What to do in Sun City

A man-made beach at Sun City. Photo: Jota @ BRAZIL / Flickr

Bush meets beach at Sun City, so activities range from safari adventures in the nearby Pilanesberg National Park to cocktails on the “beach” at the resort. Here are a few activities that made our list:

Valley of the Waves

Why you should visit: The Valley of the Waves is undoubtedly the star of the show at Sun City. Whether you simply want to relax on the beach, jump the waves, float in the pools, or enjoy the rush of adrenaline on one of the seven thrilling water slides, water babies will undoubtedly find themselves in paradise.

The legendary Roaring Lagoon tosses out a perfect two-metre wave every 90 seconds onto a powdery white beach fringed by towering palm trees.

For water-based fun of a more thrilling kind, take the 70-metre plunge down the Temple of Courage and then slide down the Tarantula and the Scorpion (body slides) and grab your tube to take on the Viper and the Mamba slides. Kick back and relax on a tube floating down the Lazy River, a non-stop tube ride around the island, or relax in The Royal Baths, a large swimming pool beside the Amphitheatre, cocktail in hand.

How much does it cost: Guests staying at any of the Sun City hotels have free access to the Valley of the Waves. Peak rates for adults are R395 and R290 for children over two-years-old.

Balloon safari in the Pilanesberg

Why you should visit: Bundle up warmly and take to the skies for the bucket-list experience of a hot air balloon safari over the Pilanesberg National Park. Float along with the wind while taking in stunning views of the park and its resident game, far below.

The hot air balloon flight itself is approximately one hour. On landing, guests will toast the experience with sparkling wine, before enjoying a leisurely game drive and breakfast. Set aside five hours for the whole experience.

How to get there: It’s operated by Mankwe Gametrackers stationed in the Sun City Resort.

How much does it cost: R5 000 per person.

Forest of Lights

Why you should visit: Come nightfall, you can enjoy the best of nature with a human twist to elevate the experience – what Sun City does best. The Forest of Lights light installation transforms the tropical gardens and waterfalls surrounding the Cascades Hotel into a magical night-time forest. Guests can wander through anytime from 18:00 to midnight.

Segaetsho Cultural Village

Why you should visit: Delve into the rich heritage and culture of the North West by visiting the on-site Segaetsho Cultural Village. Meaning “Our Heritage” in Setswana, the cultural village has been created to offer visitors a taste of authentic Batswana culture through music, art, traditional dancing and cuisine.

How to get there: Take the complimentary shuttle to the Sun City Shebeen and follow the signage.

How much does it cost: R200 per adult, R150 per child.

The Casino

Why you should visit: Move over Las Vegas. Sun City’s Casino has hundreds of slot machines and over 40 popular high-tech table games to keep the lucky novice and pro over-18’s entertained for hours.

Play with a few cents to R100 on the slot machines, or try your hand at exciting Blackjack, Baccarat, American Roulette and more on the casino tables.

While the over-18’s are taming Lady Luck in the casino, younger visitors have their own two-level Sun Central entertainment centre to keep them happy for hours. There are movies, ten pin bowling, arcade games and more.

Family fun

Why you should visit: You’ll never hear “Mom, I’m bored” at the Sun City Resort.

Waterworld, a man-made lake in the Sun City Resort complex, offers golf, parasailing, jet skiing, water skiing, tube rides, bumper boats, miniature train rides and Jetovator rides, which will suspend the rider 10m into the air above the water. The park is open to day visitors and Sun City Resort hotel guests.

The Maze of the Lost City, said to be the largest permanent maze in the southern hemisphere, covers half an acre and offers some great views over the resort complex. Upon successfully finding your way out, you can reward yourself with an ice-cold craft beer at the Maze Bar.

How much does it cost: Enquire for pricing of individual activities.

Chimp & Zee Rope Adventure Park

Why you should visit: Take to the skies for a bird’s eye view of the Valley of the Waves. Elevated obstacles have been built around the park connected with balancing beams, zip lines, swaying bridges, and more, to offer the adventurous of heart an adult-sized playground above the trees. The courses take about 45-minutes to complete.

How much does it cost: R210 per person.

I Love South Africa

In the absence of a strong national brand that focuses solely on the country’s tourism and hospitality sectors, I Love South Africa has come to life. While exploring all aspects of tourism and hospitality, I Love South Africa will be the go-to source of daily travel news keeping readers up to date with the high-tempo travel and hospitality sector. I Love South Africa is part of the Blue Sky Publications group, publishers of The South African, one of South Africa’s largest and the fastest-growing news publications.