Pilanesberg National Park

Pilanesberg National Park lies near Mogwase in North West province, about 170 km northwest of Johannesburg, and is one of South Africa's most accessible malaria-free Big Five reserves. The drive takes about 2 hours 15 minutes by car via the N4 and R510 or through Rustenburg, and the usual options are a self-drive rental car, a full-day safari tour from Sandton at roughly R1,900 to R3,500, or a private driver at R2,500 to R3,500. The park occupies the remains of an extinct alkaline volcanic crater, with concentric rings of hills around a central lake and dam system, and its terrain mixes bushveld, rocky hills and open grassland. Wildlife includes lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo, as well as giraffe, hippo, zebra, cheetah and a rich birdlife list. Visitors can self-drive the network of tarred and gravel roads, join a guided game drive in an open vehicle, or watch animals from hides at waterholes such as Mankwe Dam. Most day visitors enter through the Manyane Gate and follow a loop before exiting at closing time, which varies with the season. A one-day arc leaves Johannesburg before dawn to arrive shortly after the gates open, when animals are most active, spends the morning on a drive, breaks for lunch at a park restaurant or picnic site, then returns to the roads in the late afternoon before the long drive back. Because the reserve is a full day of driving plus a long transfer, the trip is more tiring than most Gauteng excursions. May to September is the dry season, when animals gather at water and vegetation is thinner, making game viewing easier, while summer brings green landscapes, calves and higher temperatures. Visitors should bring binoculars, water and sun protection, and check gate closing times so that the drive home is not rushed. Petrol should be topped up before the last stretch of road.