Twitcher's Nest
Whole-lodge rental, self-catering · The private reserve on the western side · Twitcher's Nest (family lodge)
Mid-range
Inside the park
Owner-run
A family-owned lodge on the private reserve on the western side, let as a whole: four suites for up to 11 adults, self-catering, with private guided drives. The lodge publishes its rate, R15,500 a night Sunday to Thursday and R16,500 on Friday and Saturday, which for a full house comes to about R1,410 a person midweek. Like the rest of the reserve it is guided only, with no self-driving into the park. Choose it for a group of friends or an extended family who want the place to themselves and are happy to cook; skip it if there are only two of you.
Pros and cons
Pros
- The whole lodge and a private guided vehicle for your group
- A published rate, midweek and weekend
- About R1,410 a person midweek for a full house
- Family owned
Cons
- Priced for a group; poor value for a couple
- Self-catering, so you cook
- Guided only: no self-driving
- Weekends cost R1,000 more a night
What's here
- Self-catering
Arranged from the lodge:
- Game drives
We could not reach a website for Twitcher's Nest, so this list is incomplete by definition. Ask them directly.
What the park charges on top
The rate above buys you a bed. Pilanesberg National Park charges its own entry fee for every day you are inside. Here is what that adds up to.
- Park entryR748 per international adult per day at USD 1 = ZAR 16.36.
- $46per person, per day
- VehicleR168 per car per day, about $10.
- $10per vehicle, per day
Three nights means three days inside, so two adults sharing one vehicle pay $306 in park fees before anyone pays for a bed.
Guests at lodges inside the park usually pay the fee through the lodge; several private-reserve lodges include it in their rate.
The full fee schedule for Pilanesberg National ParkRates at Twitcher's Nest
From $947 per night, whole lodge. Own site, read 24 Sep 2026: R15,500 (about $947) a night Sunday to Thursday and R16,500 ($1,009) Friday and Saturday, for the whole lodge, self-catering, with private guided drives. For a full house of 11 adults that is about R1,410 a person midweek. Most lodges on the private reserve say the park conservation fee is in their rate; confirm it and VAT. Rand at R16.36 to the dollar.
Self-catering. You cook. Nothing else is included unless the entry says so.
Every figure on this page is in US dollars.
Rates checked against our research of 24 September 2026 and converted at R16.36 to the dollar. Where a lodge publishes its own rate we use it with its date. The per-person figures for Ivory Tree, Shepherd's Tree, Kwa Maritane, Bakubung Bush Lodge, Tshukudu, Tsholo, Umoya, Mbazo and Dzombo are a named agent's or reseller's and say so; the guesthouses, The Kingdom and Tlou come from one Booking.com night (14 to 15 October 2026) or LekkeSlaap's list. The price filter and sort use per-person rates only: campsites, rooms, villas and whole lodges show their rate in the text but carry no sortable figure. The park conservation fee comes on top outside the gate: R748 per foreign adult, R168 per South African adult and R168 per car, per day since 1 December 2025, card only, and a new tariff could start on 1 December 2026.
Questions about Twitcher's Nest
How much does Twitcher's Nest cost?
R15,500 a night Sunday to Thursday and R16,500 on Friday and Saturday for the whole lodge, on its own site in September 2026. That covers up to 11 adults in four suites, self-catering, with private guided drives.
Is Twitcher's Nest good for a family group?
It is built for one: four suites for up to 11 adults with your own vehicle and guide. We found no published child policy, so ask about children on drives.
Can you self-drive from Twitcher's Nest?
No. The private reserve on the western side is guided only; the private guided drives are how you see the park.