Day 8: Pilanesberg NP & Sun City

July 5, 2019

This morning after breakfast, we drive to the nearby Sun City Resort, a huge leisure complex with casinos, hotels, shows, and various attractions. As guests of Bakubung Lodge, we receive a discounted special ticket and are allowed to use the back entrance and drive directly into the complex with our car.

At the entrance to the resort, we pass through a complete residential area with holiday homes, pools, and infrastructure. We feel like we are in a gated community in the USA.

We follow the signs to 'Lost City' as we would like to see the 'Palace of Lost City'. Unfortunately, we are stopped at the bridge to the hotel. Access is only allowed for guests. Too bad. We persuade the security guard to let us drive over the bridge to the turning circle so that the children can see the beautiful fountain. He agrees.

We are not allowed to stop, and we probably can't officially take photos either, so we can only take snapshots from the car window and go back over the bridge.

We follow the signs to 'Sun City' and park the car. We enter a kind of mall with an integrated hotel.

The recommendation at the visitor desk is the maze ‘The MAZE’ and a visit to the 'Valley of the Waves'.

We walk over a suspension bridge to the other side of the buildings, where the entrance to the maze awaits us.

Naturally, we don't manage to complete the maze right away. We split up - men against women - and unfortunately, my daughter and I have to admit defeat. We reach the finish line quite a while after my husband and son.

From the roof, you have a great view of the Palace of Lost City. In the distance, we can also see the Valley of the Waves and water slides. Unfortunately, it's quite chilly today, around 22 degrees, so no one is thinking about swimming.

On the way back to the bridge, I take the quick exit and leave the maze to the men. However, this time they actually get lost several times, so we have to wait for some time until they appear at the exit again.

Our opinion? Definitely recommendable!

The MAZE is really fun and is definitely worth the entrance fee!

We walk back to the main building via the suspension bridge and head towards the 'Valley of the Waves'. We reach it via the so-called 'Bridge of Time', a bridge lined with elephants, which leads to the main square with a fountain and a view of the wave pool, the 'Valley of the Waves'.

Unfortunately, the Bridge of Time is under construction. There is supposed to be a light show and fog effects here. But well, not today.

The wave pool has a real sandy beach! There are also plenty of leisure activities here, such as a rope adventure course.

Some brave souls are actually in the wave pool, riding the big wave that comes at intervals. It definitely looks funny.

After seeing everything, we drive a bit further to the Sun City Resort to check out Cabanas Beach. You can tell it's winter and not the season. Renovations and work are being done everywhere, reeds are being disposed of in the lake (and it smells terribly), and preparations are being made for the boating season. In theory, you can do water sports on the lake in summer. But right now, I can't imagine putting even one foot in the green stinky water.

We walk back to the car through the playground, go-kart track, and pool area. Definitely worth seeing.

Sun City doesn't fit into the idea of a South Africa safari vacation when you see that the Pilanesberg NP with 'nature and wild animals' is just a few kilometers away. It feels a little bit like Las Vegas. Everything is artificial!

Back at the lodge, we have lunch and treat ourselves to a coffee before the game drive.

Once again, we sit bundled up in the game drive vehicle and wait for our driver - it's the 'lion hunter' again. Oh my... well, okay.

Today, he also stays on the paved road, and after a few meters, we already have our first encounter with wildlife: a family of rhinos walking to the water.

There is a family of hippos sleeping by the water.

Some elephants are also active today. But somehow, with the big vehicle, I feel safer when it comes to encountering elephants.

At some point, the driver gets itchy again and turns into what is supposed to be the lion territory. Will we see a lion again? Unfortunately, no.

But after a while, we hear loud trumpeting from elephants and see two fighting elephants in the distance. They are going at it fiercely. It's a good thing we are far away.

After a stop with drinks and snacks, we drive back towards the lodge and enjoy the sunset.