Gauteng welcomed the first visitors to its malaria-free Big Five Dinokeng Game Reserve in 2011.

Since then, the 18 500ha reserve has grown in stature to provide a free-roaming haven for brown hyena, lion, cheetah, giraffe, zebra, buffalo, buck, elephant, rhino, leopard and myriad bird species, including the endangered blue crane and a breeding pair of martial eagles.

Varying terrain and vegetation, ranging from bushveld to grassy floodplains and thornveld, support browsing and grazing species that are best enjoyed via two self-drive game routes. These routes, and others in planning, offer an unhurried and personal game-viewing experience, with ample opportunity for visitors to hone their photographic skills.

Accommodation in the reserve ranges from humble tented camps to caravanning, self-catering chalets and a choice of around 30 luxury private lodges offering full catering. Tailoring your eating and sleeping arrangements is easy to do, with a number of licensed restaurants offering a range of menus to suit sophisticated palates and fussy children.

Those doing their own catering have the welcome option of eating out at the Halfway There Diner, Kingfisher Restaurant at Mongena, Tamboti Lodge Restaurant, or Ngata Smokehouse and Grill. There’s even wine tasting to be had in the Dinokeng Game Reserve!

Each accommodation option has created its own niche to suit all manner of guest requirements:

• Chameleon Bush Lodge – four-star self-catering chalets
• Ouklip Game Lodge – luxury self-catering tent houses
• Ngata Safari Lodge – restaurant, function venue and boutique caravan park
• Foreva Wild – romantic bed and breakfast getaway
• Dinonyane Bush Lodge – 10-bed self-catering lodge
• Mongena Game Lodge – 63-bed, four-star, upmarket lodge with five-star restaurant and private airstrip
• Dinoyane Bush Lodge and Jimmy’s Place cottages – for home comfort in the heart of the bush
• Ikhaya LamaDube – self-catering stay on stilts
• Andre Geyser Caravan Park and Willem’s Rus, for the caravan crew

Apart from the premier drawcard – vehicle game viewing – Big Sky Ballooning offers a unique vantage point over the animals. Or you might prefer a scenic boat cruise, a bush walk, fishing, a home visit from iKetle mobile spa, microlight flights, clay pigeon shooting or a cultural tour.

Find Dinokeng Game Reserve 40km north of Pretoria, one kilometre east of the Hammanskraal (R734) turn-off on the N1 North, travelling towards Polokwane. The location is about an hour’s drive from OR Tambo International Airport.