Ratanga Junction, home of the Cobra

Ratanga Junction, is an amusement park and billed as the wildest place in Africa, a high claim indeed. Its just off the N1 about 40 minutes from Hout Bay, and inside the massive Century City complex which houses the largest shopping mall in Africa, Canal Walk. The mall is actually very close to Ratanga Junction and can be walked to in about 5 minutes.

We have passed Ratanga Junction a number of times and have always thought it looked small, not so as we found out when we visited it on Thursday 14th July 2005, (Bastille Day, but that does't have any connection). Its actually a large, well laid out park which has some great rides and is themed in true Disney style along the lines of a lost African city.

Here you will find the Cobra, a white knuckle ride right up there with the best of them. Riders sit two abreast with their feet dangling in space below, as there is no floor to the ride. On the way to the start you pass lots of glass fronted cages containing some very nasty looking snakes. I noticed when we visited that one of the glass fronts had smashed and had been put back together with sticky tape. Inside the cage was a Black Mamba, one of the most deadlest snakes in the world. The mind boggled as to how the glass got broken.

There is also a good runaway train ride, Diamond Devil Mine. A pirate ship, slingshot which has to be the closest thing to flying, and the only thing you have to pay extra for, R35. There is also a fast little roller coaster called Bushwaker, and three good water rides, a rapid ride, and tube ride and a log flume. All of which would be great on a hot summers day.

There are also lots of live entertainment ranging from stunts shows, music and snake shows. The food outlets are good offering an interesting range from Indian, Italian, Burgers, Jive Cafe and something that sounds like fusion food Pancho O'Leary's. Unlike Disney you can sip on cool beer, both bottle and draft and have a glass of wine or two. We sat and had a very nice bottle of cool Miller beer in the afternoon sun watch the log fume from a great view point.

The cost in winter is R75 per person and this includes everything, all rides and shows, the only extra cost is for the brave who want to risk everything on the Slingshot, which is R35 extra. Car parking is R2.50 an hour, but be aware where you store your ticket, as you have to pay on the way out. Carol put our ticket in her jeans pocket, but after she had been on the grand rapid and log flume ride there was a tatty wet ticket left. The cost this summer is going to be R95 per person.