Mapungubwe National Park Travel Guide: Top Sights in South africa,

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Mapungubwe National Park- Travel Tips What to See, How to Plan & Tours: Natural Scenery; South Africa; 5 Reviews

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Suggested Duration: 8 hours

Mapungubwe National Park, located in Limpopo Province, South Africa, is a treasure trove of historical, cultural, and natural wonders. The park's centerpiece, Mapungubwe Hill, was once the heart of the prosperous Kingdom of Mapungubwe during the Iron Age and is home to the famed Golden Rhinoceros figurine. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it forms part of the Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area, reflecting its significant historical and cultural heritage. Covering over 28,000 hectares, the park is a vibrant wildlife haven, featuring iconic species such as elephants, hippos, and white rhinos. The Limpopo River, which borders the park, enhances its beauty and supports diverse wildlife, including meerkats and Nile crocodiles. Notable for its botanical diversity, the park's landscape is dotted with impressive baobab trees and offers exceptional bird-watching opportunities with over 387 recorded species. Established in 1995, Mapungubwe has become a symbol of both ecological preservation and historical significance, further enriched by its Museum and Interpretive Centre, awarded World Building of the Year in 2009 for its role in showcasing the park's archaeological and natural heritage.

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Reviews of Mapungubwe National Park

nathi mnengela

5
Reviewed: 2024-07-13

We spent 3 nights at Tshugulu Lodge. We enjoyed every minute of our stay. Tshugulu is 20 km away from the reception, it is very quiet, we didn't see animals at the lodge except the baboons. The eastern section of the park has a lot to see. We went there and saw a herd of elephants, the zebras, Mpalas, wildebeests and the birds. We also went to the view deck where we saw confluence point where South Africa Botswana and Zimbabwe meets. We will definitely come back to Mapungubwe
Geoff Maud

5
Reviewed: 2024-06-24

A great stay in the campsite and very interesting tour with the Parks tour guide of the Mapumgubwe mountains. Was amazed at the history of the area. Could not sleep at night owing to the lions roaring all night.
Christo Vosloo

5
Reviewed: 2024-05-21

I have visited this park many times and plan to do so again. The greatest thing to me is that it has a 'wild' atmosphere. Also the landscape is amazing! Update after April 2024 visit. Sadly the facilities in the park are in dire need of maintainance and upkeep, particularly but not exclusively those on the western side .
Ivan Putter

5
Reviewed: 2024-02-14

Incredible national park, with breath-taking views of many very diverse habitats. A must visit for birding enthusiasts! Accommodation at Leokwe camp was lovely. The chalet was well equipped, clean and very spacious. The outside shower was a cool experience.
Liezel Cromhout

4
Reviewed: 2024-01-13

We visited Mapungubwe during early January 2024. We stayed over in different camps. We spent 3 nights in Leokwa Self Catering Chalets. The chalets are very comfortable and spacious. The self catering kitchens inside the chalets are very well equipped and had most items we needed. General maintenance are needed for the chalets such as painting, checking that all electrical equipment are in working order such as ceiling fans, toasters, kettles, lights, geysers, etc. We enjoyed the swimming pool with a water hole at the Leokwa Camp from where you can see animals and if you are lucky elephants and other game come to drink from the water hole. There are no shops so you need to bring everything from food, braai accessories, drinks, ice, etc. The chalets does have a fridge/freezer but the nearest towns are Alldays and Musina which is 60 plus km from Mapungubwe with very bad maintained roads full of potholes which forced us to drive next to the tar road on the gravel most of the way at very low speed and still ended up with a cut in one of our tires. We were lucky enough to reach Alldays to have the tyre fixed. It is also advisable to drive slow and to try and avoid the potholes where possible although it makes the trip to town 3 times slower. Also keep the doors and windows of the chalets closed and check your chalet regularly for unwelcome "guests" as we found a puff adder snake right next to my bed at about 03h30 in the morning on the day we checked out. All things considered we enjoy staying at Mapungubwe and we will visit again soon.