A road trip that was a Bonny adventure
I WENT on a road trip from Gauteng to Bloemfontein. Road trips have their own benefits. They are therapeutic and one of the most exciting ways to experience the best of what our country has to offer.
Starting off in Midrand Our trip started at the Bon Hotel in Midrand. I arrived at the Bon shortly after midday. A modern, spacious hotel in bustling Midrand, it can accommodate 49 guests, with meeting rooms that can hold 400 delegates. It also has several features, such as a bar, restaurant, secure parking and wifi.
We were served with a selection of welcome drinks, and the opportunity to walk around the hotel. Function rooms with decor can be hired for an event.
The stand-out was the Culinary Passions School of Hospitality, under the leadership of respected culinary professional Citrum Khumalo. It had a lively atmosphere, Khumalo joking, while sternly guiding his students. Eager to impress, the students worked quickly and efficiently to get the dishes ready. The school has been operational since 2006 and is part of Khumalo’s dream to empower young people with culinary knowledge and skills. It is affiliated to his company, Asidle Gourmet catering that allows students the chance to get work experience.
Afterwards, a buffet lunch was served and we were seated at the pool area, while one of the hotel’s ambassadors, Liz Englebrecht, sang through the afternoon. After lunch, we hopped into our transport, a VW kombi and a Quantum that would take us on the 80-minute trip to Bon Hotel Riviera on the Vaal. The N1 South, was the route of choice.
Experiencing the Vaal At around 5pm, we arrived at the hotel that would be our home for the night. We checked in and were given the opportunity to freshen up. My room has a rustic atmosphere. Decorated simply in browns and whites, the hotel has an old but graceful feel to it. The rooms provide guests to the hotel with a magnificent view of the Vaal River and the green of the golf course that’s next to the hotel.
We headed out on a walkabout of the hotel and explored some of its features, including conferencing rooms that can accommodate 200 guests, 91 rooms, a bar, gym and a restaurant. The 90-year-old hotel is believed to be on the spot that Sun International founder and magnate Sol Kerzner had initially wanted to be the site for Sun City. However, he was unable to obtain a gambling licence.
The onsite restaurant, Matthew’s, can take up to 140 guests. It is decorated mostly in dark wood and was named after the hotel owner’s son, Matthew, who was a toddler when it was bought.
Later in the evening, we were treated to a calm cruise on the Vaal River on board an Aqua Cruises Lounge boat. We were warned before getting on to the boat that we’d be faced with extremely cold weather, especially as the winter season was settling in. With just the blood moon full red and visible, glowing over the river, the 90-minute ride mostly happened in a cloak of darkness. The only light, a blueish hue, created an ambiance of relaxation, aided by flowing drinks and a dinner spread.
After the cruise, I headed off to bed because the day ahead of us would be a long one. By 6am, I was up because we’d been encouraged to not miss the sunrise over the river. As I looked out the window, the sky was bathed with pink and orange light, merging where the sky seemed to dip and the river disappeared to. At 7am, I was at Matthew’s, eating breakfast, a hearty one that would get me ready for the six hours that lay ahead of us. operates. The Tweetoring Kerk (church of two towers) in Bloemfontein from where the Towers of Hope
Exploring Bloemfontein We agreed we’d have about three stops, to allow for toilet and snack breaks. At 8am, onto the road we went, where our first stop was in Parys, almost an hour away from the Vaal. The R59 was the route of choice. On the road, you pass a couple of suburbs as you leave Gauteng. Then it’s just you and the open roads, with fields of lush green and the occasional truck stop. Upon arrival in Parys, I found it was a small Afrikaner town with a lot to offer. As you walk down the streets of its central business district, you find a place that’s close-knit, where outsiders are easily spotted.
The stores range from restaurants to clothing and antiques. My favourites were an antique shop and a sweet shop. In the sweet shop I found sherbet and gumballs that reminded me of my childhood in Soweto. In the antique shop, a glorious blue-and-white tea set captured my attention. I stood next to it for 10 minutes, thinking of all the reasons I couldn’t buy it. .
Two stops, several weather changes and four hours later, we arrived in Bloemfontein, where our home for the night was – the Bon Hotel Bloemfontein. Located in the CBD, its views are not scenic, but the advantage for travellers is that you are in the city centre, a good place to start sightseeing. It’s a place with rich history; the city of roses is the only city where three of the country’s major political parties were formed – the ANC, EFF and Cope.
One of the sites we stopped at was the Women’s Memorial at the outskirts of Bloemfontein. It pays homage to the women and children who were victims of the Anglo- Boer War. However, one thing that got to me was the absence of black women and children on the memorial.
But our tour guide, Annelien Diedericks from the National Afrikaans Literary Museum, showed me a plaque that Minister of Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa put up in 2015 that explains that the government had taken the effort to correct this miscarriage of history. The researching and recording of the names of black people is now in a book that is available for sale at the museum.
Our next stop was Naval Hill, where we were treated to beautiful views of Bloem, with the worst wind possible. Also overlooking the town is an eight-metre statue of Nelson Mandela, by sculptor Kobus Hattingh, who also made the one at Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton.
Our visit ended at the Towers of Hope, a church-based NGO in the city. It cares for people who live on the streets of Bloem, equips them with basic skills so they will be able to get formal employment and get off the streets. The project also cares for women who live on the streets and work in prostitution. The organisation is run from the Tweetoring Kerk, the oldest church in Bloem, founded in 1848, and known as its main church.
For more information visit: www. mangaung.co.za
Panyane was a guest of the Bon Hotel Group.