Rustenburg, South Africa

Some 120km northwest of Johannesburg lies the platinum-mining town of RUSTENBURG, the oldest town in the former Western Transvaal. With its grid of prefabricated chain stores and shopping malls, the place is a pretty dreary hymn to misguided town planning. Still, you'll probably end up staying if you're visiting the glorious Kgaswane Mountain Reserve, 7km south of town. The town is currently experiencing a boom with the recent development of new platinum reserves, and the new wealth has brought with it an increase in crime – be mindful of this when walking around town, especially at night.