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Marakele National Park is an amazing place. It is located in the northwest of the Republic of South Africa, at the heart of the Waterberg Mountains near the border with Botswana.
People come here for different purposes.
First, it's a safari. Marakele is a relatively new national park. It has all the Big Five, but the number of large animals such as lions, elephants, buffaloes, rhinos is still low and more difficult to find them than in other older and safari-oriented parks. There are two parts here, one of which has fewer animals and the other more.
But the second, and it seems to me, the main reason for visiting this park is its remoteness from civilization and beautiful landscapes. You cannot get such a unity with beautiful nature in Kruger or Pilanesberg, there are too many people and there are no such delightful scenic views as in Marakele.
The park is rich in botanical diversity: cedar trees, various shrubs, cycads and ferns. Also, during wet months it will be very interesting for birdwatchers — migratory routes of many birds pass through the park.
Rugged mountain landscapes, rolling hills and deep valleys will not leave anyone indifferent. There are several campgrounds and lodges on the territory, so you can (and even need to!) Stay here for a few days to enjoy the secluded area and see the diverse wildlife.
A narrow, winding but cobbled road rises to a magnificent vantage point with stunning views — Lenong View Point. The road here is steep and narrow and not for those who are afraid of heights.
In the park there are both good gravel roads and roads that are only suitable for 4x4 cars.
We drove here for literally a few hours, just to get to the viewpoint and admire the views along the way. Therefore, we did not look out for the animals, and did not see almost anyone. Maybe a few zebras ...
...some birds (this is Grey Lourie, I have already shown such a bird in more detail here, but that shots were done in another park)...
...elephants (but very far away, so I didn't even take pictures) and termite mound.
To summarize, I would highly recommend this park for a leisurely, contemplative vacation, a bonus to which can be wild animals in the dry season or migratory birds in the wet season. There are guides and safari cars (although not in large numbers) if you really want to find all the Big Five. But the main thing here is still the wild, pristine beauty of the African landscapes.
It's better to watch the photos in high resolution. Camera: OLYMPUS E-M1 Mark II
P.S.One small but important note. Because this post was made for the TravelFeed.io project through its interface, it seems to me that all links may work correctly only when viewing through TravelFeed.io interface. This applies to both text links and high-resolution image links. So, if some links don't work, but you are interested in them — follow the links at the beginning or at the end of the post and wathc the post on TravelFeed.io.
You can also see my photos in my blog LJ and in my profile on NatGeo
