3 Day Pilanesberg National Park Tented Camp Safari

February 8, 2017February 8, 2017admin

Summary of this Budget Safari Package

A great wildlife getaway or add-on trip from Johannesburg to Pilanesberg National Park, and back.

Encounter a profusion of wild African animals, including healthy populations of the Big Five, and a remarkable diversity of birds. Explore the scenic Pilanesberg Park on game drives conducted by expert local guides using open-sided safari vehicles.

Stay at an affordable tented safari camp in Pilanesberg, enjoying a simple back-to-nature experience, with a touch of extra comfort and style. An authentic, malaria-free bush adventure, under three hours from the largest city in South Africa.

Itinerary for this Tour

Day 1: Johannesburg to Pilanesberg National Park – South Africa

This short Pilanesberg Safari starts in Johannesburg where you are collected from the international airport or arranged pick-up locations at about 10h00. Leaving Jo’burg in our air-conditioned microbus, we travel north to collect passengers joining us in Pretoria if required.

It only takes about three hours to reach Pilanesberg from Johannesburg so we should get to our tented camp by about 13h00. Our safari camp is located at a resort in the Pilanesberg National Park and after checking in we enjoy lunch (own expense) at the resort’s restaurant. After lunch you can freshen up, take a siesta or swim in the pool, then we meet for tea and coffee.

At about 16h30 we take our first game drive in the Big Five Pilanesberg Park. The game drives are all conducted by local guides who know the bush inside out and can therefore tell you all about the flora and fauna of the region. Pilanesberg Park is one of the best known game reserves in South Africa, boasting excellent big game sightings. While out in the African bushveld we stop to have sundowners (own drinks) in a scenic spot, before continuing as the light fades.

Returning to camp we have dinner at about 20h00 and spend the rest of the night chatting around the campfire, or taking it easy at the resort bar.

Includes: Dinner

Day 2: Pilanesberg National Park – South Africa

Today we are up early, starting the day with tea, coffee and rusks at the camp. After our refreshments we set off on a morning game drive, leaving at 06h00 (weather permitting). This is an excellent time of day to be in the bush as many of the diurnal animals and birds are waking up and moving about before the heat of the day.

After exploring for a while we stop for a tea and coffee break in the wilderness. Then we keep driving, scanning for the wildlife and birds inhabiting Pilanesberg Park, where the Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo) roam freely.

Return to camp at 09h00 and have breakfast, followed by free time and lunch (own expense) at the restaurant beside the main pool. After lunch you have time to snooze in your safari tent or loll by the pool until we reconvene for tea and coffee. Then at about 16h30 it is back into the untamed bush we go. Heading out in our open safari vehicles we keep our eyes open for large mammals and the variety of other creatures found here. Again, we stop for sundowners (own drinks) in the bush and take in the beautiful wild scenery. After watching a tranquil sunset over the bushveld we continue our game drive. Your guides help to find and point out animals and birds as you return to camp.

By 19h30 we are back at the tented camp and at 20h00 dinner is served. Then you can sit back under starry skies, recounting tales of the day’s wildlife adventures around the campfire and unwinding at the bar.

Includes: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 3: Pilanesberg National Park to Johannesburg – South Africa

On day three we get up early and have tea, coffee and rusks before embarking on our morning game drive.

Heading into the bush at 06h00 (weather permitting) in the open-sided safari vehicle we are immersed in the fresh morning air as the bush begins to come alive. See how much your wildlife spotting skills have already improved as we search out interesting sightings and any elusive members of the Big Five we have missed so far.

During our last game drive we stop for tea and coffee surrounded by unspoilt nature, keeping an eye out for birds and animals. We explore Pilanesberg National Park until it is time for breakfast back at the camp, at about 09h00. After breakfast you can take a swim or nap in your tent. There is a shop where you can buy curios and the resort also has a spa. You can enjoy lunch (own account) in the restaurant before our departure at 14h00.

Leaving the tented camp we return to Johannesburg, journeying from game-rich African wilderness to bustling metropolis. This Pilanesberg Tented Safari ends at about 16h30 with drop-off at arranged locations or the O.R. Tambo International Airport.

Includes: Breakfast

About the Pilanesberg Tented Camp

Our intimate Tented Safari Camp is located at a resort in the malaria-free Pilanesberg National Park of the North West Province. The resort is set on a leafy property where impalas, warthogs and banded mongoose are often spotted.

We stay in safari tents fitted with twin beds, linen and basic furnishings that make them more comfortable than regular camping accommodation. Each of the eight tents has big windows with mosquito proofing and small patio areas with two camping chairs. This authentic camp takes you back to nature, but the tents do have electricity, fans and electric blankets in winter to ensure a good level of comfort.

The tented camp has a dining and lounge tent where guests dine together and unwind between game drives. There are communal bathrooms which are serviced daily, as are the other main tents. Facilities at the resort include a big swimming pool, bar, restaurant, shop, spa and fire pit.

About Pilanesberg National Park

Pilanesberg is home to healthy populations of the Big Five (lion, leopard, black and white rhino, buffalo and elephant), hosting members of almost every animal species native to Southern Africa! There are about 24 large mammal species inhabiting this 55 000 hectare reserve, including cheetah, jackal, hyena, hippo, giraffe, zebra, wild dog and a variety of antelopes such as roan, sable, tsessebe and springbok. Over 360 species of birds have also been recorded here. Given the relatively compact size of the game reserve, Pilanesberg offers excellent game viewing and bird watching.

Pilanesberg Game Reserve is situated in a transition zone between Kalahari and Lowveld vegetation zones, and as such encompasses a rich variety of habitats that support a unique diversity of flora and fauna. The park is also of geological significance as it is situated in the crater of an extinct volcano formed some 1.2 billion years ago. This volcanic complex, set around Mankwe Dam in the Bojanala Region, is one of the biggest of its kind. The topography and vegetation of Pilanesberg thus form an unusual and scenic setting, where woodlands, grasslands, forested ravines, rocky outcrops, bushveld.