Rietvlei Nature Reserve, located in southern Pretoria, is about 4,000 hectares in size, and includes the entirety of the Rietvlei Dam which impounds the Rietvlei River, in Gauteng, South Africa. The reserve is wedged between the R21 highway on the western side and the R50 road on the north-east.
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A great day out if you appreciate nature, exploring and a little bit of history.
The tar roads can be used by any vehicle types and they have put in a lot of effort to ensure even the gravel roads can be used by most cars. The map takes a while to get used to but after that you can quickly figure out where you are and where to go next.
Beautiful views, loads of birdlife and very diverse plant life. We weren't privileged enough to see a lot of animals, but our biggest aim of the day was to relax. This was definitely achieved.
The little bits and bobs of history available here and there was a real treat. Loved visiting the Erasmus graves and reading the family stories at the old house.
If your intention is to only view animals around every corner, then go on a cooler day. If you intention is just to slowly drive through nature then any day is a good day.
City of Tshwane is really doing an excellent job of maintaining our beautiful nature reserves. Well done! Can't wait to come back and also visit some of the other nature reserves in the Tshwane area.
The only reasons for not giving 5 stars: Their COVID restrictions clearly stated that picnic areas are limited to 30 cars. This was clearly not well enforced as the one area we counted over 45 cars so we turned out of the parking. The ablutions at the main coffee shop can do with an upgrade as a lot of water is wasted by the old toilets no longer...
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We hiked at the Rietvlei Nature Reserve, a first for me. It was a guided hike, and planning started early in the week.
The guided hike costs R150 pp, and the reserve charges R75 for vehicle access. Once you get to the gate, you need to stop at reception to pay for the vehicle. This is done using cards only.
We hiked an 8km loop in one section of the nature reserve. There is not much elevation—it was pretty much flat. The nature reserve is much bigger than I initially anticipated.
Hiking trails vary in distance on the reserve. I remember our guide mentioning a 15km hike in a different part of the reserve.
Along our hike, we saw buck, hippo, wildebeest, ostrich, zebras, birds, and two celebrity rhinos. I recall the one being called “Oortjies.” They also have one female cheetah left on the reserve, which we did not have the opportunity to see.
Then, the guide would stop from time to time and drop some general nature reserve and plant and animal knowledge on us. That is the nice part about having a guide. They are very knowledgeable about the area and its inhabitants. The hike took about 3 hours to complete.
Afterward, you can get something to eat and drink at the coffee shop. It’s always an excellent way to finish off a hike.
That is it for a brief review. I hope this inspires you to visit the Rietvlei Nature Reserve. For more things worth doing and places worth seeing. Check out...
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First time in South Africa so it was an interesting experience. So the park is divided into the Rietvlei Dam and the nature reserve. We were supposed to meet people by the picnic area. We got by the gate asked the lady attending if we were by the picnic area and she said yes and we paid. We circled the Dam area for more than an hour until one of the Security guards then told us that we were in the wrong place. So we set off back on the main road. We got lost again because there's no proper signage of the nature reserve. We finally got there 2+ hours later😭. The Nature reserve picnic area is immaculate you can have a picnic and they give you 2 braai (barbecue) stands. I just wish there was more light in the toilets. One thing I do respect is their discipline; you are not allowed to have alcohol and closing time is very punctual they even go around and tell you when it's time to go. On our way out we saw Buffaloes (picture below). It looks like a great place its just unfortunate that we went for a day visit but they do have people who stay over. That's why I'm giving it 3 stars if I had been able to stay there i guarantee it would be worth it. I heard through the grape vine that they have hiking and on my way out I saw some activity contraptions and it's right near civilization so you don't have to commute far to...
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