Sun City Favorites

Favorite thing: Well if you head for the Valley of the Waves don`t dispair as you can rent anything from a towel , locker and the tubes for the tube rides and for the roaring lagoon. You can`t miss it as its situated next to the Toilets and Change Roooms and they have a small arcade centre on the right hand side.

Favorite thing: We were driving along the one side of the valley bank, and across the valley, we spotted a white lioness sunning herself, all splayed out under the burning sun.

What was truly spectacular was that she was sunning herself on a deep red rock outcrop… and the contrast between her pure white fur and the rust red of the rock was absolutely gorgeous.

We sat and watched her for a while, but then had to go as the park gates were closing soon.

Unfortunately I never got a photograph of it, but the picture is still firm in my memory.

I wish I had had a lens good enough to capture this, and next time we go (early 2007), we are going well equipped with a really long lens!

Favorite thing: Yes. you might think I am meaning watching the pretty lasses on the beach in the Valley of the Waves, but I am talking of the feathered variety :)

The wild bird life here is simply amazing. You CANNOT come here sans your camera!!!!

I particularly like the aviary area, it’s not huge but there is a decent array of birds there. I far prefer seeing birds in their natural habitat though.

This is quite a long link, but is the one which shows the rather long list of birds found in this area! It is rich with wildlife.

Sun International Bird list

Sun International

Favorite thing: The Pilansberg Nature and Game Reserve is not a National Park, although many think it is. It is a popular game park for various reasons in my view:

- It’s really close to one of the tourist hot spots in Africa (next door in fact!) – Sun City and the Lost City are flocked with visitors from abroad and locals all year round.

- It is not expensive to visit, unlike many of the private game parks in the country. It is excellent value for money.

- The park is not too big, but is large enough, so that you are ensured of seeing a decent amount of animals. Even though the Kruger National Park is my favourite Game Park of all, it is really large, and you may see everything you want to in a visit, or you may see nothing much.

- As with the majority of game parks in South Africa, it is very well maintained and a pleasure to visit. Roads are good too, which makes a huge difference to your enjoyment, never mind how good your suspension is!

Favorite thing: There is a mixed landscape in Pilansberg.

It sits between the lowveld (which is more lush and fertile), and the desert (more barren and arid), so has a combination of both, although I would say it is more lowveld-orientated.

As it is situated in the centre of an extinct (and ancient volcano, don’t worry!lol), there is a low-lying middle area, which rises up at the sides somewhat, cradling the park in a basin.

There are quite a few rocky outcrops and semi-mountaineous areas, which (if you are allowed to take your vehicle there),make great spots for viewing animals far away.

There are many different types of indigenous trees, flowers and grasses, to mention a few things.

It is teeming with life and abundance in this intricate ecosystem!

Favorite thing: Viewing animals is all about visibility.

Due to the heat of the day, animals spend midday under shade, and if they do venture out into the open vegetation, they often rest and doze.

There is not much they can do in the intense heat. Playing/hunting etc. are active and energy-levels are low at this point.

We were fortunate to spot this old black rhino dozing on and off, as we could sit and watch him for about 40 minutes non-stop while he did his thing.

He wandered around this area a bit, ate a bit and dozed on and off, eyeing us out now and again (to make sure we were keeping our distance I am sure!).

He had a clipped ear, probably from an altercation when he was young and restless. As an older male he now leads a solitary lifestyle.

Favorite thing: The best place to view animals is at watering holes.

Elephants and other animals congregate here in large groups, anything from 12 to 40 at a time, so it’s a great place to view them interacting with one another.

This communal effort is also very good as a defence against possible attack, as the hunters lie in wait at the waterholes, knowing that animals will come to it every couple of hours.

Best time to view them drinking is early morning and then dusk. In the searing heat of the day they tend to stay in shady areas.

Favorite thing: Do you think you've got the X-factor? That special something that makes heads turn and grown men weep? Do you have the stamina, the personality and the confidence to be South Africa's fairest of them all?

Then make sure you are at one of the 'Call for Entry' locations around the country to enter either the Miss South Africa or Miss SA Teen pageants. This is your window of opportunity to be at the forefront of fashion, attend SA's finest social occasions, meet the who's who of corporate SA and firmly establish yourself on the next rung of your life plan. Being Miss South Africa and Miss SA Teen is not for wilting lilies, it's for exotic blooms of tropical splendour. You have to know how to dazzle, to sparkle and to keep it up 24:7.

There are early morning shoots, late night social occasions, overnight travel and people - lots of them. But it's worth it. This pageant comes with the biggest prizes and the most prestige and Miss South Africa gets to wear an incredible Tanzanite crown for the year of her reign.

Fondest memory: The combined Miss South Africa and Miss SA Teen extravaganza sponsored by Sun International will take place at Sun City on 10 December 2005,