South Africa's Pilanesberg National Park

If you don't have time to travel to visit Kruger on your South African holiday, Pilanesberg national park offers an affordable safari holiday where you can see the big five in a beautiful setting within two hours drive of Johannesburg.

Pilanesberg is set in the middle of a group of ancient volcanic ripples in the earth, which form four concentric circles of hills.

Over 55,000 hectares of wild terrain is home to thriving communities of animals representing almost all the animal species of southern Africa.

There are herds of zebra, blue wildebeest, kudu, waterbuck, impala and the always entertaining warthogs.

You are almost guaranteed to see lions, elephants, black rhinos, hyenas, giraffes, buffalo, hippos and crocodiles.

Bird-watchers will be happy as over 300 species have been counted in the park.

Pilanesberg is a great place to see the endangered white rhino and vehicles can get quite close to rhinos and their calves.

There are guided safari holiday drives available in the early morning and late afternoon. Other activities include night drives (on which you might spot a leopard) and hot-air balloon rides.

The guided safaris are worth while but it is also possible to tour the park independently in your own (hired) car. Only some of the roads are sealed but the grading is good enough for a family car.

Setting off on extensive sweeps across the vast park with no other vehicles in sight is a great way to go at your own pace, enjoy the scenery and the excitement of discovering and observing animals by yourself.

There is nothing quite like driving around a bend in the road to see a huge elephant bull striding across a nearby hilltop.

Just make sure you get back to the gate by nightfall.

If you have your own camping gear the campground near the Manyane gate is shady and has good facilities. There is a comfortable restaurant and bar complex.

There are also a number of lodges and also chalet tent accommodation at Manyane and at other rest camps throughout the park.

Even the campsite is a good wildlife spotting opportunity with troops of baboons scuttling along and colourful lizards sunning themselves.

Red and yellow-beaked hornbills perch on the vehicles, watching themselves in the side mirrors.

Pilanesberg is one of South Africa's most accessible game parks and is an affordable and malaria-free self-drive holiday destination.

Nearby Sun City offers water park fun and relaxation as well as two championship golf courses.

Natasha von Geldern