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User Reviews of Pilanesberg Game Reserve (96 Reviews)

Pilanesberg Safaris Pilanesberg Game Reserve
Sort By: Date Most Helpful Rating 1-10 of 96 Reviews

Average User Rating

4.3542 / 5 4.4 /5
4.4787 / 5 4.3978 / 5 4.0562 / 5 4.1667 / 5

Rating Breakdown

5 star 52 / 10 52
4 star 32 / 10 32
3 star 8 / 10 8
2 star 2 / 10 2
1 star 2 / 10 2
Write a User Review
Male avatar icon Laurent France flag FR       Visited: July 2025 Reviewed: Jul 3, 2025

Email Laurent  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

Paradise, just a few hours from Joburg

5 / 5 5 /5
5 / 5 5 / 5 5 / 5 5 / 5

Amazing day in paradise. You spend your whole day in a Caldera with more than 10,000 animals, elephants herds, hippos, lions, tons of rhinos, giraffes… all in the wild.

You get such a freedom feeling being able to roam around with a 4WD guided tour that you feel lost in time, just relaxing with these amazing animals.

Best things I did in SA, real highlights of my trip!

Thanks Petros, great relaxed, friendly and knowledgeable driver;-)

Female avatar icon Astrid van der Watt United Kingdom flag GB       Visited: May 2025 Reviewed: Jul 3, 2025

Email Astrid van der Watt  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

The review below is the personal opinion of Astrid van der Watt and not that of SafariBookings.
3 / 5 3 /5
2 / 5 3 / 5 4 / 5 3 / 5

The roads are in a bad state.
Not many animals to be seen when compared to Kruger National Park.

Female avatar icon Morgane France flag FR       Visited: May 2025 Reviewed: May 25, 2025

Email Morgane  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Nice day in Pilanesberg park

4 / 5 4 /5
4 / 5 4 / 5 4 / 5 4 / 5

One-day safari. In the freezing cold morning, we had trouble finding the animals, but the afternoon was fruitful, with elephants, rhinos, giraffes, and zebras just a few meters away! All this in a warm atmosphere thanks to our great guide, Petros, who is the embodiment of good humor...


(automatic translation from French)

Female avatar icon Colleen Williamson United Kingdom flag GB       Visited: March 2025 Reviewed: May 11, 2025

Email Colleen Williamson  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

5 / 5 5 /5
5 / 5 5 / 5 5 / 5 5 / 5

I have been to this Game Reserve many times on trips to SA and this was my partners first trip to a Game Park where wildlife is in its natural habitat. It is so scenic and a very pretty park to visit.

Female avatar icon Mandy Rankin United Kingdom flag GB       Visited: March 2025 Reviewed: Apr 26, 2025

Email Mandy Rankin  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

5 / 5 5 /5
5 / 5 5 / 5 5 / 5 5 / 5

Stayed with friends and visited Pilanesberg - smaller than Kruger but still just as amazing and relaxing just to be there

Female avatar icon Taneesha South Africa flag ZA       Visited: March 2025 Reviewed: Mar 8, 2025

Email Taneesha  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

The review below is the personal opinion of Taneesha and not that of SafariBookings.

The most disappointing thing I’ve experienced

1 / 5 1 /5
1 / 5 1 / 5 1 / 5 1 / 5

Where do you even begin…..the park is so run down. When we arrived at the first gate we were only then notified that the gate was closed and had to use an alternative gate , at the second gate staff were extremely unfriendly and it could clearly be felt. There are very few animals on such a large property, the “tarred” roads are in such bad condition that they are basically non-existent and one of the hides we stopped at was boarded up with no note at the top gate and the conservationist that had stopped at the hide as well also didn’t bother to notify us, we later read in reviews that it’s been that way for more than 6 months. With the advertised prices at the lodges found within the park the question begs where the money for maintenance and conservation is going.

Female avatar icon Sylvia Carvajal United States flag US       Visited: May 2024 Reviewed: Jun 3, 2024

Email Sylvia Carvajal  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

5 / 5 5 /5
5 / 5 5 / 5 5 / 5 5 / 5

An abundance of wildlife and natural beauty.

Female avatar icon Nittaya Thailand flag TH       Visited: April 2024 Reviewed: May 17, 2024

Email Nittaya  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

4 / 5 4 /5
4 / 5 4 / 5 4 / 5 2 / 5

From the game, we found many animals, but for big 5 we found only 3 (Leopard, Elephant, Rhino). However, our driver, Lethabo, he is an experienced driver with lot of knowledge. He tried very hard to find the places where we might see Lion and Buffalo. Anyhow, it was a great experience and exciting day.

Female avatar icon Dr. Lucy Damasane Marshall United States flag US       Visited: January 2024 Reviewed: Feb 16, 2024

Email Dr. Lucy Damasane Marshall  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

5 / 5 5 /5
5 / 5 5 / 5 5 / 5 5 / 5

The tour guide was very professional and knowledgeable of the wild life.

Male avatar icon Deon South Africa flag ZA       Visited: February 2024 Reviewed: Feb 15, 2024

Email Deon  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

The review below is the personal opinion of Deon and not that of SafariBookings.

The wildlife is abundant

3 / 5 3 /5
5 / 5 4 / 5 4 / 5 4 / 5

The roads are in horrific condition and beyond repair. I would not recommend traveling with a standard sedan. Pilanesberg Center is a must see. Road from Bakgatla needs a complete redo. Wildlife is abundant. Pilanesberg WAS the crown jewel of the North West province. I assume mismanagement and incompetence being the reason for the decline of this once wonderful park. At least the Wildlife is still there.