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User Reviews of Marakele National Park (26 Reviews)

Marakele Operators South Africa
Sort By: Date Most Helpful Rating 21-26 of 26 Reviews

Average User Rating

4.0000 / 5 4 /5
3.3846 / 5 4.4400 / 5 3.7727 / 5 3.6471 / 5

Rating Breakdown

5 star 10 / 6 10
4 star 9 / 6 9
3 star 5 / 6 5
2 star 1 / 6 1
1 star 1 / 6 1
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Male avatar icon andbog Italy flag IT       Visited: April 2011 Reviewed: Jul 30, 2015

Email andbog  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

The review below is the personal opinion of andbog and not that of SafariBookings.

Beautiful landscapes, few animals

3 / 5 3 /5
2 / 5 3 / 5 4 / 5 3 / 5
We visited the Park 4 years ago, so i don't know what's the current situation..
We spent a day in the park with our car, exploring a large part of it.
The park is divided into 2 zones, the first is flat, with a "bush" where you can easily see impala, wildebeest, warthog (and according to the rangers at the entrance, not seen rhinos ...).
In the second area the road becomes bumpy, the landscape becomes more mountainous and they told us that we should be able to see the "big four" (except the lion), but on a full day of search we have seen just some kudus and zebras ...
You could see on the road very recent traces of the passage of elephants and rhinos (droppings and broken branches), but it's amazing that even waiting for a long time we didn't heard or saw anything ...
Maybe because of the dense and narrow vegetation near the road ... but also from the high ground with binoculars we couldn't see anything on
Read more the move.
However the views are spectacular in the mountains, including the long, steep climb up to the top of the massif of Waterberg, where you should be able to see the colonies of griffon vultures.
Male avatar icon Derek Keats South Africa flag ZA       Visited: January 2015 Reviewed: May 1, 2015

Email Derek Keats  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

The review below is the personal opinion of Derek Keats and not that of SafariBookings.

Wonderful, but best spent in a tent or caravan.

3 / 5 3 /5
3 / 5 4 / 5 4 / 5 4 / 5
I go often to Marakele National Park, always as a camper. This is the only way to truly enjoy Marakele.

There are three things that stand out about Marakele, and that make the park unusual. Firstly, there is the campsite that is unfenced, and that is often visited by numerous mammals and lots of birds. It is not uncommon for white rhinoceros to wander through the campsite, and often you can hear them at night munching on grass outside your tent. Secondly, there is access to the mountain areas with several species of birds that are not easy to see elsewhere, and large flocks of Cape Vultures. Thirdly is the variety of habitats and the large number of bird species that can be seen there, especially in summer.

While there is plenty of wildlife, and it is worth seeing, the number of species is lower than some of the other parks, such as Pilanesberg, and the thick bush can obscure game viewing. But, that is also part of the charm, and the challenge of the park.
Read more The Waterberg Mountains creates some stunning scenery, and the open campsite gives good access to wildlife that wanders through. The birding is excellent, and never disappoints.
Male avatar icon Stefano Italy flag IT       Visited: November 2014 Reviewed: Apr 16, 2015

50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

The review below is the personal opinion of Stefano and not that of SafariBookings.
3 / 5 3 /5
2 / 5 1 / 5 4 / 5 2 / 5

The mountain section is spectacular for its scenic beauty; the plains section is less interesting as wildlife is hidden in the thick vegetation, so spotting animals is not easy. Road network is limited so it is often crowded

Female avatar icon Tom en Gonnie Netherlands flag NL       Visited: May 2012 Reviewed: Sep 6, 2012

50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

The review below is the personal opinion of Tom en Gonnie and not that of SafariBookings.

Camping in the wild

3 / 5 3 /5
2 / 5 3 / 5 5 / 5 4 / 5

Camping in Tlopi tented camp in Marakele NP is a unique experience. As Tlopi is unfenced, the wild animals come very close. We had a big elephant next to our tent. The monkeys that visit are a bit annoying though. The tents are not luxury, but everything is there. Good beds, a shower and a closed kitchen. The wooden deck is looking out on the water, where birds are abundant and all kind of animals come to drink.
The park is not big, but the scenery is stunning. When we visited there was not much game to be seen. Next to the elephants we saw rhino, giraf, ostrich, wildebeest and impala.

Male avatar icon Bert South Africa flag ZA       Visited: November 2015 Reviewed: Mar 25, 2016

Email Bert  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

The review below is the personal opinion of Bert and not that of SafariBookings.
2 / 5 2 /5
2 / 5 2 / 5 3 / 5 2 / 5

If you are in the vacinity it may be nice to spend two or three hours here. It's in quite a nice part of the country as far as the scenery goes. But please keep in mind this is a subjective rating and others may have had a greatly different experience.

Male avatar icon Chris South Africa flag ZA       Visited: October 2021 Reviewed: Oct 18, 2021

Email Chris  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

The review below is the personal opinion of Chris and not that of SafariBookings.

The gravel roads are the worst of SANParks and not suited for sedan vehicle at all. Shame on you!!!

1 / 5 1 /5
3 / 5 4 / 5 4 / 5 3 / 5

Don't go there, the gravel roads are so bad all attention needs to be on driving the bad road condition's , it's impossible to do game viewing at the same time. Sedan vehicles should not be allowed to enter the park!!!!