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Marataba Safari Lodge

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Hotel overview

Marataba Safari Lodge is a luxurious wildlife resort located in the heart of the Marakele National Park in South Africa. The lodge boasts breathtaking views of the surrounding wilderness, with a seamless blend of modern amenities and traditional African design. Guests can experience an unforgettable wildlife adventure with game drives, guided walks, and bird watching tours. The lodge features spacious and elegant suites, each with its own private deck overlooking the stunning landscape. The main area of the lodge offers a comfortable lounge, dining area, and bar, with large windows for sweeping views and seamless indoor-outdoor living. The lodge also has a sparkling pool, a wellness centre, and a boma for outdoor dining under the stars. Marataba Safari Lodge is the perfect destination for those looking to escape into nature and experience the magic of the African wilderness in style.

For an extra treat, why not combine your stay with a night in the 'Tree house'. Solar powered and built over two levels, the luxury Thabametsi Treehouse is comprised of a main bedroom, full shower room, lounge, dining area, and furnished viewing deck. For dinner, you'll find a basket packed with a gourmet, tapas-style picnic and cooler box of chilled drinks. The treehouse is the perfect escape for a night like no other, surrounded by the bush and its wonderous wildlife.

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Quirky excursions

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Excursion

Waterberg Horse-Back Safari

The Ant Collection lodges in the Waterberg bushveld offers a range of rides for inexperienced and experienced riders alike. The private reserve offers an incredible diversity of terrain and scenery as well as wildlife, including many of the rarer species not easily observed elsewhere. With a horse riding safari, you'll get closer to the wildlife such as impressive herds of antelope, and maybe even spot some elephants and rhinos. The Ant Collection Lodges take great care in matching the rider’s ability and confidence to their preference in type of mount. Rides will vary in pace and duration according to each guest’s desires and ability and their selection of reliable children’s ponies enable the experience of stunning game viewing to be shared by all. They even offer riding lessons for absolute beginners and their steady horses help develop confidence and ability. Game viewing on horseback is a special experience: because the animals do not perceive horses as a threat, you can get much closer to the game than you can on foot, and you can do it without the sound of a game drive vehicle. It makes it a much more intimate game viewing experience, and one you should definitely consider.

Excursion

Limpopo Game Drives

When staying at a private safari lodge, the bulk of your game viewing will be done on safari drives. These take place in the early morning and late afternoon, as many of the animal's everyone wants to see (notably the predators) are most active around dawn and dusk. In the morning you'll be wakened by a call from your ranger, who will then be waiting for you with coffee or tea before you get into the safari drive vehicle. You may stop during the morning drive for more coffee! After a drive of around three hours, you'll be returned to the lodge for a massive breakfast. Your time is then yours to do as you please until mid/late afternoon. Usually, lunch will be served (although sometimes not during their winter) and you may have the chance to go on a safari walk. Then you meet your ranger again for afternoon tea before heading off on your evening drive. You'll stop for sundowner drinks, and the last hour or so of your drive will be in the dark, using a spotlight to try and spot some of the nocturnal creatures. Upon your return, it's time for a gorgeous dinner before retiring to bed in order to be as fresh as possible when that morning call comes! Drive times are determined by dawn and dusk. So in their summer, the morning drive starts very early and the evening drive starts quite late, allowing for a big chunk of free time in the middle of the day. In their winter, these times get compressed as the day is shorter – hence some lodges skipping lunch during the winter months. When out on drive your ranger (and his tracker in those reserves where they are used) will use his skills and experience of the bush, plus information from other rangers out on game drives, to pinpoint the best game viewing. He (or she!) will also provide a running commentary on the animals you are seeing – it is truly amazing how much information they are able to pass on. If you particularly want to see certain animals, do let your ranger know and they'll try to oblige wherever possible, although much is dependent on the animals cooperating, and of course the wishes of the other guests in your game drive vehicle (unless you have paid for a private vehicle).

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