Your dream Big 5 safari experience awaits at the award-winning Shepherd’s Tree Game Lodge located in a remote private concession of the malaria-free Pilanesberg National Park near Johannesburg.
Check into the luxury safari lodge and enjoy five-star opulence, exciting Big 5 game drives in open-sided 4x4 safari vehicles, and gourmet dining at the on-site restaurant.
This South Africa safari tour to Shepherd’s Tree Game Lodge includes transfers from Johannesburg, and back. It is the perfect destination whether you’re planning a romantic getaway or a trip for the whole family!
The day starts when our driver picks you up early in Johannesburg for the trip to Pilanesberg National Park. The air-conditioned journey continues when we arrive at Pilanesberg and spend a few hours exploring the game reserve. Now that we are familiar with our surroundings, we check in at Shepherd’s Tree Game Lodge at around midday.
After freshening up, we have a light lunch and relax before it’s time to enjoy a late-afternoon game drive in the Pilanesberg game reserve. Game drives are in an open-sided safari vehicle with an expert ranger who will lead the search for sightings of the Big 5 of Africa (lion, rhino, elephant, buffalo, and leopard) and the array of other animals and birds found in Pilanesberg. We return to the lodge as the sun is setting and enjoy a gourmet dinner at the restaurant.
We have an early start on day two of our Big 5 Pilanesberg Safari. Start with a refreshing tea or coffee before going on a 3-hour sunrise game drive in the Pilanesberg National Park. As you explore the bush in the open-sided safari vehicle your professional guide tells you more about the wildlife, plants, birds, and habitats found here.
We return to the luxurious lodge for a hearty breakfast; pack up and get ready to depart. At about 11h30 for 12h00, our driver collects you in the air-conditioned vehicle (minivan) and takes you on a final game drive in the Big 5 game reserve. We then make our way back to Johannesburg, arriving in the late afternoon, at about 17h30, when you are dropped off at your post-safari accommodation.
Pilanesberg is South Africa's fourth-largest game park, covering approximately 55 000 hectares (135 908 acres). It is one of the best Big 5 game reserves near Johannesburg and one of the country's most easily accessible safari parks.
Pilanesberg National Park is located in the Bojanala Region of the North West Province, in a transitional vegetation zone. It is also where the arid Kalahari Desert and the wetter Lowveld biomes meet. As a result, this location is home to a diverse range of animal, plant, and bird species. Pilanesberg is home to nearly all of Southern Africa's wildlife species, including endangered and rare species such as African wild dogs and roan, sable, and tsessebe antelopes. Pilanesberg is home to all five Big 5 animals (elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo, and elusive leopard). Cheetahs, zebras, giraffes, hyenas, hippos, crocodiles, jackals, wild cats, and various antelopes also roam the national park. In addition, the Pilanesberg National Park has over 360 bird species recorded.
The Pilanesberg National Park is a provincial park managed by the North West Parks Board. An interesting fact about the national park is that it was formed in a crater millions of years ago by a volcano eruption. The extinct volcano is a fascinating geological site with stunning scenery.
On this safari, we stay at Shepherd’s Tree Game Lodge, a magnificent safari lodge located in a Big 5 private concession area within the Pilanesberg Game Reserve. It lies tucked away in a remote spot in the southwest corner of the reserve. Pilanesberg is located in a malaria-free region and is an easy 2-hour drive from Johannesburg. It’s next-door neighbors with the famous Sun City Resort and Black Rhino Private Game Reserve.
The award-winning luxury safari lodge offers guests an exclusive safari experience with luxurious accommodation, contemporary architectural design, and wonderful facilities such as a rim-flow swimming pool, gourmet restaurant, cigar lounge, spacious viewing deck with a poolside cocktail bar, and the famous Amani spa. A special treat is an authentic African braai (barbeque) at the lodge’s boma in a beautiful bushveld setting.
Guests go on daily game drives in an open-sided safari vehicle with a professional ranger. Access to the private concession is restricted to the safari lodges and their paying guests; while game drives in the rest of Pilanesberg Game Reserve are unrestricted. Glorious sundowners at special vantage points are a highlight of the evening game drives. Live cultural entertainment with interactive drumming is the perfect end to your day.
All meals served on this Pilanesberg Safari at Shepherd’s Tree Game Lodge have been carefully selected and prepared. A gourmet dinner at the Shepherd’s Tree Game Lodge restaurant is included.
Transfers on this 2-Day Pilanesberg Safari are conducted in an air-conditioned minibus (Quantum). The transfers to the lodge and back, are in a shared transfer vehicle with 2 to 10 people. You will be collected and dropped off at your accommodation in these enclosed tour vehicles at the start and end of the day tour.
Collection from your accommodation in Johannesburg or central Pretoria between 05h30 and 07h00.
Drop off at your accommodation in Johannesburg or central Pretoria from 17h30
During your stay at the Shepherd’s Tree Game Lodge in Pilanesberg National Park, your game drives are conducted in open-sided 4x4 safari vehicles.
For travelers with onward flights departing on the evening of day two of this Pilanesberg Safari, please book flights that allow extra time for delays. We recommend booking domestic flights out of OR Tambo International Airport that depart by 19h30 and international flights departing by 21h00.
Please note that we offer convenient pre and post tour lodge accommodation for before and after this Pilanesberg Safari, which can be added to your tour booking upon request. The 4-star lodge accommodation is located 10-15 minutes from the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. Follow the link for information on rates.
For up-to-date and confirmed pricing info for optional items, please drop us an enquiry.
This tour does take children.
Children under 6 years of age are not permitted on the game drives.
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