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Pilanesberg National Park
Pilanesberg National Park (pronounced pee-LAR-nees-burg) is an African safari for beginners, the time-constrained or for compulsive shoppers who fancy the proximity of Sun City on its southern border.
Established in 1979 and covering 50,000 hectares, Pilanesberg is a modest park in both age and size. But in 1979, Operation Genesis, the largest restocking and fencing programme the world had ever seen, turned the fertile crater into one of Africa’s most picturesque game parks.
Concentric volcanic ridges revolve around the Mankwe Dam in the centre, which feeds the prolific wildlife in the reserve. Now stocked with over 7,000 head of game, notables include the acclaimed ‘magnificent seven’ – lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog, black and white rhino, buffalo and elephant.
Hippos, crocodiles, hyenas, rare antelopes, wildebeest, giraffe, zebra and hundreds of smaller creatures add to a large list of wild animals. Birding in the park is another draw card and there are over 350 migrant and resident species recorded.
The park is about three hours’ drive from Joburg, close to Rustenburg and Sun City. It’s also a malaria-free area. Convenient, yes. Popular, oh yes. That means you may have to share your magical encounters with gawking day visitors but at least you’ll get to see the animals in their natural habitat and in a rather spectacular setting. And of course you can get your shopping and entertainment fix at Sun City; and with an airport nearby you could almost go on a game drive between connecting flights.
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Ivory Tree Lodge
Type: Lodge
Rates from: R2575pp sharing
Status: Loads of Fairy Dust
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- Spectacular scenery created by a billion-year old volcano
- The ‘magnificent seven’ and dozens of large plains species
- One of the largest game relocation operations in the world
- Being one of three craters of its kind in the world – visit Russia and Greenland for the others
- Close to Gauteng and on top of Sun City
- In a malaria-free area
- Rare species including black and white rhino, wild dog, sable, roan…
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Offering big game in large doses, the parks have very different faces and one wild alter-ego.
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Opt for any number of our Sun City or Malaria Free Safari tours to experience the diverse magic of the City and the bush without having to worry about the pesky details.
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Our travel advice section gives you the low down on when to visit, what to bring, what not to bring, what to do and what not to do.
Get the low down » |
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Getting to the Malaria-free Safari areas is a cinch no matter where you are. Get all the info you need before you leave.
Get the info » |
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