Sight · Kruger National Park
Reliable big-cat and elephant action on a northern tar road
Overview
Mawawi Waterhole is a straightforward, rewarding stop on the H1-7 tar road, roughly 32 km north of Shingwedzi and south of the H1-8/H13-1 junction. It’s the kind of place you pull over, switch off the engine, and let the sightings come to you.
Map
Local know-how
Plan 30–60 minutes to let different species rotate through.
Park with the sun behind you for better viewing and photos.
Check sightings boards at camp that morning for up‑to‑date activity.
Bring water, snacks, and binoculars—there are no facilities at the waterhole.
Ask at reception if the waterhole is currently active before you head out.
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Kruger Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Kruger National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Kruger audio tourRecorded for this place
Mawawi Waterhole: A Reliable Stop for Big Cats“You're about to pass Mawawi Waterhole, a classic roadside pull-off in the north. This is known as a very reliable spot for lions and leopards, making it an excellent place to switch off the engine and wait patiently.”
Plays as you drive up to Mawawi Waterhole in the Parkwolf Kruger Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Reports point to regular big‑ticket action here: lion and leopard traffic, plus elephants and zebra moving through to drink. Like most Kruger water sources, Mawawi can draw steady rotations of species—antelope filtering in at dawn and dusk, elephants often mid‑to‑late morning on hot days, and predators working the edges when light is low.
Don’t expect amenities at the waterhole itself—no toilets, shops, or designated picnic facilities. Plan your comfort breaks and snack stops at camps or official picnic sites before or after.
Wildlife
1,312 sightingsLionMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
727 sightingsLeopardMost seen around 5 AMSighting map
2,403 sightingsElephantMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
425 sightingsWhite RhinocerosMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
547 sightingsBuffaloMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
502 sightingsWild DogMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Kruger. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Parkwolf’s Kruger ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
