Pilanesburg Game reverse is about 2 hours drive from Johannesburg and is one of the countries best National Parks, with over 7000 animals including ‘The Big Five”- lion, leopard, black and white rhino, elephant and buffalo.
We were really lucky to see great close up views of the Matriarch herd of elephants with a nursery, 3 pairs of white rhinos with their babies (adorable!), hippos, a giraffe, zebras, warthogs, and many more. We didn’t see lions, leopards or buffalo, but we’d been to the lion park already, so it was okay.
I am in love with warthogs, elephants and rhinos after seeing them in the wild. Such beautiful animals! Rhinos are extremely cute- especially the babies!! as are warthogs!! (Pumbaa!!)
Elephants- wow. Majestic creatures…
I was impressed learning more about elephants. They live in a Matrichal society, are extremely intelligent, emotional and social, with a strong social norms. When an elephant dies, they bury the dead and mourn them. They basically hold a funeral! Quite extraordinary.
We were lucky to be driven and guided by a lovely lady called Paula, who has been spotting game since she was a child. She has an amazing talent for spotting seemingly hidden wildlife, and knows exactly how to act around the large mammals, so we were able to get really close to them without disturbing or being disturbed.
Next time, Kruger Park!! 
But if like me you are in Johannesburg with only time for a day trip- I would strongly recommend Pilanesburg for a fantastic experience
