A Quick Visit to the Dinokeng Game Reserve
I recently went to the Dinokeng Game Reserve for a quick, one-night media visit. Dinokeng opened officially in 2011 – pieced together from a bunch of private farms – and is the only free-roaming Big 5 game reserve in Gauteng province. (The Big 5 are lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo, and rhino.)
The most remarkable thing about Dinokeng – which means “place of rivers” in Tswana – is how close it is to Gauteng’s main city centers. It’s less than 90 minutes from central Joburg and less than 30 minutes (even as few as 15-20) from Pretoria. People are always asking me to suggest quick weekend getaways from Joburg; Dinokeng is one.
One Night in Dinokeng
Chris Pieterse, our guide for the Dinokeng media visit, owns the Chameleon Bush Lodge. My colleague Marie-Lais and I loved our night at the Chameleon and found ourselves wishing we could stay longer.
Dinokeng is still new and doesn’t yet have the established feel of a park like the Kruger or even the Pilanesberg. While we had quite a few nice game sightings – wildebeest, waterbuck, zebra, eland, ostrich, jackal, etc. – we didn’t see any Big 5 during our visit. (Not that I really care – I’m a strong proponent of never expecting anything when I go on a game drive and being happy with whatever I see.)
Big 5 or not, Dinokeng is a lovely place to visit and I think it will get better and better as the herds grow and integrate more fully with their surroundings.
In addition to the Chameleon, Dinokeng has lots of accommodation of all sorts – B&Bs, guesthouses, larger lodges with conference facilities, etc. We visited a couple of good restaurants and a brewery, and I hear there is a great American-style barbecue restaurant in the reserve.
I’d definitely recommend Dinokeng to those looking for a quick trip to the bush from Joburg or Pretoria. Dinokeng is also very close to Cullinan, a great day trip in itself. The whole area makes for a nice weekend getaway. I especially recommend the Chameleon, a lovely, affordable, self-catering guesthouse with tons of character.
My visit to Dinokeng was complimentary. Opinions expressed are mine.
Comments
What a great recommendation for a quick getaway.
So cheetahs aren’t part of the Big Five?
Nope, they aren’t. Apparently the Big 5 honor was originally awarded way back when to the five animals considered to be the hardest to hunt/kill. Charming, right?
Oh, man. I cry for the cheetah.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! I wasn’t a fan when we went (we didn’t stay there- we just went for the day). Like you, we found the road layout to be somewhat lacking, and there wasn’t a lot of choice to take different roads. I can’t see myself going back- we frequently go to Pilanesberg (it’s an easy day trip from Pretoria), and if we’re looking for something closer, we even find Rietvlei to be a much nicer visit than Dinokeng.
They don’t have all the big five there (we usually see rhino, and I think there are buffalo there, but we’ve never see them. To see lions you need to book a private tour, but we like just driving through the main park better). The roads are laid out nicely, and there’s a great place for an outdoor lunch.
That being said, maybe we just had an off day at Dinokeng. But it was definitely like a fart on a first date.
Interesting…I’ve been to the dam at Rietvlei but didn’t know they have rhinos! Are the lions there confined in some way - is that why you have to book to see them?
Yep- they definitely have rhinos! And the viewing opportunities are incredible. I haven’t seen the cheetahs there before, but a lot of people so see them.
The lions are kept in a separate large enclosure (not like a zoo), and they don’t offer interactions or breed them, these are rescue animals. They main park isn’t large enough to have them free roaming and hunting (something about laws), so they’re kept separate. You have to get in a safari vehicle to go see them. I just read though that 2 of the 4 were poisoned last year. Not sure if they’re still letting the public see the ones who are left.
Oh wow, that’s sad.
Hello,
I am confuse from choosing between Dinokeng or Pilanesberg. We would be travelling mid march and still has not been able to decide. We really want to see the wild animals! What would you recommend?