An experience of a lifetime!

Angela sees a giraffe while sitting in the Game Drive vehicle.


The welcome sign

A pair of rinos get a little too close to us.

This is inside the game drive vehicle. We are up really high so we can spot the animals.

Mother and daughter.

A very aggressive elephant that charged us.

An itchy elephant.

The elephant finally takes off down the road towards another vehicle.

A beautiful view

The Shilling family at a viewing shelter.

A watering hole.

Christina and Angela walking out of a protected viewing station.

An Impala

A bossy hippo

An warning sign as you enter the park/reserve.

The kids at the hotel.

A giraffe munching on a treetop.

Christina and the giraffe

A lion in the middle of the road after he almost jumped into my open car window.

Another warning sign.

Existing the park.

Stan and the girls in Sun City

Christina in a hammock at Sun City in the Cutural Center

Angela in a hammock

A zebra walking along.

A wort hog after he crossed over the road behind us.

The Shilling family just returned from Pilanesberg. The Park brochure states the following, "Pilanesberg exists within the transition zone between the dry Kalahari and wetter Lowveld vegetation, commonly referred to as "Bushveld". Unlike any other large park, unique overlaps of mammals, birds, vegetation occur because of this "transition zone". As a result of the range of habitats and vegetation, there is a wide diversity of animal species, from the "Big Five" to 50 other species, 18 amphibian species and thousands of other interesting smaller animals.

The Shilling Family saw the following while driving through the park: Baboons, Elephants, Giraffes, Hippopotamus, Impalas, Jackals, Lions, White Rhinos, Springboks, Warthogs, Wildebeests, and Zebras. When I saw all of these animals, I kept thinking how small humans are compared to these incredible animals. Seeing these animals in movies, pictures, etc. is just not the same as seeing them right outside your car window. In fact one of the lions caught me by surprise and almost jumped into our car through my window. He came out of nowhere. We had to wait while elephants and lions crossed the road in front of us (not at the same time). We watched while the pride of lions just played with each other like they were little kitty cats. Just amazing. We sat watching while a giraffe munched on the top of a tree. I will remember it forever. This national park is only 2 hours from our house. We plan to go back often. The kids were amazed and touched forever by what they experienced. I hope the above pictures give you a glimpse of what we experienced.

Paulette