15 things to do at Mokala National Park

By Roxanne Reid
Mokala is a malaria-free park that lies off the N12 about 75 kilometres southwest of Kimberley in South Africa – a perfect stopover on a road trip between Cape Town and Johannesburg. But don’t rush it, stay two or three nights and discover some of these 15 things to do at Mokala National Park.

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1. Love the landscape 

Mokala landscape just before sunset

Mokala National Park is a pretty park, green in summer and drier in winter but always interesting because of its diversity, from open grasslands and thickets to Kalahari thornveld and dolerite koppies as well as a riverine section in the north. It’s especially attractive in the soft light of early morning or late afternoon.

2. Listen to the surround-sound
​Switch off your engine and listen to the chirp of birds in the thorn trees, the hum of insects, the swish of grass as it sways gently in the breeze.

3. Take yourself on a game drive 

Roan antelope

Mokala National Park is the place to go in search of endangered animals like tsessebe, roan and sable antelope as well as aardwolf and aardvark. Other animals you can expect to see here include Cape buffalo, giraffe, warthog, black wildebeest, Burchell’s zebra, gemsbok, kudu, eland, African wild cat and meerkat. 

4. Drive a 4x4 trail 

Twin-track on the Mellifera and Merateng 4x4 trails

Drive the two new 4x4 trails in the Lilydale section, Mellifera and Merakeng. These twin-track trails are by no means a technical challenge, but a wonderful opportunity to get off the main road and have the world to yourself for about 7km (you need a permit). The sand is softish too, so our tyres sang as we passed herds of eland, tsessebe and red hartebeest, 15 ostrich, a few black wildebeest and a lone springbok. In March we were pleasantly mobbed by African monarch and yellow pansy butterflies.

You can combine a third 4x4 trail, the Doornlaagte loop in the Mosu section, with the Kameeldoring loop for a good chance of seeing the endangered roan and sable. Sadly, during our visit in March both these loops were closed for repair after rain damage.

5. Go on a guided game drive

Spotted eagle-owl

​Join a guided early morning game drive at Mokala for a chance to see some of the park’s rarities like roan, sable, or aardwolf. Your guide’s ability to spot animals is usually better than yours and he’s a source of other interesting info too. If there are five or more of you, the restaurant can arrange an after-drive breakfast under an old camel thorn tree at Mosu Lodge, but you need to book this ahead of time.

A sunset drive is your chance to see the landscape soften as the sun sets. You might also see owls, genet, hares, jackal, bat-eared fox, African wild cat and caracal - even aardvark or aardwolf. The vehicle will have a spotlight so take your binos and camera. 

6. Notice the small creatures 

Clockwise from top left: elegant grasshopper, African monarch, leopard tortoise, scrub hare

Forget the Big Five and focus on finding attractive little creatures like the elegant grasshopper, butterflies, tortoises or the southern rock agama with its reddish body and bright blue head in breeding season.

7. Reach for the stars
Here in the dry air the night skies are crammed with stars, the Milky Way brighter than you’ll ever see it in the Big City. On a night drive, ask your guide to switch off the headlights so you can appreciate the stars for a few moments. If you’re camping, don’t forget to look up.

8. Enjoy a picnic

Matopi picnic site

Get out and stretch your legs or bring a packed lunch to one of two picnic areas in the park – on the Matopi loop in the west or Kameeldoring loop in the central section (both with toilets). The picnic sites are open to day visitors too. There’s also an elevated thatched hide with a single picnic table overlooking a waterhole about 1km from Lilydale camp.

​9. Appreciate the plants 

Devil's claw

Mokala lies across two biomes, Savanna and Nama-Karoo, so it conserves a diversity of plant life from umbrella thorn (haak-en-steek), black thorn (swarthaak), sweet thorn, camel thorn, shepherd’s tree (witgat) and love grass to hoodia and the endangered devil’s claw. Buy the official information guide to the park at reception and see how many of the 15 listed/illustrated plants you can identify before you leave.

10. Cool off 

The pool at Mosu

Relax and cool down in the pool at Mosu or Lilydale on a hot day, each for residents only (no day visitors).

11. Go fly fishing 

Riet River at Lilydale

On the Riet River near Lilydale you can go fly-fishing for yellow fish, carp and barbel on a catch-and release basis.

12. Enjoy sundowners with the animals

The waterhole at Mosu Lodge

Kick back on the stoep of Mosu Lodge’s restaurant or at a picnic table under a tree to enjoy your sundowners while looking out over the camp’s waterhole. You might see buffalo, tsessebe, kudu, red hartebeest, eland and blue wildebeest coming to drink.

13. Have dinner under the stars

Braai under the camel thorn for about 20 people one New Year's Eve

At Mosu you can enjoy a catered braai under an old camel thorn tree and a ceiling of stars. Book ahead on tel 053-2048000, minimum 5 people. Alternatively, do your own starlight braai at your chalet or campsite. [Update: sadly, the restaurant at Mosu has closed so this activity is no longer available.]

14. Stay over

Lilydale chalets overlooking the Riet River

Luxury self-catering chalet at Mosu

For your Mokala National Park accommodation, you can choose from chalets at Lilydale along the Riet River in the north or Mosu in the southeast. You can also book the rustic Haak & Steek family cottage and campsite overlooking a private waterhole. The cottage sleeps four and has a gas stove and solar geyser and lights. If you’re more than four people you can book the adjoining campsite for the rest of your group.

The Kameeldoring tree house is almost halfway between Lilydale and Mosu, with its own private waterhole where animals come to drink. There’s a minimum two-night stay; phone Mokala directly to book, tel 053-2048000.

For something different, sleep over at the Stofdam bird hide. You get four fold-down beds, solar shower and flush loo as well as an enclosed braai area, which is the only means of cooking. The drawback is that you can only take possession an hour before gate closing time and must be out by an hour after gates open so it can return to its job as a bird hide for other visitors. Bring your own sleeping bag, cutlery and crockery. Book ahead on tel 053-2048000.

15. Go camping 

My favourite place to stay at Mokala is the Motswedi luxury campsite. Just 6 campsites are laid out in a semi-circle around a waterhole, each with its own solar/gas kitchen and ablutions so there’s no need to share. Luxury indeed. A short electrified fence keeps the likes of buffalo away without detracting from the sense of camping out in the wild. Listen for the quiet rustle that announces a buck has come to drink at the waterhole.

​If you want to camp at Haak & Steek (see 14 above), you can only book the campsites in conjunction with the cottage as part of a single group.

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