The Lodge is a stone’s throw away from many restaurants and Africa’s greatest shopping hub at the Eastgate Centre.

Kensington is an established up-market suburb just east of the city offering easy access to Johannesburg International Airport, the CBD, SA Jewellery & Diamond Centre and the Ellis Park sports precinct. We are close to the integrated freeway network to the nation’s capital Pretoria, Sandton, the eastern and western suburbs.

We serve breakfast and can organise dinner otherwise we have a selection of restaurants within a 1 km range. There are 3 fully equipped self catering kitchens. We have a large garden, 24 hour access.

Plus we have a wealth of information on tours and safaris around gauteng and Southern africa. We specialise in safaris to Kruger National Park and Soweto.

We offer a FREE AIRPORT PICK UP.

On the Soweto Day Tours you will see and visit many historical sites like Nelson Mandela’s former home which him and his wife, Winnie Mandela, lived in before Nelson Mandela was put in prison on Robben Island. You will also get to learn about Hector Pieterson, who was one of the kids who got shot in the Soweto Uprising, while visiting the Hector Pieterson museum.

You will take a ride in a taxi, which is a daily form of transport for all the locals of Soweto and you will get to interact and try local food and beer at the local shebeens and get close to theSoweto Culture.

This tour is one of a kind and if you would like to get in a workout while taking in the sights- No Problem! You can take a bicycle ride around Soweto while taking in the magic vibe that exists and the welcoming people of Soweto.

On this tour you would see African youths dancing to kwaito outside of their homes, African woman carrying their babies on their backs as they walk through the townships, the buzz of conversation in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Venda, Tsonga and Tswana going on around the markets, the smell of smoke and pap- a traditional African meal- hanging in the air.

The Soweto Day Tour offers you a choice of three tours, which varies in length, but all guarantees a tour of Soweto which you will never forget! You will be in excellent hands form the moment you arrive and will be brought as close to the culture and the community as possible, making you feel like a true South African!

Your tour Guide is a Soweto Born and who knows the ropes around the Township and will be able to make sure that you won’t miss a single beat of the magic that exists in Soweto!

If you would like to hear the beat of the African drums, see the dance of the African tribes and feel the magic and the vibe of Africa today, then seeing Soweto is a must, as it forms a big part of what South Africa is today and what it was in the past.

Take a further look into the website for more information about tour pricing and events and glance at photos of other tourist who had taken the Soweto Day tours and now knows the roots and traditions of the African ways!

We offer 3 to 6 day tours to Kruger Nationa Park that depart every day. You are welcome to stay at Diamond Diggers Lodge before and after departure.

We figure that most people will know what Bungee jumping all about, it’s just that it that much more special when you do it away from home while on holiday overlooking a breathtaking view the biggest city in South Africa

The exhilarating Orlando Towers Bungee Jump is world renowned and is truly a spectacular and of course – breathtaking experience.

Besides the Bungee Jump there is a power Swing, Internal Swing, Abseil and Viewing Platform.

This truly amazing experience is well worth while!

The activities are open from Friday to Sunday and the viewing platform is open everyday.  The prices and description follow under – ‘a little more about each activity’

Please note the a transport cost of R300 is applicable which includes transport to and from Diamond Diggers

A little more about each activity.

Lift ride and Viewing platform

Cost:

• R60

Open most days, weather dependant

The Bungee experience

A guide will meet you at the waiting area and take you to the open-air lift that will elevate you up the outside of the tower to a platform 3m from the top. At this point, you proceed on foot up the floating stairway – suspended in mid air!

At the top of the stairway, you will reach the rim of the tower, and from here you pause to view the breath-taking panorama over greater Soweto.

From the rim, you step onto the sky-bridge spanning the space between the two towers, rim to rim. You are now around 100m up in the air, as you step out onto the suspension bridge between the two towers.

From here our experienced bungee technicians will guide you through the harnessing and safety procedures, in preparation for your jump.

You will face the open sky… and jump……

Cost:

• R480
• DVDs also available at R150.

The Power Swing between the Towers

A guide will meet you at the harnessing area, where you will be strapped into your climbing harness. You will then step into the open-air lift that will elevate you up the outside of the west tower to a landing 3m from the top. At this point, you proceed on foot up the floating stairway – suspended in mid air!

At the top of the stairway, you will reach the rim of the tower, where you can pause to view the breath-taking panorama over greater Soweto, before proceeding onto the jump deck.

At the jump master’s command, you will step onto the swing platform on the rim, 100m above the ground (33 stories high!!!). Our experienced swing technicians will guide you through the safety procedures, in preparation for your jump and swing.

You will face the open sky… and take a leaping swing into the gap between the towers.

You will free-fall for an exhilarating 40m before the pendulum of the rope attachment will swing you up and out again, with a spectacular view over the Orlando Dam.

Once the pendulum swing has stopped, you will be lowered down to the ground crew, who will receive you with open arms, and lower you back onto the ground.

Cost:

• R360

Internal Swing – the Abyss

Our swing INTO the inside of the cooling tower is a world first!

A guide will meet you at the waiting area and take you to the open-air lift that will elevate you up the outside of the west tower to a platform 3m from the top. At this point, you proceed on foot up the floating stairway – suspended in mid air!

At the top of the stairway, you will reach the rim of the tower, and from here you pause to view the breath-taking panorama over greater Soweto.

You then step onto the internal swing platform on the rim, facing into the 100m tall tower. Our experienced swing technicians will guide you through the harnessing and safety procedures, in preparation for your jump and swing.

You will face the drop… and take a leaping swing into the tower, swinging across the lower width of the base, where there was once a column of super-heated steam rising up to meet the sky.

To begin, a guide will meet you at the waiting area for a full briefing, before harnessing up in your climbing harness. You will then enter the open-air lift that will elevate you up the outside of the tower to a platform 3m from the top. At this point, you proceed on foot up the floating stairway – suspended in mid air – to the abseil attachment point!

From here you have almost 100m of smooth concrete Power Tower to abseil down. For the first 40m, the tower is concave, so you will abseil down on the rope, without any contact with the wall. Then, as the tower flares out into the base, your feet will make contact with the wall, and you’ll be able to push off the wall to moon jump the rest of the way.

Cost:

• Price R260 per person, per abseil
• Weight limit 35kg to 130kg
• (People outside the range may still be able to abseil – please call us to discuss)

Abseil

(Abseil open every Saturday)

To begin, a guide will meet you at the waiting area for a full briefing, before harnessing up in your climbing harness. You will then enter the open-air lift that will elevate you up the outside of the tower to a platform 3m from the top. At this point, you proceed on foot up the floating stairway – suspended in mid air – to the abseil attachment point!

From here you have almost 100m of smooth concrete Power Tower to abseil down. For the first 40m, the tower is concave, so you will abseil down on the rope, without any contact with the wall. Then, as the tower flares out into the base, your feet will make contact with the wall, and you’ll be able to push off the wall to moon jump the rest of the way.

Cost:

• R260 per person, per abseil
• Weight limit 35kg to 130kg
• (People outside the range may still be able to abseil – please call us to discuss)

FEEL THE POWER!!!

BOOKINGS ONLY

It is essential to book at least 48 hours in advance.
I.e. please book on Wednesday latest to abseil on Saturday

 
Rock climbing

The rock climbing wall stretches an exhilarating 20m up the western FNB tower. The wall is filled with big grips to make it an effortless climb for anyone. Once you reached the top you will be lowered down by one of our experienced facilitators.

Cost:

• R20

• Departing from Diamond Diggers just after 8 in the morning, one has the opportunity to see parts of Johannesburg city and countryside as you enjoy your drive towards Pilansberg.
• On arrival at Pilansberg no time is wasted as the guides take you straight into the game drive!

The park is home to healthy populations of lion, leopard, black and white rhino, elephant and buffalo – Africa’s “Big Five”.

A wide variety of rare and common species exist like the nocturnal brown hyaena, the fleet-footed cheetah, the majestic sable, as well as giraffe, zebra, hippo and crocodile, to mention but a few.  Visitors are offered many opportunities to experience the wonders of Pilanesberg. There are nearly 200 kilometres of excellent quality roads for either self-drives or guided drives, and professional guides operate within the park.

Numerous hides and scenic picnic sites enable the tourist to experience “out-of-car” experiences as well.

Cost & availability

• The cost ranges from R950 – R1600 per person depending on the size of your group or the group you link up with.
• The price includes transport to and from Diamond Diggers as well as entry fees.
• The price does not include lunch although there is a break for lunch at the game reserve’s restaurant.

Bird-life enthusiasts

Bird watching is excellent with over 300 species recorded. Some are migrants, others permanent inhabitants; some eat carrion or live prey, others eat seeds, fruit or tiny water organisms.  There is a self-guided trail in the Walking Area at Manyane Complex in the east, which offers environmental education whilst enjoying game viewing and bird watching on foot. Also at Manyane is a walk-in aviary with over 80 species of indigenous birds.

Pilansberg “The Volcano that gave birth to a game reserve”.

The crater of a long extinct volcano is the setting of Pilanesberg Game Reserve- a fascinating alkaline complex produced by volcanic eruptions some 1300 million years ago. Pilanesberg is one of the largest volcanic complexes of its kind in the world. Its rare rock types and structure make it a unique geological feature.

The area is fringed by three concentric ridges or rings of hills – the formation rises from the surrounding plains like a bubble. The structure of the park is termed the “Pilanesberg Game Reserve Alkaline Ring Complex”.  Ancient, even by geological time scales, this extinct volcano is the most perfect example of an alkaline ring complex. A number of rare (but not necessarily economically important) minerals occur in the park. Pilanesberg Game Reserve rates high amongst the world’s outstanding geological phenomena.

Pilanesberg has survived ages of erosion and stands high above the surrounding bushveld plains. The early presence of man can be seen in the numerous Stone and Iron Age sites that are scattered throughout the park.

The park exists within the transition zone between the dry Kalahari and wetter Lowveld vegetation, commonly referred to as “Bushveld”. Unlike any other large park, unique overlaps of mammals, birds and vegetation occur because of this transition zone. Springbok, brown hyena, the red eyed bulbul, and camel thorn trees usually found in arid areas are found cohabitation with moist-area-limited impala, black eyed bulbul and Cape chestnut trees. The colourful hues, varied habitats and panoramas will delight and entertain photographers and visitors.

The very topography makes the area a feast for the eye. Here are syenite koppies, thickly forested ravines, typical bushveld and also rolling grasslands and lightly wooded areas.

Off the centre of the park is Thabayadiotso, “the Proud Mountain”. The Park ranks among the largest of the parks in South Africa (it is in fact the fourth largest park) and covers an area of 55 000 hectare.

The beauty of Pilansberg is reflected in a large central lake, the Mankwe Dam.  Over time, wind and water have carved a spectacular landscape with rocky outcrops, open grasslands, wooded valleys and thickets.  Today, Pilansberg National Park accommodates virtually every mammal of southern Africa. Also home to the Big Five.

4 Routes to select from:

• Route 1 – Atlantic Sea Board
• Route 2 – Chapmans Peak
• Route 3 – Peninsula Lighthouse
• Route 4 – Whale Watching

See Cape Town from the sky!