Sun City, South Africa

This luxury resort in South Africa's North West Province is no ordinary getaway. It's a complex of themed hotels, casinos, and golf courses built on the land of the Bakubung Village, about 90 miles northwest of Johannesburg. While Sun City once offered entertainment banned in apartheid-era South Africa, it now faces persistent bureaucratic headaches - the Skytrain people mover, for instance, sits idle due to high maintenance costs. And with the resort hosting a range of events from the Miss World pageant to powerlifting championships, the crowds can be relentless. Sun City is best suited for those seeking an over-the-top Las Vegas-style experience in the heart of the African bush.