Limpopo Province

The province of Limpopo is located in the north of South Africa and borders the countries of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The northern part of the Kruger Park is located here, but it is nowhere near as rich in wildlife as the south. Above all, Limpopo offers breathtaking landscapes, pristine forests and historical and cultural highlights. While the lowlands to the two neighboring states in the north are at risk of malaria, the southwest of Limpopo around the Waterberg region is considered malaria-free. This is also where the scenically beautiful national parks and game reserves of Marakele, Welgevonden and Entabeni are located, all three of which are home to the Big Five. You should plan at least one overnight stay on the drive through. Two nights are recommended if you want to visit one of the game reserves.

Northeastern Limpopo

The Mapungubwe National Park in northern Limpopo on the border with Zimbabwe is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Archaeological sites here document the early development and settlement of southern Africa. Various richly furnished royal tombs and the remains of the walls of a large palace, probably dating from the 13th century, have been found. The northern part of the Kruger Park on the borders with Zimbabwe and Mozambique is unfortunately not particularly rich in wildlife, so there are hardly any tourists here. The subtropical region around the small town of Tzaneen comprises the valley of the Letaba River and the adjacent Magoebaskloof Mountains. Here you can discover dense rainforests, thundering waterfalls and old gold mining towns. The Modjadji Cycad Forest is exciting, with protected palm fern trees up to eight meters high, living fossils from the Mesozoic era around 50 to 60 million years ago.

Southwestern Limpopo

Marakele is a state-owned Big Five National Park in the Waterberg region, about two and a half hours' drive from Johannesburg. However, some species only occur in small numbers. The park, which covers almost 70,000 hectares, offers rudimentary accommodation and can be accessed with your own rental car. Almost next door is the private Welgevonden Game Reserve. At around 35,000 hectares, it is only half the size of Marakele, but is also home to the Big Five. Only the overnight guests of the exclusive lodges have access here. The Entabeni Safari Conservancy is the smallest of the Big Five reserves in the Waterberg, at just under 22,000ha, but is divided into an Upper and a Lower Escarpment by an almost 800m high escarpment, making it one of the most spectacular game reserves in South Africa in terms of landscape. Here, too, only overnight guests of the private lodges have access.