Pilanesberg Private Lodge
Location:
This lovely private retreat is uniquely situated at the foot of the majestic Pilanesberg Mountains, which is in the Black Rhino Reserve and forms part of the Pilanesberg National Park. Access to the lodge is though the Black Rhino Reserve Gate on the north- western side of the park and is for private guests only.
The Black Rhino area is made up of Tamboti trees and many Shepherd’s trees so is very different to the rest of the park.
About the Lodge:
The main Lodge building has a large communal area (which has since been rebuilt due to a fire they had in 2021)
The lounge has TV and DSTV and just off the lounge is a small bar area leading to the pool deck.
A viewing deck just above the patio (which is now an enclosed veranda) has a good view of the waterhole and is a great place for sun-downers or your morning cup of coffee...
A viewing deck just above the patio (which is now an enclosed veranda) has a good view of the waterhole and is a great place for sun-downers or your morning cup of coffee. The boma area is just behind the swimming pool deck, but does not have a view of the waterhole.
Pilanesberg Private Lodge has a south facing, floodlit waterhole, which is ideal for photographers to photograph throughout the day and night....
They also have an eye level hide, exclusive to their guest..
The wonderful mountains around the lodge are a great place for that elusive leopard, keep your eyes peeled for this cat as it may slip in for a drink unnoticed if you are not paying attention.
The day we arrived at the lodge a lioness came down to drink and as she got closer a leopard bolted from the waterhole, no one knew it was there until it ran off!
Pilanesberg Private Lodge is fenced making it safe to walk around and to photograph the many insects, flowers and birds that come to the garden. With the fence being low, photographing animals over the fence is not a problem.
Accommodation:
Pilanesberg Private Lodge has five luxury chalets: Leopard, Shepherds Tree, Tambotie, Rhino and Elephant....
The private covered patio is a great place to relax with your sun-downers or early morning cup of coffee.
Each chalet has a comfortable king size bed, small seating area with large leather couch or chairs, air-conditioner, ceiling fan, mini fridge, safe, tea and coffee station.....
The bathrooms all have a rock bath, an indoor and outdoor shower for those warm summer nights.
The Chalets are connected to the communal area via paved pathways and a few small bridges.
Food & Drink:
Fresh fruit, muesli, yoghurt, freshly baked muffins as well as a choice of a full English breakfast....awaits at the lodge on your return from your morning game drive.
After breakfast you can enjoy some leisure time round the lodge, relax on the pool deck or on the viewing deck with a good book and a pair of binoculars and wait for the animals to come to the waterhole. A scrumptious light lunch is either served on the pool deck or covered patio.
Dinner will either be served in the boma (weather permitting), or on the patio overlooking the waterhole. We loved eating on the patio because it was nice and cosy with lanterns and candles, giving it a warm atmosphere. The three course dinner is a treat of true South African style dishes.....
After dinner, you can retire to the lounge or relax on the viewing deck - we preferred outside because we did not want to miss anything that came down to drink! We set up tripods and camera gear then sat up watching, listening and photographing as animals came to the waterhole.
The lodge has recently built an eye level hide, which is great for photographers wanting to get low angle shots.
Activities:
If you are going out for a game drive then you meet in the dining room before sunrise where coffee and rusks will be served before departing for the game drive with your qualified ranger.
Pilanesberg Private Lodge offers safari walks, Safari game drives to a number of wonderful dams and a lovely hides for game viewing. You can book through the Lodge or contact Nare Walking Safaris. We enjoyed our walk, which took about three hours in the wilderness area.
We got to see a White Rhino and her calf in the bush and it was quite an experience to see and hear how close the animals were to us. Attention to detail makes this an unforgettable experience as they pointed out, tracks, spoor and other signs of the bush that we normally would never see.
Rhino, Elephant, Buffalo and the many plains game are regular sightings on the walks.
The afternoon game drive sun-downer drink stop, is either at a hide or one of the viewpoints. We stopped at Leeu Pan Hide, which was great fun as we watched two lionesses with their three cubs. You leave late afternoon returning early evening, which gives you a feel of the nightlife in the bush.
For more information on this wonderful lodge or to make your reservation, please click here
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"It's 768 pages of the most amazing information. It consists of, well, everything really. Photography info...area info...hidden roads..special places....what they have seen almost road by road. Where to stay just outside the Park...camp information. It takes quite a lot to impress me but I really feel that this book, which was 7 years in the making, is exceptional." - Janey Coetzee, founder of CAROK (Camps and Roads of Kruger) South Africa
"Having a passion for the region itself and having to know about all dynamics, water holes and ideal roads for a period of 6 years - I wish I had this guide on my first trip already!" - Morkel Erasmus, Secunda, South Africa
"Mario and Jenny take you to places that are not always visited, and their descriptions of the more remote camps will allow you to make an informed decision without wasting time and money" - Bob & Sherry Shepardson, DeBary, Florida, USA
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"I highly recommend the book to anyone visiting Etosha National Park to photograph the animals - or anyone considering an African photography safari in the future." - Anne Darling, Cognac, France
"As a photographer and someone who has visited and taken photographs in the Pilanesberg National Park, I can safely say that with the knowledge gained from this eBook, your experiences and photographs will be much more memorable." - Alastair Stewart, BC, Canada
"This work is so much more than an eBook, because it is also a guide, a tutorial, an inspiration and a must-have for anyone interested in wildlife photography" - Findtripinfo.com, USA
Photo Safaris on a Private Vehicle - just You, the guide & the animals!