Izingwe Lodge
Welgevonden Reserve, Vaalwater
Savanna biome · Aardvark · Banded mongoose
Can support Endangered Wildlife Trust
Price on request
42 km away
Where to stay near Mabula Game Reserve
Family-friendly safari
Limpopo, South Africa
Big Five
About Mabula Game Reserve
Mabula is a Big Five reserve in the Waterberg near Bela-Bela, about two hours from Johannesburg, and one of the reserves in the region that works well for families: a lodge with a pool and a kids' programme, guided drives, and elephant, lion, rhino, buffalo and leopard on 12,000 hectares of bushveld. It is in a low-malaria area. The reserve runs a ground hornbill conservation project that visitors can learn about, and Bela-Bela's hot springs and the Waterberg's other reserves are close.
Things to do: Luxury safari · Game drives · Spa treatments · Fine dining
Where you can stay: Luxury lodges · All-inclusive
Wildlife near Mabula Game Reserve
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 Mabula Game Reserve
Inside-park stays and nearby lodges, sorted by distance.
No stays are linked to Mabula Game Reserve yet. These are the closest ones we have, by straight-line distance from the park, so check the drive before you book.
Inzalo Safari Lodge
Welgevonden Reserve, Vaalwater
Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Can support Endangered Wildlife Trust
Price on request
46 km away
Bontle Rest Camp
Marakele National Park
Savanna biome · Cape clawless otter · Black backed jackal
From R 408 a night
50 km away
Tlopi Tented Camp
Marakele National Park
Savanna biome · Cape clawless otter · Lion
From R 2,149 a night
51 km away
Marataba Mountain Lodge
Limpopo
Savanna biome · Springbok · Hippopotamus
Price on request
52 km away
Laluka Safari Lodge
Vaalwater
Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Can support Lessons in Conservation (LiC)
Price on request
56 km away
When to visit Mabula Game Reserve
Most of the rain at Mabula Game Reserve falls from November to March, peaking in December at about 135 mm. The dry season runs from May to September, with little or no rain. February is the hottest month, with average highs of about 29°C, and July the coolest, with average lows of about 5°C.
| Month | Rain (mm) | Average high (°C) | Average low (°C) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 111 | 28 | 18 |
| February | 80 | 29 | 18 |
| March | 63 | 28 | 17 |
| April | 44 | 25 | 13 |
| May | 12 | 23 | 9 |
| June | 2 | 21 | 6 |
| July | 4 | 21 | 5 |
| August | 3 | 24 | 8 |
| September | 13 | 28 | 13 |
| October | 40 | 29 | 16 |
| November | 84 | 29 | 17 |
| December | 135 | 28 | 18 |
Averages for 2005 to 2024 at the park's centre point, about 1285 m above sea level. Weather data from Open-Meteo.com (opens in a new tab) (ERA5), CC BY 4.0.
Getting there
24.7386° S, 27.9268° E800 km from Cape TownOpen in Maps (opens in a new tab)
Why book here
Your stay helps keep Mabula Game Reserve 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
Mabula Game Reserve: your questions
Where is Mabula Game Reserve?
Mabula Game Reserve is in Limpopo, South Africa.
Does Mabula Game Reserve have the Big Five?
Yes. Mabula Game Reserve is a Big Five area, home to lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino.
What wildlife can you see near Mabula Game Reserve?
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 Mabula Game Reserve?
Most of the rain at Mabula Game Reserve falls from November to March, peaking in December at about 135 mm. The dry season runs from May to September, with little or no rain. February is the hottest month, with average highs of about 29°C, and July the coolest, with average lows of about 5°C. Averages for 2005 to 2024 at the park's centre point, about 1285 m above sea level.
When is the best time to visit Mabula Game Reserve?
The best time to visit Mabula Game Reserve is May-Sep (dry season).
What is there to do at Mabula Game Reserve?
Popular activities at Mabula Game Reserve include luxury safari, game drives, spa treatments, fine dining.
Parks near Mabula Game Reserve
The closest parks and reserves. Distances run centre to centre, as the crow flies.
Marakele National Park
Limpopo, South Africa
Marakele National ParkNational Park · 48 km
Waterberg Mountains wilderness
Big Five
Welgevonden Game Reserve
Limpopo, South Africa
Welgevonden Game ReservePrivate Game Reserve · 48 km
Malaria-free Big Five
Big Five
Pilanesberg National Park
North West, South Africa
Pilanesberg National ParkNational Park · 101 km
Volcanic crater Big Five park
Big Five
Part of
Other parks and reserves that share something with Mabula Game Reserve.
Big Five parks and reservesPrivate game reservesNational parks and reserves in South AfricaNature reserves and parks in LimpopoAll protected areas
