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User Reviews of Pilanesberg Game Reserve (98 Reviews)

Pilanesberg Safaris South Africa
Sort By: Date Most Helpful Rating 1-10 of 98 Reviews

Average User Rating

4.3367 / 5 4.3 /5
4.4583 / 5 4.4105 / 5 4.0549 / 5 4.1622 / 5

Rating Breakdown

5 star 53 / 10 53
4 star 32 / 10 32
3 star 8 / 10 8
2 star 3 / 10 3
1 star 2 / 10 2
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Female avatar icon Taneesha South Africa flag ZA       Visited: March 2025 Reviewed: Mar 8, 2025

Email Taneesha  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

The review below is the personal opinion of Taneesha and not that of SafariBookings.

The most disappointing thing I’ve experienced

1 / 5 1 /5
1 / 5 1 / 5 1 / 5 1 / 5

Where do you even begin…..the park is so run down. When we arrived at the first gate we were only then notified that the gate was closed and had to use an alternative gate , at the second gate staff were extremely unfriendly and it could clearly be felt. There are very few animals on such a large property, the “tarred” roads are in such bad condition that they are basically non-existent and one of the hides we stopped at was boarded up with no note at the top gate and the conservationist that had stopped at the hide as well also didn’t bother to notify us, we later read in reviews that it’s been that way for more than 6 months. With the advertised prices at the lodges found within the park the question begs where the money for maintenance and conservation is going.

Avatar icon Desirei South Africa flag ZA       Visited: September 2023 Reviewed: Sep 26, 2023

Email Desirei

The review below is the personal opinion of Desirei and not that of SafariBookings.

The toilets in the park is disgusting.

1 / 5 1 /5
5 / 5 5 / 5 5 / 5 5 / 5

It is an embarrassment to see that they take tourist to the bathroom in the game park. It is disgusting how dirty they are.

Male avatar icon Ettore South Africa flag ZA       Visited: July 2025 Reviewed: Jul 27, 2025

Email Ettore  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

The review below is the personal opinion of Ettore and not that of SafariBookings.

Poor

2 / 5 2 /5
2 / 5 3 / 5 5 / 5 3 / 5

Beautiful scenic, poor for animals, mainly predators, bad maintained, view point closed or poor. Picnic site very poor.

Male avatar icon JC de Beer South Africa flag ZA       Visited: December 2020 Reviewed: Dec 21, 2020

Email JC de Beer  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

The review below is the personal opinion of JC de Beer and not that of SafariBookings.

Infrastructure Maintenance

2 / 5 2 /5
4 / 5 2 / 5 5 / 5 3 / 5
I stay quite close to Pilanesberg National park and have been visiting the park from my childhood years. Although there are still a large variety of animals to see it is obvious that the numbers are declining especially the antelope which I presume is due to poaching from the nearby villages, not uncommon if one look at the state of the outside fencing.
What prompted me to write the review is the bad shape the park has fallen into. I remember the days where park maintenance especially roads were priority or so it seemed for the general road condition was kept in good condition. Unfortunately, that this not the case anymore. Also, the picknick sites I visited had visitors probably since there are no safety fences in place or completely discarded. Viewpoints are not getting the attention it should. I have noticed that there was some work done on new bridges, but it baffles me that the park accepted the bad quality work and finishing off concluded.
It is sad to see yet another
Read more part of government owned institution that are not receiving the proper attention it deserves and is sadly going backwards day by day.
Just whish our international visitors would put some pressure on the park management to start doing their jobs and look after the park.
PS. The decline of the park infrastructure cannot be blamed on COVID-19 like everything else as the decline has been observed for the last few years now.
Male avatar icon thewildlifephotographer United Kingdom flag GB       Visited: December 2015 Reviewed: Apr 26, 2016

Email thewildlifephotographer  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

The review below is the personal opinion of thewildlifephotographer and not that of SafariBookings.
2 / 5 2 /5
3 / 5 1 / 5 2 / 5 3 / 5

More like a small safari park, with no feeling of being 'wild'. I won't be visiting again.

Female avatar icon Astrid van der Watt United Kingdom flag GB       Visited: May 2025 Reviewed: Jul 3, 2025

Email Astrid van der Watt  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

The review below is the personal opinion of Astrid van der Watt and not that of SafariBookings.
3 / 5 3 /5
2 / 5 3 / 5 4 / 5 3 / 5

The roads are in a bad state.
Not many animals to be seen when compared to Kruger National Park.

Male avatar icon Deon South Africa flag ZA       Visited: February 2024 Reviewed: Feb 15, 2024

Email Deon  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

The review below is the personal opinion of Deon and not that of SafariBookings.

The wildlife is abundant

3 / 5 3 /5
5 / 5 4 / 5 4 / 5 4 / 5

The roads are in horrific condition and beyond repair. I would not recommend traveling with a standard sedan. Pilanesberg Center is a must see. Road from Bakgatla needs a complete redo. Wildlife is abundant. Pilanesberg WAS the crown jewel of the North West province. I assume mismanagement and incompetence being the reason for the decline of this once wonderful park. At least the Wildlife is still there.

Avatar icon Henk Pretorius South Africa flag ZA       Visited: December 2015 Reviewed: Feb 15, 2016

Email Henk Pretorius

The review below is the personal opinion of Henk Pretorius and not that of SafariBookings.
3 / 5 3 /5
3 / 5 4 / 5 4 / 5 3 / 5

This is average to other parks - need to get more predators

Female avatar icon Sumarie Slabber South Africa flag ZA       Visited: November 2015 Reviewed: Nov 21, 2015

Email Sumarie Slabber  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

The review below is the personal opinion of Sumarie Slabber and not that of SafariBookings.
3 / 5 3 /5
3 / 5 3 / 5 4 / 5 4 / 5

The hide is fantastic for birding!

Male avatar icon Didier Collas France flag FR       Visited: December 2009 Reviewed: Sep 12, 2015

Email Didier Collas  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

The review below is the personal opinion of Didier Collas and not that of SafariBookings.
3 / 5 3 /5
3 / 5 3 / 5 4 / 5 / 5

No off road, lot of people due to Sun City proximity