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IIf you’ve been on a safari game drive and it was a magical experience, but why not take it to the next level - literally. Take an aerial safari in a hot air balloon over the breath-taking Pilanesberg National Park. Have an adventure you will never forget!

While visiting the Pilanesberg Game Reserve, right next door to Sun City, why not take the opportunity to do something different and experience Pilanesberg from a different perspective. Only a few hours’ drive from Johannesburg, Pilanesberg lies in the bowl of an extinct volcano and is one of South Africa’s largest game parks.

Did You Know?
TThe Pilanesberg balloon company, Airtrackers has over 30 years and 7000 hours of combined flying experience.

OOnly three decades ago, this 55 000ha game reserve was nothing more than overused and abandoned farmland. Then, in 1979, along came Operation Genesis – at the time one of the most ambitious rehabilitation and game-stocking programmes in the world. Today over 7000 animals (including the famous Big Five) roam the reserve's diverse ecosystems.

Pilanesberg National Park, Northwest of Johannesburg

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PPilanesberg is also home to hundreds of bird species and you may well find yourself eye-to-eye with a Verreaux's or tawny eagle as your hot air balloon floats high over the surrounding countryside. Depending on wind and weather conditions, you'll fly at anything from treetop height to just over 1800m.

YYou'll see lots of game on this aerial safari – herds of antelope, grazing white rhino (Pilanesberg is one of the best places in the world to see white rhino), stately giraffe, scampering zebra, browsing elephants, herds of buffalo, if you’re lucky, lions and maybe even a leopard if you’ve got a good eye.

But ballooning is not just about game-spotting. As you float above the Earth, you can simply soak up the tranquillity, shed your stress, and watch Africa's majesty drift beneath you.

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