Marakele National Park is a National Park that is part of the Waterberg Biosphere in Limpopo Province, South Africa.Flora and faunaThe park is accessible to all passenger vehicles, with the camp and tent sites on good roads. Also, approximately 80 km of roads within the park are accessible to all vehicles, the balance requiring a four wheel drive vehicle. Marakele is home to the big five (buffalo did not exist in the park, but 20 disease-free buffalo (nine cows and eleven bulls) were re-introduced on 15 October 2013) as well as sixteen species of antelopes and over 250 species of birds, including the largest colony of Cape griffon vultures in the world (around 800 breeding pairs). The Matlabas River runs through the park.HistoryThe area now constituting Marakele was home to several iron-age settlements which are not yet open to public viewing. Previous to its foundation as a National Park, it was home to naturalist Eugene Marais. Marakele was founded as Kransberg National Park in 1994 with the purchase of 150km2, and was shortly after renamed to its current name. By 1999, the park had expanded to 670km2.AccommodationTwo tented camps are laid on in Marakele, namely Tlopi and Bontle. The SANParks webpage informs that between April and September 2013, eight new tented units will be constructed at Bontle camp, but that the camping sites will be kept open for visitors.
"Marakele National Park for Camping, Wildlife, Guided Walks and Natural Resources. 4x4 Eco TrailExplore the Waterberg Mountain’s untrammelled land. The Marakele 4x4 Eco Trail is a 3-day 2 nights outdoor adventure spanning the wilderness, primitive zone of Marakele National Park which is the core of the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve.In 1986 the Kransberg National Park was proclaimed to conserve some of the poorly protected savannah veldt types of South Africa. The name changed in 1994 when it was named Marakele National Park. The Waterberg was the area that the naturalist, poet, Eugene Marais, lived in and inspired such work as his renowned novel ‘’Sole of the White Ant’’."
