We asked readers to submit hidden gems in Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces. We’ve rounded up some of the best.
Kaapsehoop, Mpumalanga
“Without doubt, the town of Kaapsehoop, which is only 30km outside Nelspruit. Loaded with gold history and populated today with wild horses and the mystical and unexplained Adams Calendar (a stone circle that is thought to be an ancient observatory and tool to track the movement of the stars). Easy to include in itineraries and dotted with super accommodation, wedding venues deluxe and top-class horse trails. Best of all, it is not commercialised.
Accommodation in Kaapsehoop ranges from back-packers’ lodges to luxury suites and visitors can enjoy horseback riding, hiking along the trails and riding in a horse-drawn carriage.”
Mike Richardson, owner of African Quiver in Nelspruit.
Potluck Boskombuis Restaurant, Mpumalanga
Potluck Boskombuis is a bush restaurant on Erasmushoop Farm in Graskop, Mpumalanga, near Bourke’s Luck Potholes.
Potluck Boskombuis is a sampling of South African hospitality in an incredible setting, with awesome food.
Highlights on the menu include open-flame grilled steaks and ‘potjie’ (a stew prepared outdoors) specials at weekends. The restaurant is cash only and has no credit card facilities.
Mike Richardson, owner of African Quiver in Nelspruit.
Caving by Candlelight, Mpumalanga
Caving by Candlelight, near Lone Creek Falls, just 7km from Sabie, Mpumalanga, offers thrill-seekers a challenge and it is such an unusual experience.
The two- to three-hour adventure explores the Lone Creek Cave, where guests are taken through muddy tunnels and large chambers within the cave. They will also slither their way through a tight ‘drain-pipe’. A helmet and a candle are supplied and visitors are advised to wear old clothes and shoes as it is a dirty and muddy adventure.
Heather Coull, Project Manager at Moja Media, Cape Town.
Blyde River Canyon hikes, Mpumalanga
Forever Resort at Blyde River Canyon, 50km from Graskop and 160km from Nelspruit, offers visitors a wide range of hiking trails.
The Kadisi-Tufa Trail is an hour’s hike but visitors can shorten it to 20 minutes by driving down the trail. The trail goes along the Kadisi River to the Tufa waterfall.
Visitors can also choose the four-hour Leopard Trail, the three hour Guinea-Fowl Trail or a guided hike along the Lourie Trail.
R50pp is payable at reception to gain access to the resort and to sign the hikers’ control book.
Mornay Marais, owner of Tours-De-Mornay in Nelspruit.
Sabie Craft Beer Restaurant
Craft beer is taking the world by storm with culinary tourism growing in leaps and bounds. Visitors to the Mpumalanga province should experience the Lowveld's own craft beer magicians at the Sabie Craft Beer restaurant in Sabie, Mpumalanga.
The restaurant can seat 80 people and guests can see the brewery through a large glass window. A tasting tour of the microbrewery allows guests to sample hand-crafted beers, while enjoying the view of the Sabie Mountains.
Visitors can also enjoy a pancake at the famous Harry's Pancakes afterwards.
Hilton Walker, Sales and Reservations Manager at Great Plains Conservation, White River.
Barberton Makhonjwa Geotrail, Mpumalanga
The Barberton Makhonjwa Geotrail, near the Makhonjwa Mountains in Mpumalanga, goes from Barberton to the Josefsdal/Bulembu border post into Swaziland.
Natural geological finds are showcased along that route and information and sample rocks are on display, which is a huge hit with kids. The viewpoints have the most amazing unobstructed views and is the perfect place for a picnic.
Barbara Kuhn, GM at Uitkyk Holidays, Nelspruit.
Ghost tour at Pilgrim’s Rest, Mpumalanga
The Ghost Tour at Pilgrim’s Rest on the Panorama Route in Mpumalanga, is approximately six hours.
Experience a presence from ‘the other side’ at the Alanglade House and then, armed with a hurricane lamp, take a walk among the headstones at the cemetery. After knocking back a tot of sherry, meet the ghosts of the many penniless gold diggers and their tragic stories of a haunting demise.
Linda Grimbeek, COO at Kruger Lowveld Tourism, Mbombela.
Mopane Bush Lodge, Limpopo
Mopane Bush Lodge is situated in Mapungubwe in Limpopo, near the Mapungubwe National Park and World Heritage Site.
The lodge is located on a cultural and primeval landscape, rich in both heritage and scenic beauty, where the first southern African kingdom was established in the 13th century. Visitors can explore Mapungubwe’s ancient kingdoms, San rock art, wildlife and birding hotspots with knowledgeable guides.
It is an ideal stopover en-route to Botswana and Tuli. The lodge is in the heart of a 6 000-hectare nature reserve, surrounded by vibrant Mopane bushveld where giraffe, eland, kudu, zebra and many other species roam.
Providing true South African warmth and hospitality, Mopane Bush Lodge is personally managed, ensuring attentive service and an authentic African experience, true to the hallmark of a classic safari. Accommodation includes eight secluded thatched chalets, each in its own private 'kraal' and garden with endless bushveld views.
Renee, a consultant at Vermeulen, Durban.
Leshiba Wilderness, Limpopo
Leshiba Wilderness is an eco-friendly game and nature reserve near the Soutpansberg mountains, Limpopo.
The reserve features a mix of indigenous forests and open plains, with dramatic gorges, tumbling waterfalls and amazing views. Visitors can go hiking in the mountains, walk among wild animals, visit ancient rock art sites and enjoy a sundowner game drive.
Leshiba Wilderness is a sanctuary for a variety of wildlife, including giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and White rhino. Guests can go on a guided walk or game drive with one of Leshiba's game rangers and learn more about the habitat, the plants, the animals and the area's history.
This game reserve also has a series of rock art paintings, a legacy of the San people who were originally attracted here by the nearby salt pans.
Leonard Kgomo, a contracting and product development specialist at Welcome Tourism Services, Sandton.
Makapansgat Caves, Limpopo
Makapansgat, a series of dolomitic limestone caves situated in the Makapan Valley, Limpopo, is home to one of the greatest palaeontological records of human evolution in the world. Excavators have uncovered ancient mammal remains and fossil evidence of an early human-like primate ancestor.
In the 1920s, limestone prospectors exposed thousands of fossils during their excavations at the caves in the Makapans Valley. Some of these found their way to anthropologist Professor Raymond Dart. Dart had hypothesised that humans had descended from apes, following his discovery of the controversial Taung skull in 1924.
Leonard Kgomo, a contracting and product development specialist at Welcome Tourism Services, Sandton.
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