Nomad_Africa_Edition12

Back Seat
LIVING IN THE LAP OF
LUXURY
AT THE PALACE
Even after 25 years, the Palace of the Lost City is no less glorious than
the day she was built. Boasting marble floors, huge sculptured granite
columns and opulent handcrafted details that extend from the carpeted
floors right up to the painted ceilings and across to the tapestries
that drape the walls, she is a sight to behold. So when I was invited to
spend a night in this gorgeous hotel in South Africa’s Sun City Resort, I
jumped at the opportunity.
aWords: JANINE AVERY
rriving at the Palace,
the first thing that
grabbed my attention
was the magnificent
statue at her entrance.
Cheetahs are suspended
in action as they leap to catch
jumping impala in mid-air. It’s an optical illusion
and a magnificent piece of art by
Danie De Jager who left no stone unturned
in its creation. He meticulously
studied photographs, videos and even
dissected the carcasses of cheetahs and
impala to examine their muscle structure
before creating the piece.
Once I had managed to draw my eyes
away from the elegance of the statue, I
was greeted by the bowed heads of
giant sable and ornately carved wooden
doors that had to be the largest I had ever
seen. The Palace is built to give the impression
that it was once the home of a
stately King that ruled a long lost civilisation
that lived in these parts and she does
not disappoint. Step inside her grand entrance
hall and the ceiling is handpainted,
the intricate mosaic floors hand
laid and the colourful tapestries hand
woven.
However, it was the palm-frond chandelier
that drew me through to the Crystal
Court area. Surrounded by gigantic pillars
and floor to second-storey glass doors,
the grand dining area is a feat of engineering.
The chords of a grand piano filled the
space and immediately transported me to
another world. With just one day in this
epic location, however, I had no time to
stop and enjoy the music before I was off
to explore Sun City’s famous Valley of the
Waves.
Having recently added two new mindboggling
slides to this amazing waterpark,
the Valley of the Waves provides an adventure
playground like no other. With an
amazing constructed beach with rolling
waves, a leisurely lazy river and a host of
water slides, each one seemingly more
terrifying than the next, I enjoyed an afternoon
in the water, unleashing the child
within me! After trying to find my way out
of the labyrinth that is the new Maze of the
Lost City and indulging quite delightedly
in the craft beer tasting that awaited me
at the end, it was back to my opulent
abode at the Palace and a night well
spent.
In the morning, a breakfast of kings
awaited me and I struggled to choose
from the elaborate affair on offer. Roast,
sushi, pancakes, waffles, cheeses, pastries,
an omelette station and all the usual
breakfast trimmings were lined up before
me and I try as I did, I couldn’t taste it all.
Happy as can be and as stuffed as a turkey
on Thanksgiving Day, I packed my things
and bid farewell to the perfection that is
the Palace – knowing what it feels like to
be Queen, even if just for one day!
98 | www.nomadafricamag.com | ...Celebrating the world’s richest continent | Issue 12