South Africa: Sun City

After Johannesburg, Sun City was our first major destination in South Africa.  We drove two and a half hours northwest of Johannesburg to this luxury resort located between the Elands River and Pilanesberg.

Sun City is one of those few places that lives up to its name.  We visited in winter and basked in temperate sunlit days. The average temperature here is mild all year round ranging between 20 to 30 degrees Celsius.

The Palace of the Lost City was every bit the fantasy. We stepped out of the car to look up at the soaring cotton palm trees and towering sun-drenched sandstone walls of this impressive structure. Embellishments of animal themes and fine wall details on this grand hotel left no doubt you were in an Africa that most people don't know about.

The hand painted dome in the hotel foyer was a vibrant depiction of animal and plant life in the surrounding valley that brought the outside in.

The sun followed us inside these majestic walls. It continued to stream into the foyer, the dining areas and to the bedrooms.

As the sun began to descend, it could not help but make a slow and sentimental exit.

The Palace, however, was unable to part with the sun for too long. By the time the light outside had gone, the Palace exuded its own. It's as if bathing in the sun all day long had allowed it to store all the light up and propel it outwards when night came.

I was initially captivated by the grandeur of this place, requiring some time to take it all in. Yet when it was time to go, I thought I could easily recommend it but had no strong urge to return. It's interesting how ambitious man-made creations can leave one feeling cold despite its apparent beauty. By the time we had gone to Kruger and embarked on our safari at Ngala, The Palace of the Lost City paled in my memory. For me, there was just no competing with being out in the lowveld and then retreating back into the unobtrusive thatched cottages at Ngala.