Makuya Nature Reserve

About Makuya Nature Reserve

Makuya, also known as Makuya Nature Reserve, shares a fenceless border with the Kruger National Park and is about an hour's drive from the Pafuri Gate.

Did you know? Makuya Park lies in the north-eastern corner of Limpopo, formerly known as Venda (a homeland under the Apartheid Regime not far from the border with Zimbabwe, now incorporated into Limpopo).

A relatively small reserve its 16 000 hectares are leased from the Makuya, Mutele, and Mphaphuli tribes by the Limpopo province. The tented camp in the reserve rests on a mountain top overlooking the river. The reserve forms part of the ambitious Limpopo Transfrontier Park still in the throes of formation that includes the Kruger, Makuya and Letaba Ranch. The perimeters between the parks are fenceless allowing game to roam freely.

The Luvhuvhu River where hippos, elephants and crocodiles are easy to spot forms a natural divide between Makuya and Kruger. Any game happy to cross it, gains access to either. You can easily spot elephant, hippo, buffalo, lion, hyena, otter, impala, nyala, warthog and other game.

Makuya is one of the lesser known reserves in the Limpopo. With a magic wilderness and a non-touristy feel to it as a result. Baobabs pepper the landscape, the Big 5 are readily available within the reserve and the birdlife is abundant – the Luvuvhu-Pafuri region is one of the birding hotspots of South Africa.

The only downside is that the roads in Makuya are not particularly 2x4 friendly. However, in an ordinary sedan one can easily gain entry and find your way to Singo Camp, whereafter 4x4 guided game drives make spotting game effortless. If you have a 4x4 then other roads in Makuya are yours to explore. Makuya is on the Mutale Ivory Route.