Nature And Outdoors in Gauteng

The landscape around the province shifts quickly: the high plateau that carries Johannesburg and Pretoria breaks north-west into the ridges of the Magaliesberg, and beyond them the bushveld begins — thorn-tree country where the big animals hold out. None of it is far, so none of the four options asks you to sleep in the savannah.

Season matters more than timetable here. From May to September it is dry, the grass is low and animals gather at the few remaining waterholes — they are visible further off and more often. In summer, November to March, the green rises and sightlines close in, but the young are born and short downpours come through in the afternoon. Morning drives beat midday ones in any month: in the heat the animals move into shade.

The formats differ in how deep they go. The ring crater of Pilanesberg is circled over twelve hours (515 dollars); the Dinokeng reserve takes six, of which two and a half are the drive itself. Two programmes are on foot: working with lions at Ukutula, seven and a half hours at 413 dollars, and an elephant sanctuary, five hours at 467. GetExperience lists 4 outdoor programmes in Gauteng; pages state what the price covers and how long the road takes.