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What To Do in Marloth Park

It is not possible to run out of things to do in Marloth Park! This town in the deep bush is quite unique.

By keeping your noise levels low, you will be able to truly appreciate the bush, which is what you have travelled all the way here for. Stop rushing around, you are no longer in the city, settle in, have sundowners at the pool, relax and listen to nature, all while you are keeping an eye on the logs that are burning before you start your braai!

While staring into the fire at night, look up to the sky, the brilliance of all the stars will take your breath away! This is our TV in the bush!

Some night creatures will pop around, Bush Babies and Fruit Bats will come for the fruit if you leave some out. You will hear night birds calling and have fun while identifying what they are. Insects that you have never seen will appear and little Free-Tailed Bats and Geckos will arrive to gobble some of them up. On some nights you will get an Oscar winning performance from Lions, the surprisingly happy-sounding whoops of Hyenas or the extremely loud moans and grunts of Hippos duelling for territory in the nearby crocodile river. The magic of this is that there is no background traffic or other city night-time noise, just the relaxing experience of the glorious African bush!

When you go to sleep on your first night here, you will be feeling lighter already. The bush works its magic quickly if you are still and soak it in.

Marloth Park has kilometres of accessible river frontage with phenomenal views directly into the riverbed and the Kruger National Park! There are some tracks right along the riverbank that you can find on the map. These tracks get busy during weekends and school holidays, so bring your bicycle or hire one here. (Some more about this later.) You can also walk or jog along these tracks but stick to the 18h00 to 06h00 curfew for walking, jogging, or cycling.

Watch the Marloth Park Sightings Facebook pages for heads up on Big 5 and other sightings on the Kruger National Park side of the fence. Traveling a section of the fence is worthwhile, even if none of the Big 5 are showing themselves, because of the magnificent variety of animals and bird life on and around the river. Waterbuck, Hippo and Crocodiles are tied to the river, so they are almost always there to be seen.

Walking up and down our streets guarantees a close bush experience. Just remember that everything off the roads and walking trails is private property. Don’t go wandering off into the bush. You are bound to encounter animals of all shapes and sizes. The real joy is that they are free, just like you, to wander at will. Imagine you or your child showing off a photo standing mere meters away from a Zebra or even a Giraffe while you are on holiday! You will get plenty pollution free, low-altitude, oxygen rich air flowing through your lungs and stretch muscles that might not have work for a while, letting you drop off to sleep exhausted. If walking is not your thing, driving slowly along our roads can be exciting too, keeping in mind that you are in in a Nature Conservancy and all wild creatures have right of way. We brake for snakes! And all other creatures naturally.

Shopping

There are a variety of shops in our two shopping complexes, The Bush Mall and the Marlothi Shopping Centre, which is the one with the petrol pumps in the shapes of African Animals. Do not expect a complex or mall like you are used to at home though. Delicious home baked goodies are available at both centres, Superettes, Butchers, Bottle stores, Restaurants and bars are there too. Spread around Maroth Park are other restaurants as well, all of which offer legendary menus in this healthy bush environment.

Enjoy a meal or have a sundowner at the Amazing Kruger View Restaurant while looking at animals sunbathing, drinking or frolicking in or across the Crocodile River, watch the Rugby at Giraffe Restaurant or the Bos Restaurant, have Pizza and more at the Tin Shack or visit one of the many other Restaurants in Marloth Park. Each one has its own charms and attractions! Some of them even offer “order and collect” take-away services to those who might prefer that at times.

Henk Van Rooyen Resort

Situated on the bank of the Crocodile River is the Henk Van Rooyen resort. There is a massive swimming pool set in cool lawns among giant Bushveld trees, with braais in shady areas for enjoying an outdoor picnic. They also have flea markets on many weekends. Enquire at the resort entrance gate for prices.

Lionspruit

Marloth Park has its own private Game Reserve, called Lionspruit! Lionspruit has three of Africa’s Big 5. It’s prime territory for Lions and is sought after by these big cats, so you could be lucky and spot Lion there! What you will see in Lionspruit in great variety and numbers, are birds! So, if bird watching is your thing, put Lionspruit on your birding list!

There are a number of dams in the reserve, which are particularly spectacular in the summer months. Ngwenya, Impala, Rooiwal and Frikkies Dam are all must visit spots in Lionspruit, and the Honorary Rangers have begun a Vulture Restaurant, which allows visitors to see these magnificent birds at close range. Our Honorary Rangers have built and maintains a Picnic area at one of the dams, where you can get out of your car. There are ablution facilities, braai areas, massive trees and a Lapa under which to relax and enjoy the bush. Lionspruit is a must-visit place!

If you would rather visit Lionspruit on a guided tour, get to the Info Centre on the corner of Olifant and Ratel streets for information and contact details of the tour businesses that offer Lionspruit tours.

For the Birders

Over 300 species of endemic and summer migrant birds have been recorded in Marloth Park. Guided bird walks are held regularly, so watch the Marloth Park social media pages to know when the next one, or other interesting activities, will be.

If you would prefer to be taken on a boat by a knowledgeable bird exert on the beautiful and wide Komati River, which has a vast number of bird species, the guide will point them out to you. Details are on social media or from the Info Centre.

Be pampered!

There are a few businesses in Marloth Park that offer the luxury experience of spa treatments for her, him or couples, or treat yourself at one of the hair salons.

The Little Five

For a different experience of the bush, look out for the Little Five!

• Ant Lion

• Leopard Tortoise

• Buffalo Weaver

• Elephant Shrew

• Rhino Beetle

There are guidebooks available to help you identify these creatures, and there is always the internet. On your voyage of discovery into the world of little creatures, you’re bound to discover things that will fascinate and enthral you!

Teach Yourself to Be a Game Tracker

Any flat sandy area off the edge of the road is called “The Daily Newspaper” of the bush. Spoor in soft sand will tell you which animals passed this way, (and could be watching you from deep cover!) If you have children, a guidebook and a school ruler will keep them entertained for days! A guidebook can be replaced by a quick internet search, the 4G signal in most of Marloth Park is pretty good!

Another interesting way to teach yourself about the animals occupying the bush around you is to examine their droppings, or scats. Once again, keep your school ruler and the internet readily available. There is so much more to the bush than Giraffes and Zebras, so enjoy the time discovering all the little things and secrets as well.

Catch a Tiger

Fishing is not allowed in our Conservancy, but it is on the nearby Komati River! It’s believed that there is no freshwater game fish as exciting to fish than the Tiger, so if you are up to such an adventure, check the info centre for details.

The River Roads

The river road is one of the most scenic game drives you'll ever drive, and it's right here in Marloth Park! There are two types of roads, in parallel. There are two streets that are suitable for sedan vehicles (Crocodile and Hippo) and the fence loops are only accessible from these two streets, but is strictly reserved for 4X4 vehicles only. If you are on the sedan vehicle road, you can stop at many places, lock your vehicle, and walk down to the fence. There are many lookout points and memorial benches where you can sit and relax. You can even stop at one specific point, in Hippo Street, and prepare food on gas, while staring into the Crocodile River and the Kruger National Park.

The other "road" is a 4x4 route, but it follows the banks of the Crocodile River right next to the fence. It offers wide open views of the riverbed. All of Africa's Big 5 are regularly spotted on these 4x4 loops.

There are only three rules that apply to the 4X4 routes. The first is that it can only be driven in one direction. There are clear "one-way" signs at the entrance to each loop and "no entry" signs at the end of each. Please comply with this rule, as it is impossible to turn around on any of these tracks. If you're driving in the wrong direction up a one way and someone else is approaching from the front, in the right direction, it is a long and difficult reverse to free yourself from the embarrassment, sneers and ridicule.

The second rule is that you must stay on the track and only stop at points that are obviously for parking, usually next to a bench or under a shady tree. Remember that you are traveling through parkland, which is a protected area to provide shelter and food for our animals.

Do not attempt this route in a normal sedan, as there are often ditches washed out by water flow, especially after rain, which you will not be able to navigate in a vehicle with low / normal ground clearance.

The third and a very important rule is that sometimes these roads are so badly damaged that they are then blocked off with no access ribbons. Please do not cut, remove or ignore these ribbons, as the tracks are then damaged further, which might necessitate closing the tracks for months afterwards.

Unlike in the Kruger National Park, you can also hike, jog or cycle the track, as long as you do it before 18h00 in the afternoons and only after 06h00 in the mornings. There are regular resting places under shady trees, and you will clearly hear the bushveld sounds that make up such a big part of your experience.

There is no nicer place to have a “sundowner” than on the bank of the Crocodile River, watching the spectacular pollution-free sunset while listening to the sounds of the African Bushveld! Remember that fires are strictly prohibited in this area, so if you want to braai, you will have to do so on gas.

Be a responsible bush visitor and leave nothing but your footprints, or the tracks of your tyres, and take nothing but your own litter with you!