Lisa Lorenz Studio Blog: Our Safari Trip to Pilanesberg Game Reserve

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Our Safari Trip to Pilanesberg Game Reserve

Hi everyone, Okay here are the pics from the safari we took in Pilanesberg Game Reserve this past weekend. The Palace hotel in Sun City is located right near the game reserve. Basically 10 min ride away, so you know there are so many animals nearby. Was such a great experience. We saw all the big 5 except for the Leopards. The Elephants were my favourite along with the Giraffe.

We left for our safari excursion at about 4:30 pm. We all got on these big safari trucks. And riding in the big safari truck thru the African savanna bush and on those red soil roads was really an experience... I just loved it. Seeing the beautiful landscape and being out in the African savanna like that. Our guide was a wonderful, very tall South African man from the area named Philaneous. He was also a great guide and very knowledgeable and funny too. He really loves his job and it showed. Not even about 20 minutes into our ride, we started to see so many animals. First spotting was all around the big watering hole. It was so exciting and then we saw more animals all close by to the path as well. Some even crossed the path right in front of the truck. Everyone was excited. Some were so close to us. One big elephant was coming so close to the truck..my heart was racing.

We also saw Lots of beautiful Rhinos, mostly white rhinos and that was a big highlight as there are not many around to see. They were right there on the path and crossing next to our truck. They are huge and beautiful. They were with their young and it was so wonderful to see them. We also saw tons and tons of Springbok, Impala, Gemsbok, gazelle, Antelelopes, Wildebeest, and also some Buffalo and hippos by the water and then close up some Zebras and giraffes. Then we saw a Lion and Lioness in the deep grass mating. Saw another family of elephants and the baby's. The huge female protecting the heard and we saw them walk to the water and drink and then they headed to the open plains where the lions were; and we saw the big Female of the herd chase the lions away. The male lion ran away and the female too. It was something out of National Geographic . Everyone was so excited to see all of this on the trip. It was a real bonus. Unfortunately, we did not see the leopards as they are very hard to spot and see. The guide told us that on many safari trips they are difficult to see, and they tend to be higher up in the cliffs and mountains. He said that sometimes they will come close to the camps if they smell the grill and fire. They have to have fences along so you see them sometimes at night going along the fences at the camps.

Then the sun was setting and the amazing sunset was spectacular over the African savanna landscape and bush. Many beautiful mountains around the area. And the red soil and long grass and beautiful trees and plains of gold for miles and miles. The landscape is truly majestic and beautiful and with the sun setting, lighting up all the grounds looked like a beautiful orange and gold. Then it got dark and we started heading back and on our way back we could see the hyenas out with their eyes shining in the light from the trucks lighting and then we saw a group of lioness again hunting. There was a springbok in the water and she was stuck there and you could see the 3 female lioness staking it out. Was a real adventure. Your heart is racing and I have to say it is something else to see. The landscape was breath taking and we just loved the safari seeing all the animals in their natural habitat like that. We will definitely do another one and stay at a lodge and have a bush dinner and several safari tours for morning and night rides. It was really an incredible experience. It was also very hot up north in the Pilanesburg area. We did not even need our sweater at night on the ride We had temps of 38 in the day

On the Safari truck and heading off to Pilanesberg Game Reserve