Pilanesberg Game Reserve

Probably best visit for visitors with limited time and Gauteng inhabitants.

One of the best South African Safari destinations.

PGR is one of my favourite destinations in South Africa. It boasts great numbers of game including the Big 5. One can do self drives or go on a game drive with knowledgeable guides.

A day jaunt to the Pilanesberg

We have an American friend in Johannesburg and we wondering what to do with the weekend after New Year. We decided to take him to see Sun City and the Pilanesberg. It's close by, has the big five and some great lodges. It was late at night and very spur of the moment when we decided - could we get accommodation? A search on the Internet revealed some options - most places were full but we found a lodge with two rooms - and it turned out just perfect. We spent the next day in the sun re-living childhood as we hurtled down the water slides at SunCity's Valley of the Waves. That night we stayed at the Bakubung Reserve. We ate supper on the terrace with the bush sounds and starlit sky as companions. The next day we drove through he reserve - we left a bit late in the morning but still saw plenty of game. All in all a great way to spend two days!

Again, so much to see and all the big fives are there.

Easy to reach and to visit, affordable, interesting

I did not expect plenty of wildlife, being a small park surrounded by civilization; however the variety and the amount of game viewing surprised me. We just missed big cats, but the kind of vegetation does not help easy spots; we could see several interesting mammals, including black rhinos. Birding is really worthy, as the quantity and variety of birds is impressive. Access is easy, roads are well maintained and such that even if the park is crowded, you seldom have to share space with other visitor's cars if an interesting spot is made

We went to Pilanesberg National Park (PNP) before going to Idube and this was perfect. In PNP we saw many wild animals but missed out on lions, leopards and buffalos of the big five. We came close to hippos, giraffes, wildebeests a rhino, zebras, and many kudos, spring bucks and other antelopes.
The combination of going to PNP and drive around by our self and then go to Idube where we were shown the nature by experienced guides was perfect.

I thought Pilanesberg was gorgeous, but we saw less animals and the animals we did see were not as close.

Good location next to Sun-city and located in a huge volcano crater. Stayed offsite at Bakubang which was pleasant but I prefer to be staying in the reserve itself

Nice for a day outing if you want to see some game and don't have much time. Adjacent Sun City resort is great for golfing and just relaxing and of course it is all set in an ancient volcano.

Best Rhino sightings.