The Palace at The Lost City
- Escape to Africa Editorial Team
- Mar 3
- 2 min read
Where Lost Civilisations Meet Oppulence
As the African sun dips below the Pilanesberg mountains, casting a golden glow across the domes and spires of The Palace at The Lost City, you can almost believe the legend. Perhaps there really was an ancient civilisation here, a kingdom of untold splendor swallowed by time and jungle, only to rise again as this magnificent resort. But this is no mere flight of fancy – it's the masterful vision of Sol Kerzner brought to life in the heart of South Africa's Sun City.
Stepping through the grand entrance, you're immediately transported into a world where myth and luxury intertwine. Towering columns stretch toward hand-painted ceilings that tell stories of African lore, while crystal chandeliers cast dancing shadows across mosaic floors that seem to flow like liquid gold. The Palace doesn't simply display luxury; it weaves it into a narrative that captures your imagination with every step.
The resort's mythological theme reveals itself in layers, like chapters in an ancient epic. Bronze sculptures of elephants stand sentinel in courtyards where fountains sing their eternal songs. Intricate wooden carvings depicting legendary creatures peek from corners, while hand-woven tapestries showcase scenes from African mythology. Even the lush 25-hectare jungle surrounding The Palace plays its part in the story – a carefully orchestrated symphony of over 1.6 million plants creating four distinct micro-environments, from misty rainforest to sun-baked bushveld.
But The Palace is more than its theatrical setting. In the Crystal Court restaurant, breakfast becomes a royal feast under frescoed ceilings, while the Tusk Bar & Lounge offers sunset cocktails with views that stretch across the lost city's domain. Each of the luxurious suites tells its own tale – from the Superior Rooms with their private balconies overlooking the jungle canopy to the magnificent African Suite, where traditional motifs meet modern opulence.
Days here unfold like chapters in an adventure novel. Morning might find you at the Palace Spa, where ancient African healing traditions blend with contemporary wellness treatments. By afternoon, you could be challenging the legendary Gary Player golf course or braving the waves at the Valley of Waves water park. As evening approaches, the resort transforms again, with the setting sun igniting the palace towers in flames of orange and purple, while the surrounding jungle comes alive with the calls of some of its 190 bird species.
What sets The Palace apart isn't just its grandeur or its amenities – it's how thoroughly it commits to its story. Every staff member plays their part in maintaining the illusion of this lost African kingdom. Every meal, every activity, every moment is choreographed to feel like part of an ongoing legend. And perhaps that's the true magic of The Palace at The Lost City – it doesn't just tell a story, it invites you to live within one.
As night falls and the stars emerge above the palace spires, you might find yourself wondering where reality ends and fantasy begins. But then again, maybe that's exactly the point. In this kingdom lost to time and found again, the line between myth and reality blurs, creating an experience that exists nowhere else on Earth.