Marakele National Park and South-East Botswana, April 2016 - Marakele National Park.

We'd visited this park back in December 2011 and decided that it was time for another stay there. We drove around the reserve each day but didn't see many animals while on the move. Our best sightings of birds and animals were at the Bollonoto bird hide where we were happy to spend a couple of hours watching the comings and goings. This waterhole is in the Western section of the park (which is where the campsite is located) and does not have large cats or elephants.

Male nyala.

Male impala.

Warthog.

Waterbuck.

Emerald-spotted wood-dove.

Blue waxbills.

One morning we drove to the Lenong View Point. In this photo you can see the track going up the hillside. Much of the track is tarred so open to any vehicle, however it's only a single lane with occassional passing points.

Looking back down the valley fom near the top. The top of the mountain is quite flat and the track ends at some radio masts. The best views are on the ways up and down.

There's a colony of Cape vultures in the Park. We saw over 50 around the top of the mountain.

This klipspringer stood and posed for us for some time.

One things we like about the Bontle campsite in the Park is the fact that it's not fenced so animals can, and do, wander around. We were visited by ostriches on a daily basis and also saw warthog in the camp. Sadly we didn't see rhino on this occassion and there was some talk about them having been moved to another Park.

Ostriches were a common sight around the campsite.

This warthog decided to check Kevin out!

At the far end of the Park is a 4x4 route which we decided to try. It took us 45 minutes to cover the 5 km track, having to stop 3 times to check out obstacles. Then after a short break we returned along the same route - another 45 minutes. Kevin drove out along the track and then I drove back. We deflated the tyres and used low 4 wheel drive.

Obstacle 1. Kevin driving. The track had been partly washed away and there were a couple of quite deep dongas - with low 4 wheel drive and our high clearance it wasn't a problem.

Obstacle 2 on the way back - Michelle driving. This was much easier on the way back. Going up Kevin needded diff lock to get up quite a steep section. I was busy directing him and forgot to take any photos!

The second obstacle was the most awkward as there was a very deep donga to one side of the track and a tree on the other side.

Kevin's first attempt - too close to the tree so he had to back up and got through on the second attempt.

It was easier for me on the way back as I knew we could get through, but after more rain this could become impassable.

OK, so I just can't resist taking photos of baby animals! These were both seen in the Western section of the Park.

Marakele National Park.

Khama Rhino Sanctuary.

Tuli Block. Molema Bush Camp and Limpopo RIver Lodge.

There are reputed to be plenty of elephants in the Eastern section of the Park but we saw very little evidence of the. On our final drive we did see this bull near the track.

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