BIG CAT DIARIES South Africa: North West Province


For a destination that combines fi ve-star quality with unbeatable wildlife, cultural attractions and outdoor activities aplenty, suggest South Africa's Natural Province, says Steve Hartridge


I


t’s been a taxing couple of years for South Africa’s tourism industry, but there are signs that a corner is


being turned. The expected rush of visitors after the


2010 World Cup failed to materialise, partly because prices that were inflated for that tournament didn’t go into reverse and other long haul destinations emerged as being as least as affordable and attractive as the Rainbow Nation. But 2012 promises to be a better year


for a destination that can still point to star draws like eye-popping scenery, wildlife, beaches, cities embracing the new 'multiculturalism', cultural attractions and resorts located in mountains, vineyards, deserts and game reserves. UK visitor numbers were up around


eight per cent in January over the same month in 2011 and both operators and retailers are noting the rising interest (see Barbara Charlton on page 62). Most first-time visitors will sign up for the tried and tested combination of Cape Town and the Garden Route, perhaps starting or ending in one of the game parks of the Eastern Cape or the Kruger region. But for something


more than a bit different that is still largely free of the tourist buses consider the North West Province, which stretches from the outskirts of Johannesburg to the Botswana border. This is a region that offers the country’s top family entertainment centre (Sun City), world-class game reserves and five-star bush lodges, UNESCO-listed World Heritage cultural attractions, a host of outdoor adventure activities and large African skies. Just two hours from Johannesburg,


Sun International's Sun City was South Africa’s original gambling and show- time venue, during a time when casinos were banned throughout the rest of the country and the only option for a flutter was the so-called black homelands. But Bophuthatswana, as it was called, disappeared with the end of apartheid, casinos opened up across South Africa and Sun City moved quickly to reinvent itself as one of Africa’s leading adventure playgrounds. Today visitors can look forward to four quality hotels, including the opulent The Palace at Lost City – designed in a style that fits in with the tale of a discovered ‘lost civilisation’ – the Cascades Hotel, with its waterfalls,


sparkling pools and verdant gardens, and the original Sun City Hotel which has been revamped and refurbished several times since it first started welcoming the high-rollers from Johannesburg. Also on site are two championship golf courses, the Valley of the Waves water park and several kids' activities. For thrill-seekers recommend the


nearby Po Zip-Slide – the highest, longest and fastest of its kind in the world – and an elephant interaction experience, where guests get to feed the big beasts or ride them on a one-hour safari where they will spot rhino, giraffe and antelopes. Surrounding Sun City is Pilanesberg National Park, home to the big five of elephant, lion, rhino, buffalo and leopard – and much more – and five-star


accommodation of its own at lodges such as Ivory Tree Game Lodge and


Tshukudu Bush Lodge. Hot-air balloon safaris are also popular in the park.


For a more exclusive safari experience Madikwe Private Game reserve awaits just three hours from Sun City. Like Pilanesberg the reserve is malaria free but offers over 30 five-star lodges that offer a variety of luxury trimmings like fine dining, private plunge pools and spas. Activities can include traditional safaris on a 4x4, walking safaris and visits to a school in a nearby township.


Not to be missed is The Cradle of Humankind, declared a World Heritage Site in 1999 due to its contribution to our knowledge about the birth of humankind. Inside these caves,


palaeoanthropologists have discovered thousands of fossils of hominids and other animals, dating back four-million years, to the birth of humankind. At Maropeng visitors see


ancient fossils, learn about how 46 June 2012 • www.sellinglonghaul.com


humankind was born, view stone tools up to one-million years old, and more. The interactive centre is ideal for children of all ages. Elsewhere in the North West you can


learn all about (and stroke) cheetahs at the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre, enjoy fine dining in top country resorts like De Hook and the Mount Grace, learn about the region’s ethnic tribes at Lesedi Cultural Village, play golf at one of several championship courses, take a cruise or balloon ride at Hartbeespoort Dam or join a horseback trail in the Magaliesberg Mountains – to name just a few of the options offered by South Africa’s ‘Natural Province’


What’s New A new visitor attraction, the Aerial Cableway Hartbeespoort, will offer uninterrupted 360° panoramic views of the Magaliesberg Mountains when it opens later this year. Fourteen new cable cars, manufactured out of high-strength aluminium, will carry six passengers at a time. The cableway will also have two restaurants, a souvenir and fine gifts shop and a KidZone play area. Visitors will be able to take an educational and informative walkway around the mountain on the 'Dassie Loop,' which will provide insights into the Magaliesberg biosphere. The original cableway was constructed in 1973 but was closed in 2005.


“Pilanesberg and Madikwe are both world-class reserves that offer the ‘Big Five”


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68