North West Province Accommodation

Formed post 1994, the North West province is rich in atmospheric language reminiscent of JM Coetzee's Heart of Darkness – names of places like Mafikeng (the province's capital), Taung, Mogwase, Phokeng, Kromdraai and Madikwe may make it sound like an obscure, mystic corner of Africa when, in fact, this couldn't be further from the truth.

With a rather monotonous landscape of unwavering grasslands, peppered by the odd smattering of trees, the North West does not make front page news in the average travel book. However, North West not only contains two of the country's largest game reserves that boast the Big 5 but also the Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site, the Taung Heritage Site (where the unearthing of the skull of the Taung child has led to much speculation as to the origins of man), the Wondergat – a huge, underwater cave network –, the equally interesting Cradle of Humankind, and the mountains of the Magaliesberg (one of the oldest mountain ranges on Earth).

Visitors know it best as the place of the Lost City and Valley of the Waves, locals in the neighbouring province of Gauteng head to the Magaliesberg and Hartbeespoort Dam as their weekend adventure-sport playground.

Divided, for ease into a number of regions, North West's Bojanala, Central and Southern regions as well as Hartbeespoort Dam, provide accommodation of every conceivable kind. From five star lodges and guesthouses, through self-catering bed and breakfast establishments, to guest farms, spas, hotels and game lodges – there is something for everyone.

Its shared border with Botswana makes North West an appealing option for travellers, and whilst the slot machines of Sun City might not be for everyone, the malaria-free wildlife of Madikwe and the Pilanesberg National Park, the rich focus on cultural and historical heritage, and the evocative outdoor lifestyle of the province epitomised by the wild, hiking trails of the beautiful, bush-covered hills of the Magaliesberg, make this region worth more than a cursory glance.

Highlights:
• see lions on safari in Madikwe Game Reserve
• hot air balloon over the Magaliesberg
• explore wildlife within the perimeter of the crater of an extinct volcano in Pilanesberg National Park
• visit the colossal meteorite impact dome of Vredefort
• ride the swells at Valley of the Waves