Ivory Tree Game Lodge
Big Five game drives inside malaria-free Pilanesberg, by Bakgatla Gate
About this stay
Ivory Tree sits inside Pilanesberg National Park, in the north-eastern part of the extinct volcanic crater, reached through Bakgatla Gate rather than the busier southern side near Sun City. Guests driving straight to the lodge do not pay the park's day-visitor entry. The reserve holds the Big Five and lies outside the malaria zone, which is the main reason families choose it over the Kruger area. Accommodation runs from about 60 standard suites with outdoor showers to luxury suites with a fireplace and a family suite with two bedrooms, a lounge and its own plunge pool. Game drives go out in open vehicles, there is a boma for dinner under the sky, the Amani Spa and a pool for the hot middle of the day.
- Inside Pilanesberg National Park, by Bakgatla Gate
- Malaria-free Big Five reserve
- Family suite with two bedrooms and a plunge pool
- Amani Spa, pool and an outdoor boma
- Open-vehicle game drives
- Rated 9.6 from more than 1,800 reviews
Our take
Ivory Tree is a lodge inside Pilanesberg itself, entered by Bakgatla Gate, so the game drive starts at the door rather than after a drive from Sun City. I would pick it for a first safari with children, because the reserve is malaria-free and the family suite gives parents their own room. I would not pick it if what you want is an intimate private-reserve camp: with dozens of suites, a conference centre and wedding events, it is a large lodge, and Pilanesberg's public roads mean you share sightings with self-drive cars.
- Choose the family suite if you travel with young children: two bedrooms, a shared lounge and a private plunge pool keep everyone together without sharing a bed.
- Check the minimum age for game drives before booking with small children: one published policy sets it at six, at the ranger's discretion.
- Drive in through Bakgatla Gate on the northern side: it is the closest gate to the lodge and avoids the traffic around Sun City and the southern gates.
- Keep the hot middle of the day for the pool or the Amani Spa: the animals rest too, and the open vehicles are at their best at dawn and late afternoon.
Why we love it
- Game drives that start at the lodge, inside the park
- Big Five without malaria risk
- A real family suite with its own plunge pool
- Bakgatla Gate, away from the Sun City traffic
Why guests love itIvory Tree answers the question most parents ask first: Pilanesberg has no malaria, so a safari with young children needs no prophylaxis. The family suite, with two bedrooms, a lounge and a plunge pool, is one of the few layouts in the reserve that suits a family of four properly, and luxury suites can take two young children on a sofa bed. Activities such as quad biking and archery fill the gap between drives. The limit is age: game drives in open vehicles are not automatically open to toddlers, and one published policy sets six as the minimum, at the ranger's discretion. With a rating of 9.6 from more than 1,800 reviews, guests clearly rate the guiding and the setting.
Guest reviews
Live prices & dates open with our booking partner. No card needed to look.
Check availability