More time in the reserve, two nights under canvas
Spend three days exploring Pilanesberg with approximately 18 hours of scheduled open-vehicle safari time and two nights at Tlou Tented Safari Camp. Instead of a brief wildlife stop, this programme combines two first-day drives with full-day outings on Days 2 and 3, giving your guide time to explore different habitats within the reserve.
Pilanesberg’s ancient volcanic hills shelter a varied landscape of grassland, bush and waterholes. Look for elephants, rhinos, lions, giraffes, antelope and birdlife with a professional ranger. The reserve is malaria-free, but animals roam freely and no Big Five sighting is guaranteed.
Tlou Tented Safari Camp near Pilanesberg
Your base is Tlou Tented Safari Camp, approximately four kilometres from the park gate, outside the national park. Stay in tented accommodation rather than a resort chalet or luxury lodge. After wildlife outings, return to camp to freshen up, relax and enjoy dinner, with campfire boma evenings when conditions allow.
Two opening drives and two full safari days
Day 1 begins with an early Johannesburg or OR Tambo pickup. Explore in an open safari vehicle for approximately three hours before lunch at a rest camp inside Pilanesberg, followed by another approximately three-hour afternoon drive. Check into Tlou late in the afternoon and enjoy dinner at camp.
On Days 2 and 3, breakfast precedes an approximately 09:00–15:00 open-vehicle safari. Coffee stops and picnic lunches break up the day, with routes and stopping points selected according to conditions. The approximately 18-hour schedule includes these breaks, rather than promising uninterrupted driving time. Return to camp after Day 2; on Day 3, leave the park for Johannesburg after the safari.
Price and included services
US$1,100 per person sharing; US$1,540 for a solo traveller with the standard 40% supplement. Included are return air-conditioned road transfers from Johannesburg hotels, guesthouses or OR Tambo, a professional safari guide, the scheduled open-vehicle outings, two Tlou camp nights, park entrance and daily conservation fees, bottled water in the vehicle and the meals listed below.
Meals comprise lunch and dinner on Day 1, breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner on Day 2, and breakfast and picnic lunch on Day 3. Mid-morning coffee stops are included on Days 2 and 3. Other soft drinks and alcoholic beverages at camp, tips, personal purchases and travel insurance are excluded.
Collection and onward connections
Pickup is normally approximately 05:30–06:30, with a comfort stop on the journey. Day 3 departure from Pilanesberg is planned around 15:00, with Johannesburg or OR Tambo drop-off approximately 17:30–18:00. All times depend on traffic, season and park conditions. Share your flight details before booking an airport connection; an earlier arrival cannot be promised without agreeing a revised schedule.
