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.
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.
How have I never blogged about 44 Stanley Avenue, the coolest shopping and dining complex in Joburg, which is only five minutes from my house?
I guess it’s wrong to say I’ve never blogged about 44 Stanley; I’ve mentioned it countless times over the years (see here and here) when writing about specific restaurants or shops that are there. But I’ve never written a dedicated post about 44 Stanley as a destination and it’s about time I did – especially now, with the holidays upon us.
I’ve been dreadfully uninspired lately, struggling to think of anything I want to blog about despite having a long list of great ideas (many of which you, my readers, provided in September). I’m finding it hard to feel positive about life at the moment. But on Saturday Thorsten and I got the chance to visit Indwe Park, an indigenous garden and sculpture park in Braamfontein, and I knew I had my topic for today.
Given this week’s political nuclear bomb blast, it feels like a weird time to publish a light-hearted post about my recent (pre-election) jaunt through the United States. But I’m hoping you’ve have had enough of the U.S. election horror show – I know I have – and are ready (at least temporarily) for some wholesome American travel adventures. If so, please read on about my four-day visit to Maine, the northeastern-most state in the lower 48, with my sister, Susanna.
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It makes me smile, when I see it.