Sun City/Lost City
Both the Sun City and the Lost City complexes nestle in teh giant crater of an extinct African volcano. The complex is a jetset holiday playground, which attracts vistiors from across the globe.
The Sun City complex consists of three hotels: The complex sonsists of three hotels: The Cascades, Sun City Hotel and The Cabanas which are all set among subtropical gardens filled with ezotic bird and plant life, alonside a man-made lake where numerous watersport activities are enjoyed by guests.

The complex is a 24-hour kaleidoscope of non-stop entertainment with jingling slot machines, bingo barkers, one of teh largest casinos in Africa, cinemas, restaurants, bars, boutiques, and teh renowned Sun City Extravaganza, a show of lively music and star spangled costumes.

The Superbowl has hosted a range of international stars such as Shirley Bassey, Elton john, Sting, Frank Sinatra and Bryan Adams, as well as world famous boxing bouts.

Nestling cheek by jowl is teh imaginary excavation, The Lost City, which depicts an ancient civilisation. Hewn from the foothills of the Pilanesberg, the jewel of this exotic paradise is the luxurious Palace Hotel where soaring towers reach skywards and elaborate carvings recall the glories of an ancient past.

It is set in 25 hectares of waterscapes and jungles containing tropical trees, rain forests, bamboo, palm and magnificent baobabs.

Another technical marvel at The Lost City is the incredible manmade Valley of the Waves, where visitors can enjoy spine chilling water rides down subterranean chutes, surf on perfect waves rolling onto a golden beach, or take lazy rides in inflated rubber tubes.

Taung heritage site
Lying on the southern border of the province, about 240 kilometres from Mmabatho, is Taung, a mecca for historians and anthropologists.
This is the site of the discovery in 1942 of the famous two and a half million year old Taung child skull, the first fossil to be found of the African ape man, Australophiecinae.

The area of the Taung Skull site is now a national park featuring nature trails and picnic sites with accommodation provided by the nearby Taung Sun Hotel.

The area is also renowned for it's fine marble from the Taung quarry.

Marico Bushveld
The Marico district has been enshrined in South African literature by the eccentric genius of writer Herman Charles Bosman who lived in the area and set many of his wonderful stories in and around Broot Marico.
The countryside is surrounded by bushveld featuring many indigenous trees. The area, which includes the towns of Zeerust, Groot marico, and Ottoshoop, and it's people have a special charm and fascination reminiscent of a bygone era.

Marico is also famed for it's mampoer culture. This extremely potent brew has been distilled by generations of local inhabitants from peaches, apricots and other fruit.

The tourist route which starts at Groot Marico and ends in Zeerust includes a trout breeding farm, a holiday resort, game farm, and other places of interest.

Vaal spa
More than a century age, diamond fever gripped the area three kilometres from Christiana where the Vaal River.
Today the resort offers equally sparkling attractions to holiday makers as it is known for it's mineral baths, superb freshwater angling, and well stocked game reserve.

Potchefstroom
Potchefstroom forms part of the rich historical tapestry of the Notrh West Province. It was proclaimed the first capital of the South African Republic of the 1800s and the first newspaper, the Transvaal Argus, was printed in the town in 1866.
The town, which retains it's pioneer air today, is now the centre of an agricultural area. Potcherstroom has a musical conservatory and a museum housing 75 painting by celebrated German artist, Otto Landsberg.

Mafikeng
The famous siege which made newspaper heaklines in London, and Lord Baden Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts movement, are linked to this town.
Numerous momentos of the siege still exist today, with guns and cannon to be seen at several of the original buildings.

Among these artefacts is the diary written by Sol Plaatjie, a Tswana who lived and worked as a secretary/typist throughout the siege.

Lichtenburg game breeding farm
The national Zoological Gardens runs a unique game breeding farm at Lichtenburg where rare species of wildlife can be seen, including pygmy hippo, unhorr gazelle, derby eland and Pere David deer.
The endangered addax and scimitar horned onyx are also bred to supplement the zoo population and the farm is a haven for thousands of water birds.

Diamond diggings
The intricacies of the diamond trade can be explored on a tour of the alluvial diamond diggings at Wolmaransstad where diggers can still be se4en today toiling for those elusive gems.

Rustenburg art ramble
This beautiful town which nestles at the foot of the Magaliesberg range of hills hosts an art ramble which takes place the first weekend in every month.
A selection of art and handcrafts can be viewed including ethnic wood carvings, cane furniture, and pottery in the various studios.

National parks
Nature conservation plays a vital role in the traditions of the North West where a variety of wildlife can be seen in a number of game reserves.
The Pilanesberg National Park is the oldest and largest of the province's parks and lies within an extinct volcanic crater, the walls of which form a natural sanctuary for flora and fauna.

The park is home to a large variety of wildlife including the big five (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo and rhino) and is also a unique geological site.

Ample opportunity for game and bird watching is provided at the Borakalalo National Park which spreads out around the Klipvoor Dam. Self guided walks can be taken through the wooded area along the Moretele River where leopard, crocodile, white rhino and hippo can be spotted.

Botselano Game Reserve has one of the most successful white rhino breeding programmes in Africa and offers the perfect opporunity to view these majestic animals.

Alongside the Botswana border is the province's newest game reserve, Madikwe, which is the scene of Operation Phoenix, an ambitious programme which aims to reintroduce all the animals which historically roamed the area.

When completed, there will be over 31 000 animals, including elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion leopard and hippo.

Visits http://www.tourismnorthwest.co.za (Tourism North West) | http://www.parksnorthwest.co.za (North West Province Parks & Reserves) | http://www.marico.co.za/moos (Klein Marico Poort Conference Centre and Environmental Education Centre) for more information