Mpumalanga, "the place of the rising sun"

Lies in the eastern part of South Africa. Covering an area the size of Belgium and the Netherlands combined, this province is home to seven distinct tourism regions that offer visitors a vast range of experiences from the scenic beauty of the Panoramic Route to the big game of the Lowveld region. There are rolling hills, lush wetlands, thorny Lowveld flatlands and chilled mountain river stocked with trout to experience.

One of the great attractions of Mpumalanga is its close location to the urban centres of Gauteng, and the Johannesburg International Airport. It is possible therefore to land in Gateng and within a few hours be experiencing big game sightings or enjoy stunning views of the Lowveld lying hundreds of metres down below! The star of the Mpumalanga show is undoubtedly the Kruger National Park, which is on the itinerary of almost every international visitor to South Africa. Accommodation in the park can be found at the different camps, and these include luxury lodges, air-conditioned rondawels and cottages. The park covers an area of nearly two million hectares and includes a large variety of flora, bird life and mammals, including the Big Five - lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, and rhino. The Lowveld area is also home to many other game and nature reserves, with each of them offering their own individual styles of accommodation.

Outdoor enthusiasts love what Mpumalanga offers. There is hiking, fly fishing, hot air ballooning, rock-climbing and mountain biking to just mention a few action adventures. Hiking in the Blyde River Canyon is a real highlight, as the 60km long canyon is one of the great scenic wonders of South Africa, with excellent views of the escarpment and the river 600m below. There is hiker's overnight accommodation available on the trail, while the holiday resort at the canyon offers fun-filled activities and good accommodation.

Other highlights of Mpumalanga that tourists should not miss include panning for alluvial gold in the museum town of Pilgrim's Rest, trout fishing in Dullstroom, and enjoying the spectacle of the Berlin, Lisbon, Mac Mac, Sabie, Bridal Veil, Lone Creek and Nelspruit water falls. The Echo Caves and the Sudwala Caves, with their amazing rock formations and great echoic chambers should definitely be on the to-do list, and then there is still Bourke's Luck Potholes, the historical mining towns of Barberton and Kaapsehoop, the Fanie Botha Hiking Trail, the Nelspruit National Botanical Gardens

© Aleo Group 2002 - all rights reserved - Published: 01 March 2002  Last Updated: 28 December 2011