North West
South Africa's Northwest Province is one of the country's most visited, but least-understood regions. It is renowned, among tourists at least, for the famously decadent Sun City resort and Big Five Pilansberg Game Reserve, but not much else. Few people venture beyond these attractions to explore this area in greater depth. Consequently, it can be curiously rewarding to do so. Outside the main cities, the old-fashioned hospitality you'll encounter, along with the stillness and tranquility in the endless stretches of grassland and fields of mielies (sweet corn), is a refreshing change after the hectic bustle of Johannesburg.
This province has a number of excellent curio shops and venues for the tourist. It is the branch-off point for the Kruger National Park, as well as private reserves and areas to the north of the province.
Northwest Province extends west from Gauteng to the Botswana border and Kalahari Desert. Along the province's eastern flank, essentially dividing northwest from Gauteng, loom the Magaliesburg Mountains. These majestic mountains are one hundred times older than the Himalayas, and these days they are dotted with holiday resorts for nature-starved Jo'burgers. If you're driving from Johannesburg to Cape Town and can afford a bit of meandering, try taking the N12 through Northwest via Kimberley (in Northern Cape). The road follows the Vaal River for hundreds of miles, and once you're past inspiring Potchefstroom and Klerksdorp, a detour to the riverbanks provides a lovely breather. Bloemhof is particularly refreshing, beacause of its quiet nature reserve teeming with birdlife.
The province also has a healthy number of game lodges where, depending on your budget, you can view game from a luxurious verandah or camp under the stars in the bushveld. The N4 from Pretoria leads you into the Magaliesburg Mountains and through the main town of the northeastern part of the province, Rustenburg. Rustenburg boasts a windswept nature reserve where you can hike high enough to gaze down onto the shimmering plains beneath. Groot Marico, further west, is a friendly town with powerful home-brews and laid-back people to share them with. Further on towards Botswana's capital of Gaborone, the Madikwe Game Reserve is one of South Africa's undiscovered wildlife gems, a massive Big Five park which sees remarkably few visitors and boasts some superb game lodges.
Relentless sun, alleviated only by torrential rain, makes summer in Northwest something of an endurance test. Aim to come here in spring or autumn. For the more adventurous, camping in the quiet and timeless veld is especially rewarding in this part of South Africa.
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