Overview
The name given to the area about 2 hours from Johannesburg, which is home to a national nature park.
Being an enclosed park where the animals were introduced through a relocation project, it's the second choice after Kruger for safaris in the region. However, its proximity to Johannesburg makes it a favorite with tour companies.
What to See
If this is your first safari, the biggest piece of advice I can give for this park: absolutely bring binoculars with you.
Our initial impression was that animal numbers were a bit low, but as we drove deeper into the park, we saw quite a lot: giraffes, rhinos, lions, zebras, antelopes, elephants, and hippos. At one point they drove us right up close to a lion. A bit terrifying but a great experience.
Three or four days before our visit, the lions had taken down a rhino and were still eating it. We could see the scene through binoculars even from a distance.
There was a bird that kept screaming "go away" and it was hilarious. Turns out its name is actually the Grey Go-away-bird.
Getting There
The park itself is clean, but the road getting there was littered with rubbish, incredibly depressing. South Africa is really behind on this front.
The open-vehicle safari concept doesn't fully compute for me. You're taking a real risk and it feels unsafe, but since the dangerous animals don't come too close and completely ignore you, the guides seem pretty relaxed about the whole thing.
Tips & Advice
The weather is seriously hot, but when you're riding in an open vehicle the breeze can make it quite cold. Bringing a light jacket is a good idea just in case.
Our tour operator was Mankwe Gametrackers, the same company that runs the zipline and other activities at Sun City. We were happy with their guides and service.
We did some shopping at a place called Chameleon Village on the way. I think we got the best-priced souvenirs of our entire South Africa trip there, worth a look.