Marataba, the latest addition to the Hunter Hotels ever growing family of hotels and lodges is situated in a 23 000 hectare private concession of the 91 000 hectare malaria-free Marakele National Park and is about 3 hours north of Johannesburg by car, or an easy 1 hour flight. Situated just beneath the towering Waterberg Mountains, the lodge is magnificent in every respect.
The lodge itself was nothing I had expected – It is unassuming, tastefully decorated, but the most appealing thing for me was that it had its own identity. I knew I was on a luxury safari, but it felt like no other lodge I have had the privilege of staying in before. To compliment the awesome architecture and beautifully appointed tents, the staff were simply superb. Mark, Yolanda, Jeanne-Luke and Nicolas were simply fantastic and really made us feel relaxed and at home.
The unique Hunters hospitality was coupled with simply exceptional food and wine. I have been privileged enough to have visited most of Africa’s finest lodges, hotels and restaurants and the food at Marataba, ranks among the best I have ever had. From the tapas-styled lunch to the Parma-ham wrapped Kudu fillet for dinner, I would not hesitate to recommend Marataba as getaway simply for the awesome food and excellent wine selection alone.
Marataba’s convenient location makes it an ideal getaway for a business, leisure or romantic travelers, and while I found the game-viewing to be somewhat disappointing during my very short visit, the Marakele reserve is home to wild dog, black and white rhino, cheetah, leopard, lion, elephant and a host of plains game. There are a large number of reptile and bird species found on the reserve which are all best observed during the lush green summer. I was fortunate enough to get to see my very first Aardvark!
With two new lodges planned for the reserve I have no doubt the game-viewing will continue to improve. With more vehicles on the ground and hence the ability to cover larger tracks of land it is inevitable that regular sightings of Africa’s Big 5 continue to improve. The scenery is simply spectacular and very unique.
Marataba is a wonderful destination, and yet another bold step towards the preservation of Africa’s wilderness and as such deserves our support and commitment. We look forward to adding the Waterberg region to the Malaria-Free section of the Rhino Africa website shortly.
Happy Travels.
