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Dec 08, 2009: Fun shines brightly at Sun City
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Dec 08, 2009:
A friend and I lounged by the swimming pool at the Cabanas Hotel during the Sun City Spring Break, reminiscing about trips we'd made to Sun City over the years.
It's hard to believe that this resort built by Sol Kerzner is now 30 years old. It courted its fair share of controversy in the early years, offering gambling and scantily clad dancing girls, racial mixing, and boycott-busting concerts such as Queen and Elton John in a "homeland" within apartheid South Africa.
More recently Sun City's name has been associated with the Miss South Africa and Miss World pageants, as well as the Nedbank Golf Challenge ("Million Dollar"), held annually in early December, and Spring Break, held over the Heritage long weekend.
Central to Spring Break, which annually attracts tens of thousands of sun seekers, is the Valley of the Waves with its giant man-made swells, sandy beach, slides, games and beach bars. But be warned: this is not a weekend for sissies.
The place is packed with young people, some of whom, regrettably, become loud and obnoxious.
Such weekends aside, one of the attractions of Sun City is that there is plenty to do.
For those who like their time off to be lazy, each resort has its own attractive pool area, while there's a range of sporting and other activities for those who like to be kept busy.
Book early and you can play a round on one of two 18-hole Gary Player-designed courses.
Down at Waterworld there are jet skis, boating and parasailing which, even at R700 for two, is a hit over Spring Break.
Tennis, horse riding and even clay pigeon shooting are just some of the other options for those who find it difficult to sit still.
A cultural village offers more sedentary options (although a colleague said that going to the crocodile farm at feeding time was frenetic) and the Shebeen bar is an alternative night-time venue to the Entertainment Centre.
Because it's close to the Pilanesberg National Park, Sun City is a particularly popular destination for foreign tourists with game drives into the park available from Sun City at R370.
Sun City has four hotels as well as the Vacation Club timeshare complex offering 382 units. Top of the range is the richly designed Palace of the Lost City, where the king's suite can set you back R51 300 for a night. There's the Cascades, the recently refurbished Sun City Hotel, and the Cabanas, a popular family option.
There are restaurants and bars at all the hotels and (with the exception of the Palace) hotel guests can take their meals at any of the resorts or restaurants.
Spring Break saw a Ministry of Sound party, while there is plenty of entertainment - including a club for under-18s. Speaking of children, Kamp Kwena operates from the Cabanas and offers parents a welcome respite for a few hours while the kids have fun there.
Because it's not far from the Pretoria-Joburg area, with roads leading to it (such as the N4) vastly improved, a day visit is feasible. The entrance charge is R70, with the Valley of the Waves costing R90.Source: IOL Travel - www.ioltravel.co.za
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