Johannesburg - To Do - Tours (03Sept2015Elephant Tour, Lion Park Tour Horse back Riding Tour)

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Elephant (1300Rand)
& Lion Park Tour (450Rand Top-up)
03Sept2015

with Tour guide Shane +27 833269699 Whatsappable

Total 1750Rand PER PAX with additional tips as well as own payment for meals.
Prices for Elephant tour were
- 2Pax 1400Rand, 4/5 1300Rand, 6/71200Rand, 1100Rand 8+ 990Rand

- Lion park is an additional 450Rand.

*Review from others who went on tour*

Elephant Park Tour

(45min ride to the tour location)

A very exclusive experience with three 'domesticated' elephants that you can get up close to touch and take pictures with. Tours are allocated time slot with each group getting 30mins. They had about 45mins to enjoy with the elephants. No food available to feed the elephants.

*Elephants making their way home*

Consensus for the elephant park tour was that it was expensive. Thou it's an exclusive experience, however, it felt like the tour guide was dragging for time after tourist having 'interacted with' these majestic creatures. The Lion park (private outfit) after that was, however the tried and tested and always a hit with more animals to see up close.

Lion Park Tour

Warning! These are wild animals.

Be careful! Do not exit or stick your head out of the windows during tours. In July2015, a lady stuck her head out to take some pictures of Lions. The lion struck her and she didn't make it due to excessive blood loss from the strike. There have also have been on rare occasion Lions opening doors accidentally where the driver sped off to prevent the lion from entering, and even instances of tourist exiting the 'safety' of the vehicle to take pictures, resulting in death. Respect these dangerous wild animals. Stay in your vehicles.

 *Video of wild african dogs taken at Lion Park

Its the same lion park as previously reviewed that the tours goes to. As of year end 2015, the Lion park will be shifting to a larger location that's better for the animals. Additional charges apply to see the cheetahs. 

*Separate Review of Lion park tour with another agent and contributed by Kieth*

Charges from the hotel is ZAR490 each. The market price to go to lion park on a cab is ZAR1000. However, managed to get a cabbie and negotiated down to a price of ZAR700.
ZAR490 offered by the hotel includes:
> A 45min drive there and back, a self drive portion into the reserve which covers interaction with lion cubs that cost ZAR160.
"~When I did this tour myself, the taxi driver basically became my personal chauffeur and drove me into the reserve at my own time and accedes to my request whenever I asked for.

The park also offer a close interaction with cheetahs at ZAR450 at 0900 and 1600hrs which cannot be done if we go with the hotel. So if u want a more free n easy time with no time constraints, it could be cheaper if a few ppl share the transport on a cab there."
ABBA Details:*Text contributor by Danison & Kieth
The hotel organizes tours to the Lion Park for crew.
- ZAR490 for 4 or more crew each
- ZAR790 for 2 or less. 

Fare includes transport to the park and back, entry fee, the tour and a session with the lion cubs. 2 departure times at 0900 and 1300, with tours lasting about 3-4 hours.
- ZAR 160 Interaction with Lion Cubs
- ZAR 450 Interaction with Cheetahs from 0900-1600hrs

Horse Back Riding Tour

Warning: Be aware of a reportedly black horse that spooks easily! Name suspected to be Rain.

 Dangerous horse.

This particular horse has a constant track record of spooking easily and throwing their passenger off resulting in crew/passengers paxing back home. Some going back with broken bones. Avoid this reportedly black horse. The guide at the horse back riding location constantly waves it off or downplaying the matter, but it does have a recurring problem.

About 200sgd but reportedly well worth for a 2.5hr ride, seeing the south African landscape and the wild animals roaming the grounds. (yet to be reviewed)