Ivory Tree Game Lodge, Pilanesberg National Park, North West Province, South Africa

In the north-eastern region of the Pilanesberg National Park in South Africa’s North West Province, is an ancient amphitheatre flanked by volcanic spires and rolling savanna grasslands. This fertile basin of riverine woodlands is the location of Ivory Tree Game Lodge.

Sixty thatched chalets, each with its own wave-motif shower open to the sky, are tucked among the trees and granite outcrops of this landscape. The chalets have spectacular views of the surrounding foothills and thigh-high grasslands.

Open grass clearings in the park are grazed by a variety of animals, including zebra, wildebeest and white rhino. Every animal has its place in the ecosystem and predators like lion, leopard, cheetah and wild dog keep antelope numbers in balance.

Besides relaxing on your daybed on the thatch-covered veranda of your chalet, there are myriad exciting activities to keep you occupied at Ivory Tree: a bird expert guides you on birding safaris, a frog specialist will help you search for the eighteen species of frog and toad in the park, and an astronomer will unravel the secrets of the southern hemisphere night sky.

If sighting game is what you are after, stick close to your assigned guide who will take you on a game drive in a specially adapted open game vehicle. Let him or her interpret the awesome sights and sounds of the African bush, which help create abiding memories of your African safari holiday.

For those who want something more challenging, Ivory Tree’s ‘Amazing Race’ will contribute to making the safari vacation an unforgettable experience. Accompanied by a guide and equipped with GPS hand units, a fictional budget and resources to buy information, teams of seven to ten guests per Land Rover have to navigate themselves through the African bush.

Teams usually have a time limit of three hours in which to accomplish all the tasks set for them, although tailor-made games could last for several days. This highly popular activity affords guests the opportunity to experience the thrill of the African bushveld up close while having a great deal of fun in the process.