SANParks.org Forums

Hi Joanna, welcome to the forum.

The "main" road to the mountain lookout is tarred and the rest are all gravel roads. Apart from the 4x4 routes, they are generally in good condition. I'm not sure about the exact ratio but I guess that about 40% are 4x4 only so that leaves you a good number of km to travel by sedan. The lower section (as you enter Marakele up to the tunnel) are all sedan friendly and that is where you will see most of the game. Remember to ask them to mark the 4x4 routes on the map for you when you enter the gate.
Have a look at my Trip report and you will get an idea of what you are in for. Enjoy your trip, Marakele is a very special place!

Hi Joanna and welcome

As jenb says, Marekele is now sedan friendly. They have upgraded most of the roads in the park which can be traversed with any sedan apart of course from a few 4x4 routes. We visited the park in March this year in our Yaris sedan.

Could someone please tell me if Tlopi tent camp is (small) children-friendly? We have a booking for June 2009 and have a 3 year old and one year old.

Hi all!

We will be going to Tlopi Tented Camp coming January, but I have no idea if I should bring my own towels, cuttlery, etc. Could somebody help me out please?

The tents are fully equipped and are quite lovely, in my opinion. Many times we spend our first or last few days there, just to relax and absorb all we have seen, or are about to....enjoy and revel in the majesty of the surrounding scenery. There are certainly fewer animals, but just as certainly, more tranquility. It really is a place to breathe it all in, sit in awe, and RELAX. You can see so much from the balcony of your veranda, especially at night, as the stars wink and the embers glow. Can I go with you....sigh....

Hi.sander Hofman,have a look at this report.
Perhaps it helps.what you are looking for!
You sure made the right decision to go there!
Enjoy!!!

www.sanparks.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=26416

Thanks for the info, guys. We are really looking forward to going. Sit back and relax for two days, that was just about what we are planning to do in Marakele. Ingrid, thanks fo posting your photos taken from the tent. Wonderful.
I am not worried too much about sightings at Marakele. We'll be going on two weekdays in January, so I am actually looking forward to the peaceful surroundings. The 8 days at Kruger afterwards will show us plenty of animals.

Those tents are situated at a dam, with wonderful animal visitors, and even better mountains as a backdrop!

Isolation and quiet!

Enjoy!

During our visit to Marekele - Tlopi Tented Camp - the following highlights :

Upon arrival the elephants were having a drink in the dam 40 metres to the right of our tent.
The Impalas were daily visitors for their drink .
Pied Kingfisher hunting from a tree stump next to our tent .
Beautiful Kudu - magnifecient bulls with wide ivory tipped horns.
Beautiful mountain scenery.
Crimsonbreasted Shrike , Southern Pied Babbler and waking up to the melody of a Cape Robin welcoming the new day.
Often in the dark of the night we would hear noise in the water and on switching my spotlight and shining onto the water saw the Barbel forming a front and chasing the smaller fry into the shallows and catching them - this would go on for hours.
And the mountain scenery reminding me of the Pierneef paintings of the old Park Station . . . .

Hi Amk4

Coming back to your question Tlopi camp is furnished tented units overlooking the banks of the Apiesrivierpoort Dam. Each tent has two beds (two stretchers are avilable which are more suitable for children) private bathroom(shower,wash basin and toilet)and fully equippet kitchen with refrigirator/frezeer, two -plate stove and electricity. Each tent has a veranda with table and deck chairs and barbecue facilities.

Things you can Seek when you there.

Cape Vulture
African Wild dog
Leopard
Silver Sugarbush( Protea Roupellie)
Common Reedbuck

Hi Cassius. Great to see you on the forum!! Just an addition: the African Wild Dogs have been moved to Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana after they kept breaking out from Marakele. The dogs have recently been spotted in Mapungubwe, which is only seperated from Mashatu by the Limpopo river.

they can be troublesome at those African Wild Dogs;

Dear all,

i'd like to kindly ask you if this is possible to let my tourism (VW chico ) car somewhere at the entrance of Marekele Park and then join the Tlopi tented camp with a kind of 4x4 shuttle? And then enjoy game drive and organized walk. Then go back with this shuttle to my car after one or 2 days?

Jonathan

Tlopi is reachable with your chico.

You can book drives in the parks game viewing vehicles (and do walks), and they will pick you up at Tlopi.

Imberbe, have the game drives begun yet? When we were there in December 2008 the games drives and walks weren't available and they were due to start sometime in 2009. Although a lot of the roads weren't that good we were able to see most of the park in our high clearance sedan. I would love to do a morning bush walk on our next visit!