One of South Africa’s lesser-known reserves, Madikwe Game Reserve makes for the ultimate luxury safari. It is closer to Johannesburg than Kruger National Park, malaria free and boasts Big Five wildlife viewing. It also offers dreamy lodging in red-sand and thorn-bush environs and is packed with so many lions that the provincial parks department which manages Madikwe had to relocate some.
Less than a three-hour drive from Joburg, and almost on top of Sun City, malaria-free Pilanesberg National Park is South Africa’s most accessible big game reserve. Designed as a sort of back-to-nature weekend escape for nearby city dwellers at the end of the 1970s, the park remains a refreshing haven where lion, buffalo and tourists roam. But although the park may be in a heavily developed area, don’t confuse it for a zoo. The animals roaming Pilanesberg’s extinct volcanic crater are 100-percent wild.
Sun City is the legendary creation of entrepreneur Sol Kerzer. Here, Disneyland collides with ancient Egypt in a demented attempt to look like South Africa’s version of Las Vegas. Filled with gilded statues of lions and monkeys, acres of artificial beaches, exploding volcanoes and endless slot machines, Sun City serves no purpose beyond entertainment. And even though there’s no question this gambling resort is almost grotesquely gaudy, visiting it is also loads of fun.
The best part of Sun City is undeniably its Lost City, entered via a bridge flanked by life-sized fake elephants. Basically it is a giant water park that consists of Valley of the Waves (a pool with a large-scale wave-making machine); a sandy beach, numerous water slides and other amusement park rides. Lost City is also home to a casino, theater complex and the requisite food court.
Consistently ranked one of the top hotels in the world, this palatial property in the middle of the Lost City at Sun City offers an opulent toast to the luxury lifestyle. Rooms are palatial, but pale in comparison to the awesome public spaces that can only be accessed with a reservation at the hotel. The public is not welcome to just wander around.
Less than two hours’ drive from Johannesburg, but worlds apart in looks and attitude, the ancient 120-kilometer-long Magaliesberg range forms a half-moon arc between the Hartbeespoort Dam and city of Rustenburg. This is a land of rolling green hills, streams, forests and lots of fresh, clean air. It is also a favorite weekend escape for South Africans from Gautang’s big cities.
In the Magaliesberg Mountains, skim treetops and jump cliffs while whizzing down a steel zip line suspended up to 30 meters above the ground on a Magaliesberg Canopy Tour. The eco adventure takes you on a guided two-hour-plus descent through Ysterhout Kloof, stopping at multiple platforms built into cliff faces for bird’s-eye views along the way.
With more than 40 open-air stands full of African curios to choose from, this country market on the shores of Hartebeespoort Dam is a great place to stock up on African handicrafts and curios before heading home. Prices are reasonable, quality is fair-to-excellent (you can find some really nice pieces), and you can bargain.
This dam is a favorite weekend retreat for South Africans living around Joburg and Pretoria, and it’s also a good day trip for travelers hoping to escape the urban jungle. Less than an hour’s drive from either city, it feels worlds apart from urbanity with rolling hills, winding country roads and the dam’s green-blue waters.
The town of Mafikeng has one of the best museums in South Africa. It focuses on quirky regional information dating from prehistoric times and features everything from the history of South Africa’s Boy Scout movement to an entire room devoted to the famous siege at Mafikeng, with original photographs and letters. There’s also good information about the forgotten role played by the town’s black population.
