Marloth Park, Wild Frontier

Marloth Park is at once a town and nature conservancy, shared equally by man and beast; as well it should since it borders on the Kruger National Park in a bend of the Crocodile River where a residential development has little claim. The advantage to staying in Marloth Park, aside from the incredible beauty of the area, is being able to sight animals just across the river from inside the town. An added bonus is a restriction to which Marloth Park has agreed, which governs their infringing the natural movement of game from the Kruger Park in any way.

Hence around 40 percent of the town’s land area is dedicated to parkland that shares plant, animal and bird species found in the southern part of the Kruger Park. If this perfect picture hasn’t already attracted you to Marloth Park, then the fact that the town is only an hour’s drive from the Mozambique coastal resorts certainly will.

The town is little more than a garage and a couple of shops - The Trading Post and The Bush Centre - that cater for essentials. Guided Kruger National Park Tours, walks or full day tours are what most visitors here are after, but you can see a number of antelope, zebra, buffalo and giraffe in Marloth Park itself. Microlight flights explore the Crocodile River where one can spot elephant, hippos, crocodiles and giraffe from the air, and horse trails can also be booked just 10 kilometres from Marloth Park.