SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL
Escape the same, experience the Waterberg
Inspiration for your next adventure
At Airbnb, we believe that travel can be truly sustainable, local, diverse and inclusive and that the Airbnb community has a large part to play in realising this vision. Hosts on Airbnb can adopt sustainable hosting practices and recommend their favourite local businesses to guests. Travellers can strive to respect the unique culture and the ecological sensitivity of the area they are visiting, consider how tourism empowers local communities and support best practices in wildlife tourism. Part of travelling sustainably is also choosing to visit less concentrated destinations. Regions like the Waterberg in Limpopo, a UNESCO biosphere rich in unique flora and fauna that lies just three hours drive from Johannesburg, can offer an escape from the usual. When planning your next trip, consider going off the beaten track to the Waterberg, a majestic part of South Africa that’s waiting to be explored.
“One of the major things South Africans can do to travel more sustainably, is travel off the beaten path. Avoid the typical hotspots and regular holiday haunts and try to experience smaller towns and more rural destinations and try travelling out of season.”
Letticia Mologadi Mahlatji, Environment Specialist, Waterberg Biosphere Reserve
Meet Hosts on Airbnb in the Waterberg
Ask locals what makes the Waterberg unique, they’ll tell you in a heartbeat - it’s the people. Meet some of the Hosts from the area.
Lizzy, Experience Host
Having grown up in the Waterberg, Lizzy has deep knowledge of the region. She is an experienced nature guide and a graduate of the Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy. Lizzy’s experience will take you on a trail to uncover indigenous flora and fauna such as the iridescent Narina Trogon and the medicinal Weeping Wattle. On your way to the viewpoint overlooking the Palala River, you’ll pass by ancient Bushman paintings.
Alex and Sean, Home Hosts
Meet Alex and her husband Sean, hosts on Airbnb since 2017. After falling in love with the Waterberg a number of years ago, they’ve now made a corner of this beautiful region their home. Their solar powered cabin, with expansive views across the landscape, is more than just a spectacular listing - it’s a labour of love, having been built by Sean himself using local materials. Visit Alex and Sean’s listing in Rankin’s Pass and turn the great outdoors into your backyard.
Liorna, Experience Host
Liorna, a nurse turned tour guide and graduate of the Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy, is passionate about sharing her deep knowledge of the local cultures that make up the Waterberg region with guests. Learn about the process of brewing local beer before visiting a traditional healer in town. Move to the infectious rhythm of the Tswana dancing troupe before tasting local delicacies like mopane worms.
Ntsako, Home Host
Ntsako is the hospitality supervisor at the Lapalala Wilderness School and a recent graduate of the Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy. Having joined the school eight years ago as an intern, Ntsako is passionate about helping guests enjoy their time in the bush. The Wilderness school has been sustainably designed using local materials and is completely off-grid. Guests on Airbnb stay in a tranquil listing tucked in amongst the trees, just a few meters from the Palala River.
Moji, Experience Host
Moji’s experience on Airbnb will open your eyes to the beauty of the natural world. Having worked as an anti-poaching ranger and nature guide, Moji knows The Big Five inside and out - but his true passion is for the smaller insects, trees and birds that comprise this rich, diverse region. A nature walk with Moji will reveal hidden secrets of the area’s flora and fauna.
Derryn and John, Home Hosts
Derryn and John have hosted on Airbnb since 2019. John grew up with a love of the bush and nature and when it came to deciding where to build a holiday home, the Waterberg with its “astonishing diversity” was an obvious choice. The couple love to be hands on and have built many of the extensions and improvements to their listings themselves. A luxurious eco-tent at the base of a Wild Pear tree was built by John and his young daughter and has now become the most booked listing on their property.
“We believe in tourism that minimises negative impact on the physical environment but contributes to the development and conservation of the area by protecting the environment and the welfare of the community who depend on it.”
Mashudu Makhokha, Director, Lapalala Wilderness School
Our partners
We are proud to have worked alongside the following partners to shine a light on the Waterberg and encourage sustainable travel to the region.
The Waterberg District Municipality
The Waterberg District Municipality is located in the western part of the Limpopo Province. It is comprised of Bela-Bela, Lephalale, Modimolle-Mookgophong, Mogalakwena and Thabazimbi Local Municipalities.
The Endangered Wildlife Trust
Founded in 1973, the Endangered Wildlife Trust is dedicated to conserving threatened species and ecosystems in southern and East Africa to the benefit of all. We are driven by a team of passionate and dedicated conservationists working to save species, conserve habitats, and benefit people. We have worked extensively in the Waterberg, particularly focused on reducing human-wildlife conflict, supporting community-led conservation, and building local capacity to promote sustainable tourism and the local economy. The EWT works with key partners, including communities, businesses, landowners, academic institutions, and governments, to create a sustainable future for wildlife and people.
Lapalala Wilderness School
The mission of the Lapalala Wilderness School is to help children and young adults discover the value of biodiversity in our natural world and our place within it, and to identify and nurture Africa’s future conservation champions.
The Waterberg Biosphere Reserve
The Waterberg Biosphere Reserve was designated in March 2001 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The Waterberg Biosphere Reserve is a registered not-for-profit company that manages the affairs of the biosphere in terms of the requirements of the Man and Biosphere Programme under UNESCO.
Waterberg Tourism
Waterberg Tourism is registered as a non-profit corporation for the inclusion of all stakeholders. Waterberg Tourism is seeking only to serve its members by competitively marketing the Waterberg area as an outstanding tourism destination, to local and international tourists.
Limpopo Women in Tourism
Limpopo Women in Tourism is an association that supports the development and empowerment of women in tourism.
Please note, all of these experiences are selected by Airbnb and our partners as locally relevant, highly rated experiences, and are intended purely to inspire and illustrate. Airbnb does not endorse these experiences or any other experiences on the platform.