Riverside Sun in Vanderbijlpark is less than an hour from Joburg, but it feels like a different world entirely. Here’s everything that happened, and why you should go.
Southern Sun’s Riverside Sun sits on the banks of the Vaal River, about 60km south of Joburg. On paper, it sounds like a day trip. In practice, it’s the kind of overnight that makes you wonder why you don’t do this more often.
Let me be honest with you: I didn’t know what to expect from a hotel in Vanderbijlpark. I’m a Joburg person. I like my city. But sometimes the city doesn’t like you back, and that’s when you need to get out, and I mean properly out, not just a dinner reservation, but rather somewhere new.
We were invited as part of their Easter Escape programme. An overnight stay designed to show off the property in the best possible way. And look, I’m a sceptic by nature, but they genuinely delivered. Here’s how the whole thing went down.
An hour from the city and you’re on the Vaal River, watching the sun go down from the top deck of a river cruise boat. That’s a good life.
First Impressions of The Riverside Sun
You pull up, and the first thing you notice is the space. There’s lawn. Proper, rolling lawn, running all the way down to the river. The vibe is immediately resort rather than hotel, and that distinction matters. There’s a large pool, a bar, shaded areas, and the sound of the river if you’re close enough to the bank. It’s not flashy. It’s just genuinely comfortable.
The rooms do what they need to do and more. You’ve got free uncapped Wi-Fi (and yes, we tested it), DStv, a minibar, tea and coffee, and an in-room safe. If you go for a Deluxe room or a Suite, you get river views — and trust me, that’s worth the upgrade. The Suite also has its own private lounge, which is a nice touch if you’re celebrating something or just want a little extra space to breathe.
Fun fact: two kids under 18 stay and eat breakfast completely free when they’re sharing with adults. So if you’ve been putting off a proper family break, this place actually makes financial sense.
The Wine and Chocolate Pairing. Yes, Really.
I’ll be honest, when someone says ‘wine and chocolate pairing’, my first thought is a gimmick. My second thought, after actually doing it at Riverside Sun’s wine cellar, is that I was wrong.
The cellar itself is something of a surprise. It’s a full-on dedicated tasting room. Spacious, cool, beautifully set up with its own bar. You wouldn’t necessarily expect to find something like this in Vanderbijlpark, but there it is. The tasting was built around Stellenzicht wines from Vinimark, and here’s how it went:
Pairing 1: Sauvignon Blanc + white chocolate with citrus zest: fresh, clean, and honestly a great opener
Pairing 2: Rosé + milk chocolate with hazelnut: this one had the table talking
Pairing 3: Shiraz Rosé + dark chocolate with sea salt: the sweet-salt combo is something
Pairing 4: Full-bodied red + chilli dark chocolate: bold, warming, and the perfect way to end a tasting
The sommelier guiding the whole thing knew her wines without making you feel like you didn’t. That’s a skill. It felt like a proper experience rather than a sales pitch, and we were there for a while.
Sunset on the Vaal — the Liquid Lounge River Cruise
This was my favourite part of the whole trip, and I didn’t expect that. The Liquid Lounge is a double-decker river cruise boat that operates from Riverside Sun’s stretch of the Vaal. It fits up to 140 people, but we had it more intimately; the lower deck is glass-enclosed, upper deck is open-air with comfortable seating under cover.
We went out just as the sun was getting low. The river was quiet and wide, and that orange light hit everything just right. There were sundowners on board. People stopped talking about work. It’s one of those experiences where you realise you’ve genuinely switched off without meaning to — the city and its noise just kind of… dissolves.
The sunset cruise was the moment when everyone stopped checking their phones. Make of that what you will.
Dinner Under the Stars (Yes, That’s What Actually Happened)
After the cruise, we had dinner on the lawns. Long table, white linen, fairy lights strung up overhead, the Vaal just off in the distance. It sounds like a lifestyle magazine cliché — except we were actually sitting there eating it.
The food was the work of Executive Chef Amina Lebelo, who has been doing this for 37 years, and it shows. Not in a showy way, in a confident, consistent, this-is-exactly-what-it-should-be way. The three-course dinner offered multiple choices for mains; everything was plated properly, and nothing felt like it was designed for volume. This was proper cooking in a setting that deserved it.
The wine continued through dinner, guided by a visiting sommelier. By the time dessert arrived, we were all in very good spirits.
The Morning: River Massages and a Slow Goodbye
I am not typically a ‘morning massage’ person. But when someone offers you a neck and shoulder massage on the banks of the Vaal with the sun just coming up and the river doing its thing in the background… you don’t say no.
Riverside Sun works with a trusted mobile spa partner, which means therapists come to you rather than you going to a treatment room. That change in dynamic makes a real difference. You’re outdoors, the air is fresh, and the whole thing is surprisingly restorative. There’s also an option to do it in the Log Cabin by the water if you want something slightly more sheltered.
Breakfast was a full buffet — complimentary for guests — and after that it was genuinely hard to leave. Not in the sense of ‘this place won’t let me go’, but in the sense of ‘the city will still be there in an hour, so why rush?’
Why You Should Actually Go
Here’s the thing about Riverside Sun: it’s not trying to be something it’s not. It’s a proper resort hotel with a river at its feet, food that’s worth the drive on its own, and a team that seems to genuinely enjoy looking after people. General Manager Taku Borerwe sets the tone. He’s the kind of person who still finds real pleasure in welcoming guests, and that attitude flows through the whole property.
It’s also rated number one in Vanderbijlpark on TripAdvisor and has a Travellers’ Choice Award. So it’s not just us… the guests agree.
Plan Your Visit to The Riverside Sun
Location: Corner of Wenning and Emfuleni Drive, Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng
Distance from Joburg CBD: Approximately 60 km (under an hour’s drive)
Distance from OR Tambo: Approximately 70 km (about 1 hour)
Rate from: R2,024 per night, including breakfast for two
Kids: 2 children under 18 stay and eat breakfast free with adults
Minimum stay: 2 nights
Loyalty: Frequent Guest members earn 20% more SunRands on SunBreaks bookings
