The Cascades Hotel has in the last year undergone a very extensive refurbishment.  For several years the hotel has stood in the shadows of the prestigious Palace of the Lost City, but the recent refurbishment has improved the facilities and interiors. Thus making it a fantastic alternative for guests whose budget doesn’t quite stretch to the Palace of the Lost City. The Cascades hotel is named after the Tumbling waters flowing through a lush tropical forest. The man made tropical lagoons set amidst rock and waterscapes create a paradise for flamingoes and swans. The grounds are large with narrow pathways passing carp-filled lakes, streams & waterfalls A stroll through the meandering gardens provides glimpses of many exotic birds and of beautiful orchids dangling in the canopy of the rich tropical forest. At times it is hard to believe that you are in the middle of the dry African Bushveld.

If all this sounds too strenuous then why not cool off in the large freeform pool with artificial boulders, waterfalls and slide; a secret channel allows swimming through underground grotto-style seafood restaurant and bar. For lazy days by the pool there are  plenty of loungers and parasols to relax and unwind on.  The 243 luxurious double rooms and suites have a private bathroom, air-conditioning, direct dial telephone, mini-bar, color TV and radio, and each one has a view of the peaceful tropical gardens which sweep down towards the golf course and on to the sun-backed mountain slopes beyond.

Sun City : Golf

The Gary Player Country Club in Sun City was built in 1979 and is acknowledged as a difficult and demanding course.

The comparatively flat nature of the golf course is misleading - water hazards, cunningly sited bunkers and pins hidden away on kidney shaped greens makes up for the lack of gradient. Best known as the home of the Nedbank Golf Challenge, most golfers, including Compleat Golfer magazine, rank this course as the best in South Africa.

The Sun City Resort is also home to the Lost City Country Club, very different to the Gary Player Country Club’s layout but no less alluring. This course was built in 1992, and was the first to benefit from the services of a professional shaper when it was constructed.