Marakele is a young park, SANParks took control of the first farm bought (Mamiaanshoek) in June of '88, the first proclamation was only gazetted in Feb '94. This makes it a baby compared to great grandpa Kruger this is where the comparison to Kruger stops, it is like apples and pears, yes both grow on trees but that is all.
The park has immense potential but needs a lot of development to get it up to "great" status. It seems as if the main focus of Sanparks is directed towards acquisition of more land and while this is good news it does tend to leave other areas rather unattended.
You see the big draw card of the Marakele experience in my book is the campsite Bontle. It is an unfenced camping area overlooking a dam / waterhole with the cleanest ablution facilities I have seen. It boasts one of the best layouts of bathrooms I have come across, even in the middle of winter there is no cold draught in the showers. A team of camp attendants ensure that it is spotlessly clean at all times as is the grounds. In other parks one pops out of bed and rushes to be the first at the gate, this park is different, you get up and start the coffee and plunk down in your favourite camp lounger to enjoy the first cup of coffee while watching the game at the waterhole. There is a nonstop stream of entertainment visiting this feature but it is not the only feature, browsers regularly come through the camp while the camp birding is of the best I have seen and on par with places like lower sabie.
Tlopi is the tented camp and has 10 luxury tents on stilts with own bathrooms and kitchen facilities. This camp is situated on the banks of a large dam and herds of elephant are often seen frolicking in the water from these vantage points. At present the Marakele honorary rangers are busy fitting aluminium and glass doors and windows to the tents to stop marauding monkeys from entering the units. As with any real bush experience this camp is also unfenced
The mammals list is quite impressive and surprising only one less than Kruger being situated on the transition of the dry west and wet eastern part of the country they boast with animals of both areas and I was surprised to learn that they have gemsbok in the park. Another big variation is the altitude with almost 1000m between the lower plains and the top of the mountain enabling one to see high altitude species such as the gurneys sugar bird and fynbos in one area. The park had the big 5 but sadly the buffalo had corridor disease and had to be removed and will be reintroduced shortly while the three packs of wild dogs did not behave and caused havoc among the neighbouring farmer's cattle necessitating their removal as well after three were shot by the farmers. It does not sound if they plan on reintroducing them
There is only one tar road in the park and that is the one leading up to the mountain and that is a single carriage way for most part, slightly scary if another vehicle approaches and there is a 600m sheer drop to the one side and a vertical cliff face on the other. The view from the top of the mountain is absolutely breath taking and best described as being a garden of mountains.
In conservation terms there is not only a specific mix of sweet and sour veld habitats but also the largest breeding flock of cape vultures in the country and clumps of critically endangered plants.
The best of this park is left for last and that is the staff, from the cleaner picking up rubbish in the caravan park through to management these folks are passionate and friendly and will do their utmost to ensure you have an unforgettable experience, I have been there a few times and this is one point that remains constant even if the faces change.
With a bit of development and assistance I feel this park could be more popular than its close by competitor, pilanesberg, as it has more to offer but does not have the major cash and resource injection that pilanesberg had in operation genesis. (And there is no hotel that Sol built but we will not go down that route here )
Being close to Johannesburg and Pretoria makes it the ideal getaway for a weekend.
Aaaalmost forgot to mention this park has a few 4x4 only routes open to the general public as well as an overnight trail that is pretty hectic as far as trails go, about 4/5
