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As for Mapungubwe it's a catch twenty-twenty: 68km from either Musina or Alldays.

As for Marakele: its Thabazimbi

Hope this help

Boorgatspook..... Hoping you can help with the other. I am busy with a project to find out all the main gates per park with the nearest town to them.....

T H X....

Great stuff....you are fast and furious....... Thank you.

Cheers

But Musina is much, much bigger than Aldays.

Will use both towns. Tx

Upington is 260 km from Twee Rivieren in Kgalagadi, I don't think Ashkam or the other 'settlements' qualify as a 'town'.

Addo is closest to Addo main gate , and Colchester is closest to its Matyholweni gate.

I had Addo, but was missing Matyholweni gate, thx......

Hi Guys,
We are new in the world of camping,a group of about 15 and we want learn about camping, i have realised that Marakele has camping equipment that will assist the new beginners, is it the relevant spot and can we learn more at the same time?
we are from Pretoria, and please if there is anyone who can assist, pls u r welcome

I'm willing to help you out with advice on equipment etc. Do you have any specific questions?

Hi Makalek,



Do you mean do Marekele have tents and all the required camping equipment. If so then only in the tented camp but that's not camping, its like chalets but in tents, and a lot more expensive than camping.

For the campsites at Marekele (which are normal campsites like in the other parks) you have to provide everything, the tent, your bedding, crockery, etc. All that is provided is a place to pitch your tent, an electrical power point, water, a braai, dustbin and ablutions. You can either rent or buy the required camping equipment . I'm also willing to provide advice as to what is needed, we've been camping for several years.

I hope I'm understanding you correctly.

What will you recommend?

We are 2 adults and 1 child (7 year). We stay there for 6 days and plan some guided tours, but will also drive by ourself into the park.

Hi Kirchhoff

You haven't specified which park you are visiting.

The northern parks are Marekele, Golden Gate and Mapungubwe.

A 4x4 is not necessary in Golden Gate nor Marekele. A high clearance vehicle allowing an elevated viewing position is a nice to have when game viewing. A 4x4 is also not essential in Mapungubwe, but having one would provide access to parts of the park that are marked 4x4 only. The main routes to the confluence and tree top walk can be travelled in a normal car. But if you are spending a few days in the park then your choices to travel are very limited.

So, your choice will depend on your budget, if you can afford it get a 4x4 or at least something with high clearance, eg Nissan XTrail, Hyundai Tuscon. If budget is limited then a normal car will suffice.

I'm going on a trip to Golden Gate this month and it's good to know that you don't need a 4x4, seeing as I don't have one.

However, could anyone perhaps say whether the roads there are paved or dirt? This will help us to decide which car we will take. Also, how are the game drives, would a "low" sedan car be better, or is a higher hatchback (in this case, an Atos - keeping in mind it's not very powerful) better?

Thanks!

Corli, a very warm welcome to you

It is a long time since I last went to Golden Gate. I can assure you, however, we were extremely comfortable in our sedan. We spent a lot of time walking, but I do not recall any problems when driving and sight seeing. My children were very young at the time, so I would have been sensitive to their needs and comfort.

Enjoy your trip, it is a wonderful and magical place.