An African Big Five safari is a dream vacation for many people and the bottom line is that whether you are a tourist from another continent or a local visiting the Pilanesberg Game Reserve in South Africa, you want to come home after having enjoyed the safari experience. .
Think of this article as your unofficial advisor, giving you tips to make your trip more exciting and memorable.
Here are our top ten things to do when visiting Pilanesberg:
1. Guided safari – All Pilanesberg hostels and resorts offer morning and afternoon guided safaris. In the morning the guide brings coffee and biscuits and in the afternoon there are cold drinks and beer / wine for sunbathers, depending on the hostel you are staying at.
two. Driverless safari – We prefer to drive on your own, as you decide when you go, which route you take, and how long you stay at a sighting.
3. Guided Bush Hike – Most of the lodges offer guided walks through the bush. These are really exciting as they give you a whole new perspective on nature. You may come face to face with a rhino or a buffalo, but these rides are more about the smallest things that would get lost while driving through the park.
Four. Self-guided hike through the camp – Manyane Lodge has a large enclosed area where zebras, tsessebe, ostriches, wildebeest, impalas, and wild boar roam freely. Reservations are not required and maps are available at the information center. We love this hike as you can experience the closeness with the animals. In summer it is advisable to bring a hat, comfortable walking boots, a flask with water and of course a camera!
5. Picnic in the hills – There are five picnic spots located throughout the park. Three of them are great as it sits high up in the hills and has great views of the plains or the lake below. One is the Fish Eagle Picnic Spot overlooking the Mankwe Dam and the other two are located on Baile Drive. All picnic spots have braai (barbecue) facilities, water, shade, restrooms and are fenced.
6. Sit on the bird skins – There are seven hides distributed throughout the park. For us, Pilanesberg is about sitting in these bird hideouts rather than driving around the park for hours. You can get great photos if you visit these leathers at the right time of day – west facing leathers have good photographic lighting in the mornings (Rathlogo and Mankwe) and east facing leathers are great in the afternoons (Mankwe, Ruighoek and Malatse). All leathers are securely fenced and have toilets.
7. Elephant safari – this is an exciting adventure! You have the option of a three-hour morning or sunset safari: one hour on the back of an elephant and the rest of the time is spent meeting the elephants and having a light champagne breakfast or evening snack with snacks. Imagine photographing a game from the back of an elephant!
8. Hot air balloon – this is another great adventure! The balloon takes off from Mankwe Dam before the sun rises and then you spend an hour floating over the Pilanesberg. This is a great opportunity to photograph the ‘super-seven’ of Africa (the big 5 plus the cheetah and wild dogs) from the air, and when you land, the table will be set for a delicious champagne breakfast in the veld! !
9. Sun City – this famous resort is part of the Pilanesberg crater complex and has it all in terms of entertainment, from restaurants, Valley of Waves water park, a cinema, health spa, golf course, live shows, casino, various sports from tennis to quad – bike rides and of course daily guided excursions to the Pilanesberg game reserve.
10. Walk-in aviary – there is one in the Manyane complex and another in Sun City. This is a great opportunity to photograph bird species, such as the kingfisher, without the need for a long lens.
