Pilanesberg National Park
North West , South Africa
Situated only two hours north of Johannesburg and bordering the world famous gambling, golf and leisure resorts of Sun City and the Lost City, lies the malaria free Pilanesberg National Park. One of the largest parks in South Africa covering 55000 hectares, Pilanesberg is situated within the eroded remnants of an alkaline-volcanic crater – one of only three such craters in the world. Volcanic eruptions some 1 200 million years have resulted in three concentric ridges, terming the structure of the park as the “Pilanesberg National Park Alkaline Ring Complex”. The extinct volcano is a perfect example of an alkaline ring complex and is viewed as an ancient event even by geological time scales. The park rates highly amongst geologists as an outstanding geological phenomenon.
North West Parks had the foresight to begin the transformation from an economically depressed farming area surrounding Sun City in to a great conservation story. In 1979 local farms in the Bophuthatswana homeland were declared a reserve, commercial farming came to an end and the restocking of game began which was to become known as ‘Operation Genesis’. At the time this was the largest and most expensive game stocking and land rehabilitation project ever embarked on in Africa.
Pilanesberg is located in the region where the dry Kalahari and wetter Lowveld vegetation types meet to form the ‘Bushveld’ zone. This creates unique overlapping habitat types which support a wide range of fauna and flora. In this zone plant and animal species favoring more arid conditions (such as springbok and camel thorn acacia trees) can be found alongside impala and cape chestnut trees. The park’s gates are open to the general public and the park can become fairly congested during peak holiday season and long weekends.
The park has healthy numbers of the big five as well as various endemic animals including brown hyena, cheetah, sable, giraffe, zebra, hippo and crocodile. The rocky outcrops, open grasslands, wooded valleys and thickets create a lovely setting. Visitors can drive around in their own vehicles or can choose to join one of the guided tours which have morning, afternoon and evening game drive times. The park boasts a healthy bird list of over 300 bird species and there are some excellent hides within the park for photographers and patient observers.
The roads are well maintained and the major roads are tarred, easily accessible for a small car and there is no need for a 4x4. In addition there are a number of picnic sites and view sites where day visitors can alight from the vehicles and enjoy the park from another point of view.
Activities in the various sections of the park include:
- Game drives
- Elephant Back Safaris
- Bird Hides
- Hot Air Balloon Safaris
- Bird watching
- Sun City
Accommodation
Bakgatla Resort
- Chalets
- Caravan sites
- Camping Facilities
Manyane Resort
- Chalets
- Caravan sites
- Safari Tents
- Camping Facilities
Private Lodges
In addition there are luxurious private camps on concessions within various sections of the park which include:
There are also several hotel styled resorts on the perimeter of the park and various hotels that form part of the Sun City complex where people not wanting to spend a night in the park can stay.