Environmental education is a favorite subject at Pilansberg National Park, a big, open-air classroom of natural wonders nearby Johannesburg in South Africa. Known for its beautiful landscape, Pilansberg provides ample picnic and camping areas where visitors can study wildlife in its natural habitat, or simply relax and sight-see many different animals including the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo). Whether by foot or by any type of vehicle, it is ideal to go on a safari to see the park's Pilanesberg Alkaline Ring Complex, a million-year-old volcanic crater that is one of the largest in the world.
A short ride away from Johannesburg, Pilansberg is cloaked in a scenic terrain that accommodates almost every mammal in South Africa such as giraffes, antelopes, cheetahs, painted hunting dogs, and over 360 types of birds. These animals can be seen eating fruits, playing cat-and-mouse, or snacking on a carcass.
There is a self-guided trail at Manyene Complex, which offers crash courses on environmental conservation and awareness while engaging students in game viewing and bird-watching on foot. Along the trail is a walk-in aviary with over 80 kinds of indigenous birds.
Most of the roads in the park are well-maintained dirt roads, making the park passable to almost all types of vehicles, unlike in other South African parks where only all-terrain trucks can be used for safari. Along the way are several bars, gift shops, the artificial lake called Mankwe Dam, and Thabayadiotso or "Proud Mountain," where one can photograph an assembly of drinking or playing animals. One may also stumble upon fossil sites dating from Stone Age and Iron Age.
The entertainment complex Sun City beside the park has plenty of other recreational activities such as water slides, wave pools, cinemas, casinos, and restaurants. Many resorts nearby also provide dining and camping services, but for some tourists, nothing beats enjoying a typical South African braii (barbecue) under the stars.
