WINTER | 2014
19
RCI.co.za
home to two Nobel Peace Prize winners: Nelson
Mandela and Desmond Tutu. Also en route are
the Hector Peterson Memorial, roadside herbalists
and street-corner takeaways selling sheep heads
and feet. Lunch at Wandie’s Restaurant, often in
the company of Wandie himself, is a true African
culinary experience not to be missed.
To escape the city, the small diamond mining
town of
Cullinan,
just an hour away, has
interesting shops, restaurants and even a little spa
to enjoy on a day trip.
LIMPOPO
he ancient kingdom of
Mapungubwe
on the banks of the Limpopo River
is believed to be Southern Africa’s first
kingdom, and the precursor to the kingdoms
of Great Zimbabwe and Thulamela in northern
Kruger National Park. The Royal Hill of
Mapungubwe sits within the national park of the
same name and can be visited on organised tours.
The rest of the park is breathtakingly beautiful
with intriguing sandstone formations and a wide
variety of wildlife to see, including oryx. This is
also baobab territory and they are both huge and
plentiful.
The ‘big baobab’ at Sunland Nursery near Tzaneen
is claimed to be the oldest tree in the world, and
likely the biggest too. So massive is its girth that a
full bar exists inside its trunk. Called the
Baobab
Tree Bar,
you can stop for a cold refreshment
when you pass by.
NORTH WEST
o lose yourself in a world of gaming
and playing by day and night,
Sun City
is the quintessential playground for
adults. And if you tire of gambling, there are
plenty of other entertainment options such
as a swim in the Valley of the Waves or a hot
air balloon trip over the surrounding area.
Close by is
Pilanesberg Game Reserve,
which
is also within easy reach of a day trip from
Johannesburg. The Big Five and more roam here
Photo: Thinkstock
Limpopo: baobab territory
T
T
