If you have never been on safari before, the Pilanesberg Game Reserve is the perfect place to experience your first luxury South African safari holiday. Situated in the North West Province of South Africa, it can easily be added onto the end of a holiday in Sun City. You could even add it onto a beach holiday in Cape Town, as a short flight and transfer will have you on the reserve in no time.
Scenic setting
The Pilanesberg Game Reserve is extremely beautiful, with rolling hills and an extinct volcano making up the reserve. Thick vegetation contrasts with sparse brown grassy fields, where herds of zebra and various species of antelope can be seen in their numbers, and tall giraffes stalk along the horizon. The abundance of game on the reserve is the result of Africa’s biggest game relocation project, conducted in the 1970s and known as Operation Genesis. Critics use this to argue that the park lacks authenticity. The more compelling argument is that the project simply enabled an area of land with enormous potential to preserve and house a large number of game and wildlife. Without this operation, the safari opportunity the Pilanesberg affords would not be possible.
Spotting Africa’s Big Five
Rhino, leopard, lion, buffalo and elephant make up Africa’s Big Five, and the Pilanesberg Game Reserve is home to all of them. You will be in a prime location for viewing lions, which can often be spotted padding along the reserve’s roads. They stick to the roads for three reasons: the sun heats up the tar and makes it warm to travel along; the roads are free of shrubs and bushes, making for convenient paths; and the roads tend to lead to waterholes, so they are the very routes the lions would naturally take. Many visitors spot whole prides on every single game drive. The elephant population is large too, and lucky spectators will enjoy viewing these enormous creatures as they go about their daily lives.
Game viewing from the ground and way up high
Game viewing begins at the crack of dawn, and rangers typically call guests at around 5am for their 5:30am game drives. The drives are conducted in open-air Land Rovers, and it is very pleasant to sit wrapped up in a blanket as the sun rises over the hills and the animals make their way to the waterholes. Rangers usually stop halfway through the drive for coffee and rusks, where you can enjoy the sunrise from a particularly pretty spot.
Another way to experience the African sunrise and view the game is on a balloon safari. Soaring high above the ground, you can view the game from the sky, and on touchdown enjoy a champagne breakfast out in the wilderness. If you can handle heights, this is a great game viewing option.