This Travel Guide page focuses on why and how you can include a visit the Pilanesberg National Park into your South African travel itinerary.
The Pilanesberg National Park Guide offers more on the park itself!
The Pilanesberg National Park's location is unique -- being situated immediately adjacent to the Sun City / Lost City Complex and within two hours drive from Johannesburg / Gauteng -- some 150 kilometres north west of Johannesburg and 60 kilometres north of Rustenburg.
Only Nairobi National Park in Kenya shares its close proximity to large urban complexes. It is for this reason that I have often suggested to time constrained travellers that they visit Pilanesberg instead of the Kruger National Park. From a game viewing perspective Pilanesberg is "almost" equal to Kruger -- and sometimes better!
I am often in the company of rushed tourists who expect to see the "Big 5" at every turn. Unfortunately, this is never the case. Only once in close to 1,000 game viewing days in Southern Africa have I seen the "Big 5" before breakfast -- and seldomley do I see all the "Big 5" in one day. My American daughter and her friend spent just two days at the Pilanesberg National Park in Dec 2005 -- they ticked the "Big 5" in one day! I must admit that two of their excellent sightings where on a guided night drive.
The guided night drives are a must for any avid eco traveller. Guided night drives offer one the opportunity to see noctural animals and to expeiece the "spine chilling" atmosphere of the African bush at night.
The Pilanesberg National Park is also very well placed as a stopover point for anyone travelling between Gauteng and Botswana.
Access to the park is either via road or by air. Routes to the Pilanesberg National Park are numerous with the scenic N4 route from Gauteng being the most popular.
Travellers who choose to fly will most likely land at the Pilanesberg Airport -- the airport is located near the Sun City Resort complex. There are flights from Cape Town and Johannesburg 6 days a week. Helicopter charters are also available.
 North West Province Travel Guide
North West Province Map
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