For travellers seeking to travel with a purpose, Marataba Conservation Camps in Limpopo offers its guests the chance to be part of hands-on wildlife management and ecological conservation.
Founders Camp and Explorers Camp are both located in Marataba Contractual National Park, a privately managed section of the Marakele National Park.
Founders Camp sits on the Matlabas River and is comprised of 4 individual suites. The main area and each of the rooms has an expansive deck, offering magnificent views up the river to the picturesque mountains.
The goal is to create an elegant family atmosphere in the heart of the bush. The furniture is a fusion of old and new: refurbished, antique wood coffee tables and traditional African bowls sit alongside contemporary light fittings and modern textiles.
At the river, you would see numerous pods of hippos and animals quenching their thirst during a scorching day. Sightings at Founders Camp include regular elephant crossings, kudus wading in the shallows, rhinos coming to drink and a wide variety of birds.
There is a boat-based at Founders Camp for water-based safari cruises on a 2km stretch of accessible river, also available to guests staying at Explorers Camp.
Explorers Camp is one of the original camps of Marataba. It has been upscaled to 5 double tents and one family tent.
With a backdrop of the Waterberg Massif and an active waterhole right in front of the camp, Explorers is known for the elephants that frequently stop in for freshwater, just metres from camp.
The canvas tents sit on elevated wooden decks and can be made up either as king beds or twin beds.
Meals at both camps are served al-fresco whenever possible, with breakfast enjoyed around the fire at sunrise and dinner served under the stars.
Conservation
Guests at Marataba Conservation Camps are encouraged to combine safari activities with conservation experiences, and there are chances to explore the incredible landscape on both day and night game drives and boat trips. Travellers can enjoy wild walks with a conservation guide and swim under a waterfall.
Wildlife monitoring and management is a core function of Marataba’s conservation team and ensure an in-depth look and feel of what modern-day conservation is all about, from population control to ecological functions.
There are tracking walks with cheetah, a compilation of individual identikits for elephants and elephant impact assessments, transect walks for vegetation mapping and planting, and snare patrols.