Mpumalanga Activities

Mozambique

Mozambique is a beautiful tropical paradise with long coastlines and palm fringed beaches, located on the south-eastern coast of Africa, bordering South Africa and Swaziland to the South, Tanzania to the North, Zimbabwe to the West and Zambia and Malawi to the northwest. The reefs are easily accessible and a divers paradise with operators almost everywhere. Accommodation can range from camping sites, to backpacker hostels, to gorgeous five star hotels for those needing just that bit more of a personal touch. Mozambique is famously known for its succulent prawns and visitors are encouraged to indulge in the seafood on offer. If its not prawns you are after, you can enjoy the vibrant markets and soak up the hot African sun. Visas are required by all nationals (except South African passport holders) and passports must be valid for at least 6 months, visit the frequently answered questions for more information.

Find out more about Mozambique, visit www.quilalea.com

Malelane

Malelane boarders the Kruger National Park and lies on the banks of the Crocodile River. Surrounded by sugar cane fields, Malelane is one of the closest towns to Marloth Park to purchase basic household supplies, food, beverages and fuel. Leopard Creek Golf Estate and Country Club is situated in Malelane, with its innovative architectural and landscaping techniques in an undisturbed natural environment, making it a paradise for golfers and birdwatchers.

Nelspruit

Nelspruit, set on the banks of the Crocodile River, is the legislative capital of Mpumalanga and it is here that orchards and fruit farms abound with rich fertile soils. The moderate climate makes it the ideal trading centre for the surrounding fruit growers and the farming of vegetables, cattle and timber. As a major stopover point for tourists travelling to the Kruger National Park and to Mozambique, Nelspruit offers an abundance of recreational activities for both indoor and outdoor enthusiasts. On the northern outskirts of Nelspruit, the 150 hectare National Lowveld Botanic Gardens, boasts of a rare collection of plant species with a number of trails meandering through the gardens. There are many beautiful nature trails, 4X4 trails and hiking in the vicinity of Nelspruit. Visit the De Brug Ostrich Farm the only one of its kind in the province or the Croc River Enviro Park with its exotic and indigenous selection of crocodiles and snakes. For those who enjoy shopping, arts and crafts, The Riverside Mall is the largest shopping centre in Mpumalanga with an eight-theatre cinema complex, casino and entertainment centre.

Sabie

Sabie is a small town nestled in the deep valley on the escarpment of the Drakensberg Mountains where it can be reached by the striking long Tom Pass which is a former wagon road. Set amongst a massive forestry plantation, its breathtaking nature scenes and spectacular water falls, Sabie is a great destination that caters for the whole family. As a popular tourist destination, Sabie offers a number of action packed activities, hiking, trout fishing, mountain biking, horse riding, abseiling, 4x4 trails, horse riding, rock climbing and white-river rafting. With a well developed infrastructure for tourism, visitors can be sure to be enticed by a selection of African arts, crafts, curious, accommodation and restaurants.

White River

White River is a small holiday and farming town situated just north of Nelspruit in Mpumalanga, lying in the Crocodile River Valley, slightly to the west of the Kruger National Park. White River is a popular town for outdoor enthusiasts who want to explore the surrounding areas. A wide range of activities are on offer from hot air balloon safaris, to horse riding, hiking trails, paragliding and river rafting. The Rochester estate in the Nutcracker Valley, offers visitors daily cellar tours with an introduction to rather unusual orange wines and liqueurs. Meandering gently through the valley, The White River Country Club is an 18 hole golf course providing a memorable challenge with the natural undulations for golfers of all levels. For the arts and crafts enthusiast, White River has become an artists retreat with a number of attractive studios to purchase paintings, sculptures, pottery and much more.

Find out about other activities of interest within White River, visit www.shangana.co.za

Mac-Mac Falls

Declared a national monument, the twin Mac-Mac Falls are an exquisite panorama set amongst dense plantations and forests. The majestic waterfall is a place where history tells of prospectors and pioneers. Visitors have easily accessible parking from which a cement pathway leads up to a lookout point to view the twin falls which plunge approximately 65m in to a wooded ravine, forming a clear crystal clear pool of water. Further downstream visitors will find the Mac-Mac pools, which are a series of rocky basins filled with water making it an ideal place to swim and have a picnic.

The Blyde River Canyon

At the very edge of the Drakensberg the majestic and rugged cliffs of the Blyde River falls dramatically away to the Lowveld. The Blyde River Canyon is a breathtakingly beautiful landscape of solid buttresses and deep gorges where serenity reigns, with dramatic cliffs and slopes covered by bush and forest. The Blyde River Canyon is a vast chasm, where the river has cut a remarkable path on its journey from its source on the escarpment towards the sea. The Canyon is overlooked by three huge cylinders of rock rising out of the far wall of the Canyon, known as the Three Rondawels, after there similarity in shape to the thatch-roofed dwellings in Africa. The Canyon has been described as so magnificent that it ranks as one of the scenic wonders of Africa. There are a number of popular activities for tourists which include short hikes, overnight trails, abseiling, microlighting and boat trips which take in the wide array of wildlife within the Canyon.

Bourke's Luck Potholes

Located 35km north of Graskop town on the R532, where the Treur and the Blyde Rivers meet, the swirling river has caused waterborne sand and rock to grind extraordinary, large cylindrical potholes in the bedrock of the river. Bourke's Luck Potholes have been named after Thomas Bourke, the owner of a once profitable gold-mine and are today preserved as an intriguing attraction representing one of nature's unusual consequences of water erosion.

Gods Window

Only eight kilometres north of the town Graskop, is a cleft in the escarpment wall allowing an ideal viewing spot where the panoramic view is so striking and the air so tranquil, it has earned the name 'Gods Window'. Gods Windows is often covered with a gentle sea of cloud creating an ethereal view of a divine and tranquil emotion. Providing a boundless view, stretching across miles of thickly forested mountains, Gods Window is a must see.

Graskop

Graskop originated as a mining camp and today remains the centre of an extensive eucalyptus and pine timber industry on the edge of the Drakensburg escarpment. In the heart of the panorama route, Graskop maintains itself to be the natural setting for some of the greatest hiking trails in South Africa. It is a home to a variety of quaint tourist curious with a range of modern, classic and contemporary art.

Pilgrims Rest

In 1873 a lone prospector Alec 'wheelbarrow' Patterson - named because he trundled his worldly possessions in a wheelbarrow - stumbled across gold deposits in a stream on the west side of the edge of the Berg. As a result of his findings it spread like wildfire and for ten years the area buzzed with diggers working small-scale alluvial claims. Today, however the former mining town proudly preserves its former glory to its last details, a living museum and a national monument to its entirety and is a constant reminder of a golden age. Visitors can choose from a variety of curios, restaurants, accommodation, African arts and museums.

Sudwala Caves

The Sudwala Caves are world renowned with guided tours through the vast cave network featuring peculiar dripstone formations. The cave not only contains stalagmites and stalactites but fossilised remains of 'collenia' a form of algae, scientists believe may have been the origins of life on earth. The awe inspiring Sudwala Caves contain the largest dolomite chamber in the world. With its extraordinary acoustics, the chamber has been named after Owen Hall and is described as a natural amphitheatre. Many of the rock formations in the caves have acquired biblical names such as Samson's Pillar, Devil's Workshop and the Weeping Madonna. The legend has it that there is no end to these caves and that they may extend for more than 40km under the mountains. Tours of the outer caves run daily and monthly, with 'crystal tours' being conducted into deeper chambers. Guided tours are offered seven days a week from 08:30 to 16:30. It is recommended that if you wish to do the six hour Crystal Cave tour you book in advance.