no diff lock and back wheel driven, how are the roads in the park?

Any adivice is highly appreciated.

Thanks.

Hi Black Wildebeest,

Rather opt for the best route which is the one via Bela-Bela (Warmbaths). We've never traveled via Rustenburg so I cannot comment on that road but rather stay away from the one via Britz. The road was in very bad condition when we last went to Marakele which was on the 1st of December. They are working on it but I think it would take months to repair.

I'm not aware of a new tarred road section but there is a road currently dividing the park in two. See my post here. The bottom section is not big 5 although it holds the most beautiful animals and quite a number of them. It has never distracted from our visits, we are absolutely in love with the park.

No buffalo back in Marakele yet as far as I know but I believe that they would be reintroduced soon.

Under normal conditions the roads in the park are not bad but after heavy rains it becomes "interesting". The maintenance guys do their best to keep the roads in good condition tho. There are a few 4x4 tracks which you would not be able to drive but that should not be a problem. Please ask at reception for them to mark them on the map for you. The very best road in the park is the one up to the mountain and that one is tarred but very narrow and steep, quite the adventure! Do it!!

Which camp will you be staying at?

Enjoy Marakele!!!

Hi JenB

Taking that road @ Bela Bela would mean a 150km detour. Looking at driving via Ventersdorp-Rustenburg-Northam or via Groot Marico. Anybody driven that road lately?
We are looking at Tlopi tented camp, as me and my wife might be taking the kids with us.
JenB, I have seen you posted a lot of times on Marakele, so you seem to be the fundi , are there any hippo's or crocs in the park?
To be honest we are also looking at Borakalalo National Park, just north of Brits, as it seems to have better road networks (100 km's worth of gravel roads for all vehicles). Yes it doesn't have the ellies or the lions,or mountains, but seems nice also.
Still keeping options open though

Black Wildebeest, I'm not an expert, just another Marakele junkie.

Unfortunately there is not enough open water in the park to support hippo and crocs although staying in Tlopi you'll get to meet huge catfish. So if you are sitting on the deck at night and you hear slurping noises, it's not a crocopotamus out to get you, it's the catfish admiring your dinner!

Borakalalo is not SANParks so I cannot give you advise but trust me, SANParks it the best option!

We stayed in Tlopi one night in Feb 2010 and found it to be a magical place. We saw a breeding herd of elephants coming down to drink from the dam, saw lots of plains game and was harrased by an ellie bull in musth en route to the camp.
One thing to remember about Marakele though is that it is not a big 5 park in the same sense as Kruger. Although lions are present your changes of seeing them are much lower than in Kruger. Scenery, Cape vultures and flora is in my opinion the main attraction at Marakele. Also driving up the mountain to the sentinal look-out point is an unforgetable experience.

Hey Everyone,

Scrolling through everyones advise has been most helpful. So thank you.
Just a quick question, I have seen it mentioned a couple times that Lourie is the best tent, followed by cormorant and barbet.
But, how do you go about booking a specific tent? Or do you have to rely on luck of the draw.

Thanks again.

Rob

Sorry Rob cant help you as we camped but all the tents look nice


Here is a view from the top of the "hill
"

Just wondering, is Marakele a malaria-risk park? I'll be visiting both Marakele and Mapungubwe (as well as northern KNP) in April and need to work out when I need to start with the malaria meds

Marakele is malaria free so no need to take meds but do remember the tabard or the like. Enjoy you are in for a treat.

Marakele and Tlopi a great place to visit.The scenery is great and who knows with a bit of luck maybe some great sightings as well!

Thanks, Mellory and Div, I know that I am going to enjoy Marakele! However, as I am also visiting Mapungubwe and northern KNP, I will still have to be taking malaria meds

Hi guys.

Just back from my visit, but alas, not Marakele.....went to the other side of the fence. Being my wife's birthday, I took out all the stops and visited a 4star lodge on the Welgevonden side. Totally different to Marakele, mostly small hills, and sourveld (think Marakele is sweetveld?). Got lucky with four of big 5, saw leopard dung, so you could call it 4 1/2 :-) .
Just one question, as I'm unable to load a image, but there is a tree growing there that has this silver colour on one side of the leave, and seems to discolour during autumn to a redish colour. The afrikaans speaking people call it "silwerblaar" and our game ranger called it "silver side". We saw small ones (1m) up to 3-4 meters. Anyone maybe know the scientific name or common name? As soon as you turn of the Lephalale (Ellisras road) to Vaalwater they seem to be everywhere, and after Burkeas Seringa the most abundent in that area. We drove a distance to Marakele from Thabazimbi but did not see them there.
Road via Sun City and Boshoek fine, but from Northam to Thabaz, is busy like hell, but no potholes - for those travelling from there.


p.s. how do you post a pic?????