A night at the palace
There’s only one place in South Africa that’s fit for a queen (and we can’t get enough).
The Palace at Sun City is luxury personified and only a mere two hour drive from Johannesburg. Our favourite retreat is the perfect place for either family or romantic getaways. We started our stay with an incredible three course meal at the palace’s 5 star restaurant, Plume. The decadent decor, intimate exclusivity and Afro-French fusion cuisine makes this restaurant one of the most romantic dining experiences in Sun City. We couldn’t help but feel like we were dining at a villa in the South of France, from the plush sink-into-me arm chairs while savouring the delicious food and extensive wine collection.
After lunch called for a treatment at the resorts 5 star spa at the Gary Player country club. Having won numerous awards, the spa offers treatments from massages to facials, manicures, pedicures and an in-spa hair salon. We enjoyed our time poolside enjoying a cup of tea before heading back to our room for an afternoon siesta in order to prepare for the evening’s festivities which lay ahead of us.
Sundowners are a formal affair at Tusk bar in the Palace, where Don Pérignon flows freely and the highly arched ceilings and romantic flames offer an intimate setting for lovers. With its safari-themed decor and exquisite views, Tusk will take you back in time to the nostalgia of colonial grandeur. If it wasn’t for the dinner that awaited us at the hotel’s Grill Room, we might just have spent our night next to the electric fire with a glass of bubbly, nibbling on an array of delicious snacks. However, it would be remiss of us to pass up the opportunity to dine on expertly selected cuisine, from fillet and pork belly to the raved-about rosemary mashed potatoes at the Grill House – the perfect spot for foodies!
After dinner, we were knackered out and ready for bed in our breathtakingly beautiful safari themed rooms. With views of the lush palm treed gardens, getting out of bed in the morning would have been impossible were it not for the breakfast buffet that await us – and when we say this was the highlight of our stay, we mean it! With everything from a full English breakfast to an all-inclusive waffle bar, dieting at the palace is impossible (and we’re not complaining!).
With a full 24 hours under our belt at the Palace of the lost city, it’s easy to understand why our favourite luxurious getaway remains one of the most magical places in South Africa (and we hadn’t even touched on the resort’s entertainment or the famous Valley of the Waves). On second thought, I think we might need to check in for longer than a night next time.
