We're booking a holiday over xmas with my inlaws, who are in their 70s) and would like to include an "easy" safari - I've come across Pilanesberg and the Ivory Lodge there. Big pluses include: short travel time from JNB (our arrival point), slighly less expensive than our other option (Madikwe), more "support systems" for other activities in case someone doesn't want to go on a drive, and a smaller park so maybe easier to find animals and less off road travel?

Does anyone have an opinion and am I on the right track?

Hi Tartegnin,

My wife and I visited the Pilanesberg park in March. If you want to avoid the game drives, you have Sun City next door, with its casinos and other activities.

As for the park itself, no, being a smaller park does not guarantee that you will see animals more easily. We only stayed for 2 days, but did not get to see any predators. We did see rhinos, hippos, elephants and other assorted animals. Predators are a relatively new addition to this area (20 years or so) and thus it is not a major population yet.

As for offroad travel, the best place to find animals is typically not along paved roads, so there will be offroad driving as well to find all animals. Overall though, the park has a large number of dirts paths/roads to follow.

We did enjoy the park, but if I were to return to a safari park in the future, I would probably spend the additional money to go to the Kruger park.

Cheers,

GenevaFlyer

Thanks, Geneva Flyer. Where did you stay in Pilanesberg?

I'm quite on the fence and maybe we should book at Madikwe (the other realistic option, as we really want to go to a Malaria free zone) ...

We stayed at the Bakubung lodge, and greatly enjoyed it.

Cheers,

GenevaFlyer

The place to stay in Pilanesberg is Tshukudu.

Johan

Agreed Tshukudu is the pick in Pilanesberg. Just one caution: visitors should be comfortable with steps as it does involve quite a lot of them - though the gradient is not at all steep. (Of course the payoff is that the views are great.)

Tartegnin,

I always recommend Ivory Tree lodge. We stayed there for a long weekend just after it opened in 2005 in it was our best holiday ever. We don't have a wide experience with luxury lodges so this might contribute to our favoritism but we could not fault anything.

The chalets were lovely with a huge bath and outside shower, lounge chairs on patio over looking the field and comfortable bed.

The food was great - my husband REALLY loved this part. Every morning we went on a game drive at 6am with their vehicle and game rangers. Coffee in the field, back at the lodge there was a massive breakfast, morning nap, lunch ( if you had any space) game drive at 5pm and buffet style dinner around a camp fire.

They have a small swimming pool but with Sun city so close you don't need any other entertainment.

In a weekends time we saw lions 3 times, loads of white and black rhino (the park is renownd for their rhinos), hippo's, leopard, jaguar, elephants and buffalo. Their wild dogs is in an enclosure though because of the parks size. We have been to the Kruger loads of times and there is just no way that you would get to see all that in 3 days time especially rhinos - which is quite a shy animal.

I think it is a great and easy way to see wildlife in Africa - especially if it is you first time it is a brilliant introduction.

Are there jaguars in Africa?

You'd be surprised. All depends on where and how you look in Kruger.

Johan

Sorry that should have been Cheetah apologies!!

Hi all,

I'll be in JNB for a couple weeks next month and am interested in doing a quick safari (meaning, probably not a flight unless it is quick/direct into a lodget and reasonably prices). Would need to leave on a Friday afternoon and return to JNB Sunday afternoon.

A colleague recommended Medikwe but it looks like the lodge she stayed at is booked. I also see here that Tshukudu is recommended but also appears to be booked on my days (also, fairly expensive).

Any suggestions for high quality, quick lodges near JNB? Our alternative is looking like Sun City and I'd really prefer not to do that..

Thanks

If you can catch a flight about midday Friday to Hoedspruit Eastgate (HDS) you will have any number of lodges no more than 30 - 60 minutes away by road transfer. Kapama is even straight across the road from the airport, you may wish to consider their Buffalo camp.

Most scheduled charters directly to the lodges depart from JNB in the morning, in order to get the pax to their destination before lunch.

Tshukudu in Pilanesberg will be closed May through July for renovations. There's another Tshukudu near Hoedspruit if patting lions is your thing.

Johan

Any suggestions within driving distance? Flying up to HDS could be an option but I checked and it seems the flight leaves around 12PM, probably a bit early for me. Kapama Buffalo Camp looks nice - rate on their site is about ZAR 5400/night single - does that seem high or reasonable to you? Do you have a suggested method of booking such trips?

Thanks for the help.

Dinokeng is closest to Johannesburg, but I know next to nothing about it, or the lodges there.

Welgevonden is also doable on a Friday afternoon, plenty of lodges to choose from.

If you can only fly in the afternoon, KMIA (MQP) at Primkop near Nelspruit (Mbombela) is probably your only option. Most lodges are several hours by road from there, though, except for Bongani Montain Lodge in Mthethomusha.

Johan

Any specific recommendations at Welgevonden?

What about thoughts on Medikwe? One option that was recommended to me in the past was Thakadu River Lodge.