Pretoria North, Pretoria

Pretoria North at a glance

One hour just north-east of Johannesburg and Pretoria, lies the warm, big-sky region of Dinokeng, source of the world's largest diamond, an area that sparkles with natural, cultural and historical attractions. The Greater Dinokeng Area, meaning "a place of rivers", is a region in northern Gauteng rich in natural, cultural and historical heritage sites.

Dinokeng's four major tourist hubs are:

• the historic town of Cullinan, where the world's largest rough gem-quality diamond was discovered in 1905;
• the Roodeplaat dam, a birders' paradise;
• the Dinokeng Game Reserve, Gauteng's only free-roaming Big-Five reserve, and
• Dinokeng Central which is the best kept secret as well as the springboard for visiting the other hubs.

The Dinokeng Game Reserve is a wildlife sanctuary in the province of Gauteng, South Africa and can be accessed via the N1 route. It is a 40-minute drive from Pretoria or 75 minutes from the O. R. Tambo Airport and Johannesburg. The reserve has the Big Five game animals, and is open for visitors to explore.

The area experiences summer rainfall patterns in the form of thunder storms which can be variable and erratic. Rainfall varies from 350mm to 750mm per season. Temperatures vary between 0° and 40° with a long-term daily average of 21°.

Dinokeng central is the best kept secret and hospitable heart of Dinokeng where you can melt into nature right on the doorstep of the capital city. It is also dubbed 'The Marloth Park of Dinokeng', the ideal springboard for visiting the other hubs of the diverse Dinokeng destination.

Many properties in Dinokeng Central offer a 'private' game reserve experience where they offer safe walking and can freely look for birds, other fascinating creatures and game such as impala, waterbuck, nyala, zebra, wildebeest and so much more.

Dinokeng is blissfully Malaria-free.