Pilanesberg Game Reserve

Please see attached review

Great and condensed park to spot wildlife. The park is very well maintained. I guess for the real bush feeling you would need to go to other countries in Africa. Since the park is fenced and very nice, it did not give me the real bush vibe. But the safari itself was great and would not have wanted to miss it!

Some unique wildlife to be seen here, including Brown Hyena.

Really full of animals, nice scenic beauty

Slightly more than 2 hrs from joburg, it is really great , you can spend a great day, and be back in joburg at night.
The whole park can be nearly completely seen throughout one single day.
really a must.

Well known for the Noah's Arch project, the wildlife in this reserve was replenished with all the wildlife that could be found in this area before it was destroyed by hunting and farming

A Must Visit

Pilanesberg has become one of South Africa's 'must visit' destinations. It's a compact game park which can be reasonably covered in a day visit, with a great variety of large and small game, as well as birdlife. Should you have the privelage to spend more than a day, that would be even better. Accommodation is great and does not lose the bushveld atmosphere. The service is good and friendly and in the many times that I have been there I have not been able to fault the food once. There is a low security risk but as tourists we all need to be security concious no matter where one goes in the world, so don't leave expensive equipment lying around. The weather is great whether sunshine or rain, but keep in mind that December - February are hot months in South Africa, so if you come in those months please don't complain about the heat, just enjoy it. Over-all I can assure anyone that they will look back at a visit to Pilanesberg and never regret making it part of their itinerary. It's a thoroughbred African experience with an entrance fee through the gate of less than 5 Euros per person for the day. (Accommodation in the luxury catagories could of course be quite expensive, but you normally get good value for your money) I hope you consider making Pilanesberg part of your life experience - I'm addicted :-)

An Unforgettable Experience!

Pilanesberg Game Reserve is a must visit when in South Africa. Even though it is much smaller than Kruger Park, do not be put off by this. We were put in perspective that if you think about it, in a smaller park (but when I say small, I don't mean the size of a national zoo as it is still 572 km²), you have a higher chance of spotting an animal which I highly agree with at the end of my trip.

We began our trip with a couple of days in the nearby SunCity then moved to the beautiful Ivory Tree Game Lodge within the game reserve. We were first greeted upon arrival by some friendly faces who would eventually be the rangers who took us around the reserve and cared for us.

My family was attended to by a ranger called PJ whom we could tell from day one, was an exceptionally knowledgeable and passionate man towards what he does (We highly recommend PJ if you do stay at the Ivory Tree). We were then lead to our lunch buffet which had a large array of food cooked to an exceptional quality as if it were a Michelin restaurant (buffet style) and each meal after that did not disappoint. All I can say about the food is I probably gained about 10KG's from all the food I ate in three days. There will definitely be something for everyone.

You could opt for when you wanted to go on the safari but my family and I decided to see as much as we could therefore we went on the morning (from 5am to 8am) and the evening from (4pm to 7pm) tours. PJ was sharp as a hawk and during the 3 days we manage to see so many different animals! We manage to spot 4 out of 5 of the Big Five which was absolutely amazing! We witnessed a pride of lions hunting for their food and eventually watched them feed on their catch all within a stones throw away (Don't worry as it is absolutely safe within the confines of the truck you sit in). We also manage to catch a parade of elephants a few times during the three days. The list of animals go on, one experience that cannot be described that much but more to be experienced if possible.

The scenery within the reserve is mind blowing, not one that I have ever seen before nor experienced and I live in Scotland which is known for its panoramic scenes. It is just something else as I literally did not sleep for 3 days straight because if I was not out in the safari, I would be sitting outside my lodge with my camera shooting the night skies. The stars are absolutely amazing on this side of the world therefore I urge you to put your electronic devices down and look up in the sky at night when visiting there. During the safari, we also made stops at look out points for birding and these places have been strategically selected for its breath taking scenes.

We visited the place during the winter month and it got pretty cold especially in the mornings (weather reports say it's 0 degrees but be prepared to feel like its -15 degrees) so warm clothes must be packed before you visit. Bring a hat, a glove, scarves and extremely thick jackets or windbreakers. Your guide should also provide you with thick blankets during the safari just in case and will bring warm beverages and snacks for you too.

After the safari trip, my family and I also decided to go on a hot air balloon ride around the game reserve as we were encouraged to experience it because it will give a whole different perspective of the reserve. I would say it was truly quite an experience to be in a hot air balloon and although I must admit, you will not see as much animals as you would on the ground, being lifted up into the skies to experience the sun rising over the game reserve is a truly unforgettable experience on its own.

All in all, I could probably write a book on my mere three days of being there which was definitely not enough for me but Pilanesberg Game Reserve is one that I will be recommending to my friends and anyone who asks me about a safari experience on a first time trip to South Africa. I can definitely guarantee my return there some day to complete my check list of seeing all the Big Five and also to return with a better photography kit to re-capture everything as I lost all my photos in a house fire immediately after the trip. But this just gives me greater motivation to go back there as a photographer and I remain optimistic that my second time will be 10 times better than my first.

I highly highly recommend visiting Pilanesberg National Park if you can. It will truly be an unforgettable experience be it you go alone, with loved ones, or family members.

Incredible; accommodations fantastic and diverse, beautiful, and healthy wildlife on every drive.

Pilanesberg in situated in an ancient volcanic caldera and is surrounded by beautiful hills covered in mixed grassland and woodland. The game drives never disappointed; we saw a diverse range of animals including rhinos, elephants, hyena, ostrich, lions, zebras, kudu, hippo and wildebeest, with many animals being seen multiple times. Food was great, as were the accommodations. Great range of birds too - although our game drives were pretty focused on large mammal viewing, perhaps if your group specifies an interest in birds the guides can accommodate your preferences (I did not try this). Otherwise, there is an underground viewing platform at a water source that was never crowded, and I birded alot using this site. We also were lucky enough to see a secretary bird out on a game drive, that was a treat!

Surrounded by landscapes as far as you can see, majestic elephants roam on your path.

We stayed at Kwa Maritane, one of the lodges in the park, the rooms are well appointed and the food was terrific. At the patio by the restaurant, many an elephant comes to browse and birds peck at the bread on your plate. Surrounded by the "wild" in the lap of luxury. Pilanesberg is generally very hot and dry, a high factor sunscreen and hats are a must! The guides on the game drives are very knowledgeable about the area and know how to track the game in the park. One of the few national parks where you can see the "Big Five". Herds of buck and elephant abound and we were lucky to spot cheetahs and lion. The scenery alone is worthwhile, as the park is situated in the cradle of an extinct volcano. Lakes and acacia strewn mountains make it any nature lover's "must-go-to-destination". In short, a terrific experience. For the wild at heart, Sun City is only a mere 10 minutes away too.