A game drive in Marakele National Park

Photo: Rudolph de Girardier

If smiles and wisdom are worthy of friendship, it is no surprise that I now think of our guide as dearly as I would a friend. Tumelo, our guide in the Marekele National Park took us in his vehicle as we arrived at reception and drove us out towards the spectacular sandstone formations drawing the area’s mountains, into Big Five area.

Photo: Rudolph de Girardier

Marakele National Park is unique in the way that it is split into two parts. In the one part, it offers un-fenced living spaces, profuse with friendly herbivores (antelopes, ostriches, warthogs and other animals came to our doorsteps), while the deemed dangerous big five is kept separate, in the other half of the park.

Photo: Rudolph de Girardier

In minutes, the spinning engine brought us to a burning panorama: a bed of mountains in which the sun would rest and soon pull its blanket of stars over the world.

Our companions and friends stood outside the vehicle to contemplate the view from the ground, while our armed ranger peacefully scanned the area for danger, letting us wander safely in a space we shared with elephants, rhinoceros, and lions - species we saw later that same day.

Photo: Rudolph de Girardier

Marakele National Park, a natural environment with immense and breathtaking views is a place of romance and passion, of friendship, of smiles and experiences.

Our guide, Tumelo, told us that some come here to observe the colours of the sunset develop for hours while he silently keeps them safe. Some come here to confess their desire for a marital union, offering a golden ring reflecting solar flares through a bubbly glass of champagne. Others, by the dozen, come to lay a blanket and simply watch this grandiose natural display.

After some time, we decided to keep driving. The sun dipped behind the horizon and the clouds shed a last pink light before vanishing.

Marakele National Park is the third largest National Park of South Africa, after the Kruger and Madikwe. We saw lions, elephants, and rhinos, emerging out of the darkening landscape, as Tumelo carved them out of the bushes with his beam of light, directing our eyes like a tunnel of light.

Photo: Rudolph de Girardier

An experience we happily shared with our guests. All of them were born and raised in the local community,but it was the first time that they came out in the bush to live this experience. They thanked us with the vigor of those who have discovered a missing piece of the map. A touching and powerful goodbye that stayed with us long after we let them return to their nearby houses.

Photo: Rudolph de Girardier

Marakele National Park, a compilation of sumptuous landscapes, rare wildlife, and friendly souls. We finished the drive, our eyes filled with beauty, our hearts filled with happiness. We drove home, reminded once more that generously offering an experience to someone, making them happier or filling them with life, is the most exhilarating feeling one can seek.