Mapungubwe

Continuing the journey!

Waterberg to Mapungubwe.

The roads in this area aren’t great. I should’ve taken the N1 and gone via Musina... A massive storm on the road... 60 km away, hazard lights on...

Mapungubwe isn’t new to me, but I’d decided to try the western part, at Limpopo Tented Camp.

Upon arrival... “Sorry, a tree fell on one of the chalets...” “We’ll put you up for the first night at Leokwe, in the eastern part.” From what they said, it happened yesterday... but on-site, we saw it had actually been several months!

Sanparks’ management is still very much “outside usual standards.” There’s constantly work being done “haphazardly,” shoddily, poorly... And the welcome from staff really depends on the person and the day.

Oh well, no big deal—we’ll spend a night at Leokwe!

The eastern part “normally” doesn’t have lions... there are several spots where you can get out of the car... We saw general game, buffaloes, elephants... leopards (yes, see another travel journal), and now possibly cheetahs in the far eastern section. Our friend Montagnard had asked me (following another discussion) if I knew any truly ethical associations... I’d pointed him to a cheetah conservation group. I can confirm—they’re the ones who released several cheetahs into this part of Mapungubwe. Leokwe is stunning, unfenced... with a pretty high chance of seeing elephants in the camp, drinking from the pool or brushing past the chalet terraces. This area is still a fantastic spot for spectacular wildlife sightings and insane landscapes!

Peculiarities on this side... Lots of cows! They come from Zimbabwe... Will they attract lions?

Reception is at the main entrance, the one for the East section. From there, you can access the West section (Tented Camp, Tshugulu). This area is still fragmented by private, inaccessible sections. So, head to the Tented Camp.

Upon arrival, we noticed that the tree fall definitely wasn’t recent...



The camp is fenced, with a small pool, far from everything, and full of monkeys. Nothing else. Six chalets. The chalet is great. Off we went on a game drive!

Along the Limpopo.

Elephants crossing the border...



for a mud bath.





Another one is playful.



Another one’s great at hide-and-seek.



I see you!



Giraffe and jackal join in!





The area along the Limpopo is very bushy, but further out, it’s bone-dry and almost desert-like. VF doesn’t accept videos... too bad... an elephant came *very* close...

Some South Africans saw a lion, told us where it was, and... we didn’t find it... No points scored in the Michel vs. Attila competition!

You have to go back out for the westernmost part.

Watch out... the signage has been neglected! The maps provided aren't very helpful! You'll get lost several times!

Still very dry... not very productive... Yet we keep looking!









An elephant carcass



A lunar landscape!



Could we be momentarily lost?

Wrap-up...

The Leokwe section is more beautiful... The western part, with lions, would’ve left more memories. The super dry landscape gets a bit tedious, especially since there aren’t tons of trails... and it’s easy to get lost!

No regrets—total change of scenery and a charming camp. Great encounters! !

Thanks for this great travel journal—I’ll go read the one about Marakele now. I’ve been thinking about visiting both parks for a while! 🙂

hi perfect. thanks. if you ever have any questions...