The traditional safari format – sunrise and sunset game drives interspersed with culinary and cultural experiences – will always have its place in the world of luxury travel. But for travellers who want to dive deeper into the gritty reality of conservation, Marataba Conservation Camps in South Africa’s Marakele National Park offer a fresh take on the safari concept.
Guests at two new encampments – Founders Camp and Explorers Camp – are allocated a conservation guide and private safari vehicle for the duration of their stay, giving them the freedom to plot their own adventures and focus on the activities that interest them most. If vast landscapes and wild walks stir the imagination, visitors can spend their days hiking through the towering mountains and steep gorges, swimming under waterfalls and exploring the wilderness with their guide, or even spend a night under the stars and experiencing the bush in its unedited glory.
Those more interested in the hands-on work of conservationists and rangers can roll up their sleeves and help out with the day to day work that takes place in the privately owned 21,000-hectare park: tracking animals and monitoring their social behaviour, body condition and geographical locations; setting up and monitoring camera traps; or joining the monthly full moon census to count nocturnal wildlife including black and white rhino.
Bookings are for groups of four or more and families are welcome. Young explorers can meet with the conservationists working to re-wild orphaned and rescued animals or discover family friendly nature walks that teach kids to identify animal tracks, bugs and plants. Rates for Founders Camp – an exclusive use site with four suites overlooking the Matlabas River – start from US $2,250 per night, and prices at Explorers Camp, which has six tents and two vehicles for up to two groups at a time, start from $1,500 per night.