Precious Sun City
SHIMMERING above an emerald forest, like a temple curved out of rocks molded over centuries, Mount Pilanesberg looms ahead. Nestled between its gentle slopes is the dazzling Sun City resort, a web of towering hotels, with man-made lakes and lush greenery.
By Irene Tushabe
SHIMMERING above an emerald forest, like a temple curved out of rocks molded over centuries, Mount Pilanesberg looms ahead. Nestled between its gentle slopes is the dazzling Sun City resort, a web of towering hotels, with man-made lakes and lush greenery.
Sun city is an amazing wonder in the wilderness. The resort, located after a two hour drive from Johannesburg, was built in 1978. It included the bravura Sun City Hotel, a Vegas-style casino, a championship golf course, a 55metre swimming pool, a man-made lake and a tennis court.
The resort now includes two luxurious hotels, the Sun City Cabanas and the Cascades Hotel, with a tropical garden.
The grandest inclusion is the Lost City, a recreation of a mythical old age civilisation with a palace in the form of a luxurious hotel. The palace is believed to be the residence of an ancient king. It is guarded by towering elephants.
The Lost City is a marvel surrounded by lush gardens, a water park, a golf course with a crocodile at the thirteenth hole, the shrine of the lost monkey, ruins of old temples, grottos, ancient carvings, the bridge of time (it tremors at the top of the hour) and the valley of waves - an impressive artificial ocean.
From my vantage point, ontop of a wall, I was amazed by the valley of waves. A soft breeze sweeps across the blue surface of the 18 hectare aquatic playground. The water ripples under the soft caress of the breeze. A siren goes off and a huge wave sweeps across the lagoon, lapping up its golden sand beach. These waves are mechanically generated.
In the morning, with day light only a whisper away, a ride through the Pilanesberg National Park “home of the big five†is a great start. The 55,000 hectare reserve is home to 10,000 animals. You can’t help but enjoy the wildlife in the third biggest game reserve in South Africa. The soft singing of the birds fills the air with orchestral harmony.
After the tour, followed by a lavish breakfast, you can spend the day playing video games, golf, tennis, watching movies, going to restaurants, swimming, surfing the artificial waves, jet skiing, Para-gliding, waterskiing, boat cruises and paddleboats.
At the end of the day, the sun sets but the fun doesn’t. Live performances from both international and local musicians are a common phenomenon.
The moon radiates a faint light and a billion stars glisten in the velvet sky, writing an unreadable script in the inky darkness of night.
SHIMMERING above an emerald forest, like a temple curved out of rocks molded over centuries, Mount Pilanesberg looms ahead. Nestled between its gentle slopes is the dazzling Sun City resort, a web of towering hotels, with man-made lakes and lush greenery.
Sun city is an amazing wonder in the wilderness. The resort, located after a two hour drive from Johannesburg, was built in 1978. It included the bravura Sun City Hotel, a Vegas-style casino, a championship golf course, a 55metre swimming pool, a man-made lake and a tennis court.
The resort now includes two luxurious hotels, the Sun City Cabanas and the Cascades Hotel, with a tropical garden.
The grandest inclusion is the Lost City, a recreation of a mythical old age civilisation with a palace in the form of a luxurious hotel. The palace is believed to be the residence of an ancient king. It is guarded by towering elephants.
The Lost City is a marvel surrounded by lush gardens, a water park, a golf course with a crocodile at the thirteenth hole, the shrine of the lost monkey, ruins of old temples, grottos, ancient carvings, the bridge of time (it tremors at the top of the hour) and the valley of waves - an impressive artificial ocean.
From my vantage point, ontop of a wall, I was amazed by the valley of waves. A soft breeze sweeps across the blue surface of the 18 hectare aquatic playground. The water ripples under the soft caress of the breeze. A siren goes off and a huge wave sweeps across the lagoon, lapping up its golden sand beach. These waves are mechanically generated.
In the morning, with day light only a whisper away, a ride through the Pilanesberg National Park “home of the big five†is a great start. The 55,000 hectare reserve is home to 10,000 animals. You can’t help but enjoy the wildlife in the third biggest game reserve in South Africa. The soft singing of the birds fills the air with orchestral harmony.
After the tour, followed by a lavish breakfast, you can spend the day playing video games, golf, tennis, watching movies, going to restaurants, swimming, surfing the artificial waves, jet skiing, Para-gliding, waterskiing, boat cruises and paddleboats.
At the end of the day, the sun sets but the fun doesn’t. Live performances from both international and local musicians are a common phenomenon.
The moon radiates a faint light and a billion stars glisten in the velvet sky, writing an unreadable script in the inky darkness of night.