Photo by Jakobus van der Merwe

THABAZIMBI – One of the many great tourist attractions for Thabazimbi, is the Marakele National Park, only a few kilometres from town.

A narrow tar road takes visitors up to the top of the Waterberg massif. Views and scenery are spectacular. One is also in the proximity of the vulture colony and these large birds will soar past at close quarters.

There is five special things to seek when visiting Marakele National Park: • Cape Vulture – the park hosts one of the world’s largest breeding colonies of this endangered species. While birds may be seen in the air catching thermals anywhere in the park, the drive up to the Sentech Towers is nearest to the colony and close encounters with these enormous birds will leave visitors breathless.  • African Elephant – while some elephant had been previously reintroduced into the park, it was the release of the Tuli elephants in 1999 that captured the public’s and media’s imagination. • Rhino – Marakele has a high density of both rhino species and most visitors should see these animals, particularly the more gregarious and diurnal white rhinoceros.  • Kudu – as browsers these antelope are in their element at Marakele. Look out for the bulls with their magnificent spiral horns. • The not-so-often-seen-elsewhere antelope species such as reedbuck, mountain reedbuck, eland and tsessebe can be found here.

Contact Marakele National Park for bookings on 0147776929.