Marataba Mountain Lodge

Duration: 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on guests’ fitness levels These are our after-breakfast walks on the wild side. Guests are immersed in the bush, rather than just observing it. All five senses are engaged, as they feel scrub crunch beneath their feet, touch the velvety acacia seed pod, hear the crack of a branch indicating they are not alone, and spot big game at eye level – exhilarating! Our expert guides will tailor walks to each of our guest’s area/s of interest, focusing on mammals, birds, insects, plants, geology, etc. • Children under 16 years are not permitted on the bush walks • Guests should wear: neutral-coloured clothing, comfortable walking shoes, a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen • Guests should bring along: a lightweight dry mac jacket, camera/smartphone, and binoculars

Duration: ±3 hours Game drives, in open safari vehicles, head out each day at sunrise and again in the late afternoon to find the reserve’s many fascinating animals, both diurnal and nocturnal. This is a truly personal experience: no more than seven vehicles are in the concession at any one time and, because the animals are accustomed to them and do not see them as a threat, the field guides are able to take guests within close range of Africa’s most impressive species. Photographic opportunities are spectacular! • Includes: a hot beverage or sundowner stop in a scenic spot to purely appreciate being in the bush and in the moment • Children 6 years and older are welcome on the twice-daily game drives • The children’s game drive (for young guests 3 to 5 years) goes out after breakfast daily - parents are welcome to go along, subject to availability of seats

Guests staying at Marataba Luxury Lodges will meet the team, receive a pre-operational briefing, and depart at the predetermined time. Once the rhino has been located and darted, guests will actively participate in the activity, involving tasks that may include: fitting tracking collars, ear-notching, collecting blood and tissue samples, and micro-chipping of horns. This experience does not include dehorning interventions. Each intervention offers a unique and singular experience with one animal. It's important to note that, with smooth operations, the duration can vary from approximately 30 minutes to 2 hours. Once the intervention is complete, the blindfold and earplugs are removed, and the reversal drug are given to the rhino. Opportunities are provided for guests to take photos, and if safe to do so, take photos with the animal and field team. The guide will also photograph the guests experience and these images will be made available upon return. After the intervention, the conservation team provides a debriefing and a 'behind the scenes' tour of their operations room, for a comprehensive understanding of how the intervention aligns with conservation efforts and how the collected data contributes to the cause. Please note that interventions are limited to the months between April and September, due to more favourable weather conditions, ensuring the safety of the animals, and there are approximately 60 activities that take place place throughout the year. Cost: R95 000.00 For a group of 15 guests Availability: April to September

Take an unhurried cruise along the Matlabas River on Miss Mara. Nothing tops watching the sun shimmy into a liquid horizon in vivid colour, as you sip on a G ‘n T to the splash of a grunting hippo. The perspective of the bush is quite different when experienced from the water. An excursion on Miss Mara is highly recommended as a unique and highly enjoyable way to immerse yourself in the magnificence of the reserve. Morning and afternoon cruises are conducted on the Matlabas River, just 20 minutes drive from the Lodge. Delicious refreshments and snacks are provided; from pastries and hot chocolate, to G ‘n Ts and Canapés. One of Marataba’s experienced Field Guides will conduct the slow cruise along the river. You can expect to see birdlife a-plenty, hippos in the water, and the many creatures that walk the plains of Marataba along the water’s edge.

Spa and Wellness

The hours between safaris are an ideal time to spend being pampered. A selection of indulgent therapies is offered by expert therapists in the quiet retreat of guests’ own rooms or private decks – a luxury unique to Africa. Guests choose from massages, exfoliations, reflexology, and facials with TheraNaka herbal-infused spa therapy products – all ethically formulated with the finest natural and organic healing ingredients – as well as manicures and pedicures. Yogis will find no better place to stretch out any leftover tension than on their private decks overlooking the serene reserve. Guests need not pack their mats with these available to borrow from the lodge reception.

A Night in a Treehouse* Thabametsi is our newest and most impressive Treehouse yet! It is solar powered and built on two levels – with a main bedroom, shower room and furnished decks offering views of the Waterberg and across the verdant expanse of the Marakele. Guests, delivered by safari vehicle in the late afternoon, spend the sunset hours enjoying a sundowner and sharing a gourmet picnic whilst spotting animals out on the plains, before falling asleep counting shooting stars. This is the ideal hideout for a family of four (including two children, 6 to 15 years) who want to experience an authentic night out in Africa – in complete luxury. • A Treehouse Experience is booked in conjunction with lodge accommodation • A Treehouse stay is charged at a per person sharing per night rate, over and above the lodge accommodation rate • Guests pack an overnight bag with their essentials, leaving the rest of their belongings back in their room