What to do and Where to stay in
North West

Pilanesberg National Park is located in the North West Province, a 2 – 3 hour drive from Johannesburg, adjacent to Sun City, and therefore ideal for those wishing to combine Big Five Safari with Big Fun!
Originally formed by volcanic eruptions, the Park provides a wide variety of rich habitats. It is possible to self-drive around the park because of its manageable size and yet the concentration of game provides a realistic chance of seeing a wide variety of animals including elephant, rhinoceros as well as brown hyena, cheetah, giraffe, zebra and hippo.
Guests staying at one of the lodges can choose to view game from an open vehicle, hot air balloon or elephant-back, whilst day trips from Sun City can also be arranged.

Further North on the Botswana border, a 4 – 5 hour drive or 1 hour flight from Johannesburg and 2 hours from Pilanesberg, Madikwe Game Reserve is a unique partnership between Government, Community and Private Enterprise.
Although it is Government owned and run by the Parks Board, visitors are not allowed to self-drive, but must stay in one of the wide selection of private lodges. The 75,000 hectare reserve was established in 1991. A feasibility study determined that the best use of the land to create an income for the local community was wildlife-based tourism.
Operation PHEONIX saw the largest re-introduction of game ever undertaken by man in Africa, including entire breeding herds of elephant from war-torn Zimbabwe and other species such as buffalo, black and white rhino, lion, cheetah, leopard and hyena. There are also several wild dog packs which are fast making Madikwe famous.
There are a good selection of lodges of varying standards and by staying at one of these, you will automatically be supporting the local community. All staff employed come from the area and a percentage of your room rate and gate fee are distributed locally.