Sho't Left Travel Week campaign: Explore on a budget in the North West

SPONSORED BY SA TOURISM

ZEERUST - The Sho't Left Travel Week campaign will be back this year with amazing deals to boost tourism in locations all over South Africa.

This year, South African Tourism is intent on unearthing the hidden gems to be found in the North West province.

Nestled in the foothills of the magnificent Magaliesberg mountains, the province has a lot more to offer than just Sun City and Hartbeespoort Dam.

A scenic two-hour drive from Johannesburg, heading towards the ever-present Magaliesberg mountain range, will take you to the town of Magaliesburg, where the wide open spaces and vast blue skies seem to almost bring time to a standstill.

If you're looking for some adventure to get your blood pumping in a majestic setting, you won't have to go far.

Magaliesberg Canopy Tour will take you to the skies above Magalies, zigzagging along zip lines hanging high above a gorge, rich with ecological and geological history, estimated to be more than two million years old.

It's an exhilarating experience with tour guides, Tee Molautsi and Tefo Motloba, who accompany you on a 4x4 drive on the back of a bakkie up a dusty road, while they crack "flou jokes" and ask riddles about the animals who live in the area.

The biosphere reserve offers serenity, despite it being quite difficult to take it all in with adrenaline coursing through your veins as you make your way through ten ziplines zigzagging across the length of the gorge at different lengths and speeds.

It's a safe way to take the edge off and get those feel-good endorphins flowing again, and will not disappoint even the most hardcore adrenaline junky.

If you're looking to complete the experience with something rustic and a bit of local culture, then another one-and-a-half-hour drive is on the cards, because the town of Zeerust is calling your name.

More wide open spaces, coupled with some platinum mine dumps along the way, about 100km from the Botswana border, you will find Kareespruit Game Ranch.

The ranch offers a unique bushveld experience, where there's nothing fancy on offer, but your needs are met in a warm, welcoming family atmosphere.

The bushfire braai on offer for dinner with pap and spicy chakalaka is not to be missed and will have you licking your lips and asking for more.

After you eat, be treated to a heart-warming local dance show by the Tshwaranang Cultural Group, featuring youngsters from the surrounding areas.

The young dancers will have you ululating along with joy as you admire their high-energy display of local Batswana culture.

Marketing and communications manager of the South Africa hub at SA Tourism, Mabeka Makola, said that towns like Zeerust were deliberately identified to show tourists that travel in South Africa can be affordable.

"The North West province is one of the less-visited provinces. Most people won't think of Zeerust when they want to plan their travels, but what you find with these hidden gems is that, unlike places you find close to the big cities, they are quite affordable. That's what we're trying to showcase... that travel can be affordable."

Sho't Left Travel Week will be from 2 September to 8 September this year, with offers of unforgettable experiences and deals with discounts of up to 50% off.