CHOOSING PILANESBERG NATIONAL PARK • NORTH WEST PROVINCE

Visitors to this spectacular region are offered numerous opportunities to experience all the wonders that the treasure-filled Pilanesberg National Park has to offer.

Choice Activities in and Around Pilanesberg

BIG 5 ENCOUNTERS

An abundance of wild creatures proliferate in this diverse and arresting bushveld terrain. Besides of course housing Africa's Big Five, the Pilanesberg National Park is also home to a wide variety of rare and common species such as the nocturnal brown hyena, the fleet-footed cheetah, the majestic sable, as well as giraffe, zebra, hippo and crocodile.

 Leopard

GAME DRIVING

There are close on 200 km of excellent dirt roads within the park, which can be used for either self-drives or guided drives.

 Game Drive

CAPTURING THE MAJESTY

The colourful hues, varied habitats and panoramas will delight and entertain photographers and visitors. Off the centre of the park is Thabayadiotso, "the Proud Mountain" and the beauty of Pilanesberg is reflected in a large central lake, the Mankwe Dam.

 Capturing the majesty

BALLOON SAFARIS

Airtrackers Hot Air Balloon Safaris are offered every morning, depending on the weather and number of passengers. Guests are collected at their hotel and are taken into the park to rendezvous with the balloon crew.

The flight is approximately an hour long and on landing, sparkling wine is served. This is followed by a leisurely game drive through the park to a game lodge where breakfast is served, after which guests are returned to their hotel.

 Balloon Safaris

ELEPHANT BACK SAFARIS

Guests staying in the Pilanesberg area are invited to join Pilanesberg Elephant Back Safaris on a unique and extraordinary African adventure, which takes travellers trundling through the wilderness on the back of one of Africa's gentle giants. Join Chikwenya, Sharu, Sapi, Mana, Michael & Lesego for a game viewing experience with a difference.

These elephants are all orphans as a result of reduction exercises carried out by the Zimbabwe National Parks Department in the 1980’s. Most orphans were sold to Zoos and Circuses around the world, however these were fortunate enough to stay on African soil and passed their early lives on private game farms. They were soon to outgrow this lifestyle and Wild Horizons, in an effort to improve and secure the elephants existing lifestyle, created this amazing safari experience. In 2002, Wild Horizons created Pilanesberg Elephant-Back Safaris.

 Elephant back safaris

LION PARK TOURS

This tour is offered daily where guests can enjoy the excitement of viewing lions up close and personal.

This truly is a unique experience not to be missed.

 Lion park tours

QUAD BIKING

Join us for a quad biking adventure trail through the Letsatsing Game Park accompanied by experienced guides, with the possibility of seeing rhino, giraffe and other animal species en route.

 Quad Biking

HEALTH AND BEAUTY

Bush Escapes is located in the bush, just a short walk opposite the Manyane Restaurant. It offers Health Treatments and Massages including manicures, pedicures, tinting, waxing and reflexology.
For more information and appointments, please phone 076 593 0826.

Laps Health & Beauty Spa is located at Bakgatla Gate. The Spa offers a wide range of massages and health and beauty treatments, performed inside well equipped log cabins and outside in the open air. Room services also available.
For more information and bookings, please call Mavis at 073 419 0047.

 Quad Biking

CHOICE ACCOMMODATION

Tshukudu Bush Lodge

This is the "Place of the Rhino"

Built on a hilltop, the newly refurbished, luxurious Tshukudu Bush Lodge offers sweeping views of the malaria-free Pilanesberg National Park, as well as only six luxury cottages equipped with everything you could possibly need, from walking sticks to bubble bath.

 Tshukudu Bush Lodge

Bakubung Bush Lodge

Bakubung "Place of the Hippo", tucked in the expanses of the Pilanesberg National Park, provides guests with the peace and tranquility of a true bush experience coupled with the luxury and service you've come to expect from a Legacy bush lodge. The 76 air-conditioned, thatched roof, studio rooms and 66 chalets curve into a horseshoe around the outside entertainment areas.

 Bakubung Bush Lodge

Kwa Maritane Bush Lodge

Kwa Maritane "Place of the Rock" offers a look out over the infinite plains adjacent to the Pilanesberg National Park, an area rich in wildlife and birds species. Perhaps it is the ideal natural surroundings that won the lodge the "Best Game Lodge" Award (1998 & 2001 Conference & Exhibition Venue Award). Or maybe it is the distinctive service offered in every way.

 Kwa Maritane Bush Lodge

Ivory Tree Game Lodge

Ivory Tree Game Lodge is situated in an exclusivein the north-eastern region of the Pilanesberg National Park. Nestled in the basin of an ancient amphitheatre divided by riverine woodlands and elephant trails. 60 double suites are located on the edges of the amphitheater basin, each featuring a full en-suite bathroom, mini bar fridge, air-conditioning, tea & coffee facilities.

 Ivory Tree Game Lodge

MORE ABOUT PILANESBERG

In the long list of African Safaris, one of the parks just waiting to be explored is the Pilanesberg National Park.

In a Crater

The crater of a long extinct volcano is the setting of Pilanesberg National Park - a fascinating alkaline complex produced by volcanic eruptions some 1300 million years ago. Pilanesberg is one of the largest volcanic complexes of its kind in the world. Its rare rock types and structure make it a unique geological feature.

Three rings of hills fringe the area covering the Pilanesberg National Park. This is the park's primary geological feature and is known as 'The Pilanesberg National Park Alkaline Ring Complex.'

Ancient, even by geological time scales, this extinct volcano is the most perfect example of an alkaline ring complex. A number of rare (but not necessarily economically important) minerals occur in the park, which accounts for the Pilanesberg National Park rating high amongst the world's outstanding geological phenomena.

The Landscape

Pilanesberg has survived ages of erosion and stands high above the surrounding bushveld plains and the early presence of man can be seen in the numerous Stone and Iron Age sites that are scattered throughout the park. The park exists within the transition zone between the dry Kalahari and wetter Lowveld vegetation, commonly referred to as "Bushveld". Unlike any other large park, unique overlaps of mammals, birds and vegetation occur because of this transition zone.

The very topography makes the area a veritable feast for the eye, featuring syenite koppies, thickly forested ravines, typical bushveld and also rolling grasslands and lightly wooded areas.

Off the centre of the park is Thabayadiotso, "the Proud Mountain". The Park ranks among the largest of the national parks in South Africa (it is in fact the fourth largest park) and covers an area of 55,000 hectare. The beauty of Pilanesberg is reflected in a large central lake, the Mankwe Dam.

Over time, wind and water have carved a spectacular landscape with rocky outcrops, open grasslands, wooded valleys and thickets.

Springbok, brown hyena, the red eyed bulbul, and camel thorn trees usually found in arid areas are found cohabitation with moist-area-limited impala, black eyed bulbul and Cape chestnut trees.

Creation of the Park

The creation of the Pilanesberg National Park is considered one of the most ambitious programmes of its kind to be undertaken anywhere in the world. With the assistance of Operation Genesis, which involved the fencing off of the reserve and the reintroduction of long-vanished species, Pilanesberg was in time transformed into the magical place, which we know, and love today.

Location

The Pilanesberg National Park is splendidly located within the North West Province of South Africa and borders with the entertainment complex of Sun City, and the park was originally opened way back in 1979 as a part of Operation Genesis. Three local tribes originally owned the Pilanesberg National Park, but it is now under the ownership of the North West Parks and Tourism Board.

The Pilanesberg National Park provides the ideal malaria-free African safari, and presents myriad fantastic adventure activities, which are bound to have visitors coming back for more.

Website: www.pilanesberg-game-reserve.co.za