

With four hotels, a golf course, casinos, theatres, beautifully manicured gardens, and a ‘beach’, with waves and a plethora of activities, it’s quite a sight to behold. It includes the architectural wonder of ‘The Palace of the Lost City’. Situated on the reserve’s border, this monument to glitz and glamour was the entertainment mecca during the 80s and 90s. It would be remiss of us not to mention Sun City when talking about Pilanesberg. If you're not keen to try and organize your trip to Pilanesberg on your own, let us do it. The most budget options include tented camps like Tented Adventures Pilanesberg and Manyane Resort. Tented Adventures Pilanesberg by Facebook
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Hot air ballooning: Want to do it with a birds-eye view? Take a gentle float above it all at dawn, followed by a full breakfast on land – being a bird is hungry work!Īccommodation at Pilanesberg tends toward the pricey side, with many high-end, luxury lodges within the reserve.Walking safaris: Experience the bush first hand – smell the dust, see the animal tracks and scat, and listen to the birds chirping and the insects singing.Night drives: Many animals are nocturnal, making a night drive an incredible experience as you drive through the bush under the vast star-spattered African sky listening to the night sounds and looking for eyes shining in the spotlights.Trained rangers take you on these trips and you’ll be amazed at their skill in finding camouflaged wildlife. Game drives: Set off as the sun rises or sets (when most animals are active, before/after the heat of the day) and spot an abundance of game – if you’re lucky, all of the Big Five.

There’s also a bird hide, for bird lovers, from where you can watch some of the 360 bird species that live here. If you’re really lucky, you could even catch a glimpse of one of the big cats. It’s situated in a transition ecological zone, between the dry Kalahari region and the wet Lowveld region, giving it diverse habitats and, therefore, wildlife.Īt the Mankwe Dam, you can sit for hours watching as the animals – giraffes, a variety of buck, wildebeest, zebras, and more – come down to drink. The largest Big Five reserve within easy driving distance of Johannesburg (2 to 3 hours) is the Pilanesberg National Park, a 550 km 2 area. We do recommend trying to stay at least one night, though, to experience the African bush at night. These safari parks are close enough to be within easy driving distance, making day trips possible. Here, we’ve listed our four favorite Big 5 game reserves close to Johannesburg. Best Game Reserves for Johannesburg Safaris Fret not, that doesn’t mean that you have to miss out on an incredible safari experience. However, we do realize that sometimes time and/or budget constraints mean that the trip (it’s about a 5-hour drive) is just not possible.


Nowhere else in South Africa comes near its vastness and variety of fauna and wildlife. To get a true African safari experience in South Africa, the iconic Kruger Park is the best place to go. When you think about a South African safari, you automatically think Kruger National Park, and that makes sense. Most safaris to the Kruger Park – and longer safaris through Southern and to East Africa – depart and/or end in Johannesburg. Tambo International, the main airport at which visitors to South Africa land.
