Kevin Richardson — “The Lion Whisperer” — is a world-renowned conservationist who specializes in the protection of big cats.

Johannesburg

"The sanctuary has been a labour of love to get it to where it is. It’s a real lovely getaway, and you get to disconnect from technology and reconnect with nature. So I would definitely recommend coming here. I still never get sick of the lions roaring or the hyenas whooping — it's a sound you cannot get sick off. So come and see it while it's still around; it won’t be here once the animals have passed on."

The Kevin Richardson Wildlife Sanctuary

"A 50 metre-wide meteorite hit Earth and created the Tswaing Meteorite Crater, one kilometre wide and 100 metres deep. Tswaing is Setswana for ‘place of salt,’ because the meteor impact formed a salt lake. It's spectacular to see. Even better, hire a microlight, a hot-air balloon, a light aircraft or even a helicopter to see it from the air."

Tswaing Meteorite Crater

"Buffelsdrift Trail Park has incredible mountain bike routes. You can do some really hard trails or some beautiful walking trails; you can trail run. It’s a family outing — take the dogs, the kids. You can do a mountain-biking trail that’s 85 kilometres, or you can do something like ten kilometres with the kids. It’s fun for the whole family."

Buffelsdrift Trail Park

"Mongena Private Game Lodge has a little tented camp on the dam, which is really nice. There's also lodge accommodation in well-appointed chalets. The restaurant, the Kingfisher, is one of my favourites. It's open to the public and it’s not far off the N1 highway, so you can drop in and get a good breakfast while enjoying the view of the dam."

Mongena Private Game Lodge

"Hazelwood is a trendy area in Pretoria. It’s quite cool to go there with your family, especially on weekends."

Hazelwood

"Alfie’s makes good pizza. But it's not only about the pizza, it's about the environment, especially on the weekends. It has a real hustle and bustle: people rock up in their cool cars and on their bikes while you sip on gin and tonics."

Alfie’s Italian Cafe