About an hour’s drive out of Johannesburg in the Cradle of Humankind, north of Krugersdorp on the Kromdraai Road, lies a world of outdoor adventure.
Wildlife and cycling enthusiasts gather at Bothongo Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve to experience the best of their lifestyles. I had never been to the reserve and was treated to a day exploring this nature’s paradise.
Japanese car manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors in partnership with Power FM held a competition where four people and their spouses could win a day of bundu-bashing at the reserve in the automaker's latest automobiles. We set off on a cool Saturday morning from the Power FM studios to spend the day at Bothongo.
I was exploring in a Mitsubishi Triton 4x4 bakkie. It’s not your run of the mill bakkie, but can you call a car that was originally designed for work luxurious?
The manufacturer knew what they were doing with this car, there are cupholders on all the doors, air conditioning vents on the roof for the passengers in the back seat, charging ports in the front and the back. Overall, it’s a roomy and comfortable vehicle.
As a professional passenger I enjoyed the drive to the reserve very much. The car is simply great for road trips with family, especially young kids.
However, I was unhappy with the bakkie performance during the nature drive. I felt every bump on the road, and was shaken to the point of developing a crick in my neck and felt bruised all over.
And no, this was not my first off-road experience. In the most recent off-roading experience I can compare it to, I was in a Land Rover Discovery, in which I fared much better. But, I was able to distract myself with the sights through the window – from warthogs, rhino, zebra and various bucks... I had enough distraction to forget the pain of the bumpy ride.
Beyond this, I was both frightened and thrilled by watching white lions feeding. Another cat on the prowl in the reserve was the cheetah. The reserve has more than 100 species of mammals, reptiles and birds.
Bothongo has a few 4x4 routes for those who crave such adventure to try. In fact, Mitsubishi has routes you can try, if you’re one of their customers so you can see for yourself how well the car fares in the wild.
There is also the Bothongo Wonder Cave, a braai area for day visitors, and a number of restaurants. We ended the day with a sunset supper on the deck of one of the eateries. To complete the experience of watching the sun go down while toasting to a day well spent, RnB crooner Langa Mavuso regaled us with his soulful music.
Mavuso, who is an avid road-tripper, took some time to let us in on his tips and advice for those who heed the call of the open road. Take a look at his answers below:
Are you the driver or the navigator?
It depends, if I’m tired I will sleep the whole journey but if I want to get to where we’re going quickly, I will drive because my partner is the slowest driver in the world.
What tips do you have for your fellow drivers/navigator?
In the driver’s seat, make sure you’re rested, make sure you’re alert and have a great playlist to keep you awake. That’s my thing, I will make a bomb playlist to keep me awake and I’ll have a sing-along on the journey
Which artist is on your road trip playlist?
If I’m looking for a calm vibe; it has to be my friend, Zoë Modiga. If I have to wake up, it’ll have to be Beyoncé [specifically] her B'Day and 4, my favourite albums by her.
What comfort item do you have to have on a road trip?
Biltong. I’m an eater, food is my comfort item. As long as there’s biltong, corn, my friends [make fun] of me about corn because I eat it so much, every time I cook or braai there’s always corn, I eat it so much. Other foods can be samosas, salami sticks and crisps.
What's your favourite/ most recent road trip?
I went away to Mpumalanga for my birthday and we got this insane house... the most gorgeous house in the world. We drove from Johannesburg to Mjejane [in Hectorspruit] and we were literally living by the river bank, the Crocodile River, and we could literally hear the hippos at night… that was my favourite one. The other road trip we took was to the Oribi Gorge in Port Shepstone.
Which parts of SA do you think would be perfect for a road trip?
The KwaZulu-Natal midlands. That’s the best place for a drive. I also like going to the Kruger [National Park] a lot. I’m always looking for a different house to go to, and it always has to be my dream house. I’m always like, 'you know what, I’m going to live this lifestyle on the weekend as I save for it'. Maybe the third album will buy me that house.
