Buccara Waterberg - Molapo
Lephalale
Savanna biome · Leopard · Brown hyena
Can support Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 2,500 a night
21 km away
Where to stay near Lapalala Wilderness
Waterberg wilderness area
Limpopo, South Africa
Big Five
About Lapalala Wilderness
Lapalala is a 48,000-hectare private reserve in the Waterberg, north of Vaalwater, with a long conservation history: it was one of the first private reserves to breed black rhino, and it has run a wilderness school for children since 1985. Lion and cheetah were reintroduced in recent years to join elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard on the sandstone hills and along the Palala River. It is a lodge reserve with a few high-end camps and no self-drive, in a low-malaria region about three hours from Johannesburg. The Waterberg biosphere around it is a UNESCO-listed landscape.
Things to do: Nature appreciation · Photography
Where you can stay: Camping · Chalets · Nearby B&Bs
Wildlife near Lapalala Wilderness
What people record most across Limpopo. Past sightings, never a guarantee.
From iNaturalist records across Limpopo, not confirmed sightings inside this reserve.
Stay in & near Lapalala Wilderness
Inside-park stays and nearby lodges, sorted by distance.
No stays are linked to Lapalala Wilderness yet. These are the closest ones we have, by straight-line distance from the park, so check the drive before you book.
Laluka Safari Lodge
Vaalwater
Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Can support Lessons in Conservation (LiC)
Price on request
65 km away
Inzalo Safari Lodge
Welgevonden Reserve, Vaalwater
Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Can support Endangered Wildlife Trust
Price on request
73 km away
Izingwe Lodge
Welgevonden Reserve, Vaalwater
Savanna biome · Aardvark · Banded mongoose
Can support Endangered Wildlife Trust
Price on request
77 km away
Marataba Mountain Lodge
Limpopo
Savanna biome · Springbok · Hippopotamus
Price on request
88 km away
Sofala Game Farm
Tolwe
Can support DAKTARI Bush School
Price on request
94 km away
When to visit Lapalala Wilderness
Most of the rain at Lapalala Wilderness falls from November to January, peaking in December at about 101 mm. The dry season runs from May to October, with little or no rain. February is the hottest month, with average highs of about 31°C, and July the coolest, with average lows of about 7°C.
| Month | Rain (mm) | Average high (°C) | Average low (°C) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 95 | 30 | 20 |
| February | 59 | 31 | 20 |
| March | 41 | 30 | 18 |
| April | 27 | 27 | 15 |
| May | 4 | 25 | 11 |
| June | 2 | 23 | 8 |
| July | 2 | 23 | 7 |
| August | 1 | 26 | 10 |
| September | 7 | 29 | 14 |
| October | 19 | 31 | 17 |
| November | 65 | 30 | 18 |
| December | 101 | 30 | 19 |
Averages for 2005 to 2024 at the park's centre point, about 1041 m above sea level. Weather data from Open-Meteo.com (opens in a new tab) (ERA5), CC BY 4.0.
Getting there
23.8140° S, 28.3101° E800 km from Cape TownOpen in Maps (opens in a new tab)
Why book here
Your stay helps keep Lapalala Wilderness wild
Wild places survive when the communities around them earn more from protecting wildlife than from anything that would replace it. Every stay you book through Spekboom carries a conservation contribution built into the price, never added on top, so choosing where you sleep becomes a way to fund the people and projects keeping this landscape intact.
- Built into every booking
- A conservation share
- Where it goes
- Local causes & communities
Lapalala Wilderness: your questions
Where is Lapalala Wilderness?
Lapalala Wilderness is in Limpopo, South Africa.
Does Lapalala Wilderness have the Big Five?
Yes. Lapalala Wilderness is a Big Five area, home to lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino.
What wildlife can you see near Lapalala Wilderness?
In Limpopo, commonly recorded species include animals such as Sharpe's Grysbok, Tsessebe, Roan Antelope, Lichtenstein's Hartebeest and birds including Tropical Boubou, Racket-tailed Roller, Black-fronted Bushshrike, based on iNaturalist occurrence data. These reflect the wider province, not confirmed sightings inside the reserve.
When is the rainy season at Lapalala Wilderness?
Most of the rain at Lapalala Wilderness falls from November to January, peaking in December at about 101 mm. The dry season runs from May to October, with little or no rain. February is the hottest month, with average highs of about 31°C, and July the coolest, with average lows of about 7°C. Averages for 2005 to 2024 at the park's centre point, about 1041 m above sea level.
When is the best time to visit Lapalala Wilderness?
The best time to visit Lapalala Wilderness is May-Sep (dry season).
What is there to do at Lapalala Wilderness?
Popular activities at Lapalala Wilderness include nature appreciation, photography.
Parks near Lapalala Wilderness
The closest parks and reserves. Distances run centre to centre, as the crow flies.
Welgevonden Game Reserve
Limpopo, South Africa
Welgevonden Game ReservePrivate Game Reserve · 73 km
Malaria-free Big Five
Big Five
Marakele National Park
Limpopo, South Africa
Marakele National ParkNational Park · 92 km
Waterberg Mountains wilderness
Big Five
Entabeni Game Reserve
Private Game Reserve · 54 km · Limpopo, South Africa
Luxury Waterberg safari
Big Five
Part of
Other parks and reserves that share something with Lapalala Wilderness.
Big Five parks and reservesPrivate game reservesNational parks and reserves in South AfricaNature reserves and parks in LimpopoAll protected areas
