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Place in North West, South Africa
Photo: Nick Roux, CC BY-SA 1.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Hartebeespoort is a small town nestled between the Magaliesberg Mountains and Hartebeespoort Dam in the North West Province of South Africa. It is a resort area, and boy will you know it, drawing a lot of visitors from Pretoria and elsewhere.
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From this area you can witness the breadth of the dam wall holding back the Crocodile River and the river shooting out from the tunnel below the dam to resume its course.
See tropical and freshwater fish, crocodiles, seals and penguins. Shows. Had some issues with becoming run down but has turned around. Admission also gets you admission to Makalani Bird Park 2 km away.
A Unesco Biosphere malaria-free zone that consists of bushveld and flora and fauna in natural setting. May need to inquire as to current status of park.
Animal park featuring a great variety of species including lions, tigers and other big cats. Plus chimpanzees and other primates, hyenas, wild dogs, otters, birds and reptiles. Ferry, speed boat, and jet ski rides also available on the lake next to the zoo.
Another menagerie with primates and especially birds.
While it may seem that the area is saturated in zoological parks, this one is unique in that you can see and interact with monkeys and bush babies, and it is one of only eight free-release primate sanctuaries globally. Mainly obtained from maladaptive situations where they were kept as pets, the animals can be encountered with a guide who also provides informative background on their situation (and how primates don't make very good pets). Also on site are the cute lemurs.
A very intriguing attraction in which all the buildings are upside down. Some art and has food and drinks available.
Another wild animal park focusing on encounters with white lions and tigers and opportunities to interact with the cubs.
Peruse succulents here.
Croc kingdom. Tortoises also on display.
View the dam and surrounds from the top of the mountain. There is also a restaurant at the base of the cableway.
1½-2 hr guided interaction with elephants including touching, feeding, interacting and walking trunk-in-hand with elephants.
Site of a film set, and a movie theater.
Hiking trail to an apex of the Magaliesburg Range that allows you to see the expanse of the Hartebeespoort Dam area below. Safety is a real issue however due to reports of theft. It is important to book this activity with large groups.
An opportunity to have encounters with cheetahs through various tours ranging from guided walking tour to cheetah run and private guided tours.
Fine dining featuring free range, organic, sustainable food.
Dutch dishes and lots of cheese.
Have a picnic on a working strawberry farm.
Coffee and breakfast, lunch, and dinner in garden-like setting.
4-star lodge in bush setting at the Elephant Sanctuary.
Relaxing country bed and breakfast.
Chalets (3 to 6 beds) and or sleep in a doublebed oxwagon.
Clothing-optional resort aimed at the gay market.
Kind of kitschy souvenir stuff, but also some local handiworks.
A flea market with arts and crafts, clothes, food and drink, and whatever else you might find at a flea market.
Shopping venue selling African curios, plus dining and water park present.
From Johannesburg, follow the R512 north, from Pretoria follow the N4 or R514 west. From Pretoria North, one can follow R513.
Read in the guideThe small town area can be explored on foot, but you really need a car to explore the whole area around the dam.
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Johannesburg · International · HLA
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