I ♥ White River

Hi, I’m Amanda from umSisi House and umSisi Cottage just outside White River on the way to the Kruger National Park and just minutes away from the Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre.

White River IS BEST KNOWN FOR its proximity to the Kruger National Park and the Panorama Route.
GET YOUR PICTURE TAKEN IN the Blyde River Canyon and show your friends what it looks like to be '[on top of the world'.
THE BEST PICTURES CAN BE TAKEN AT the Three Rondavels where the sign says 'Do not go any further'.
OTHER HAPPY SNAPS AT God's Window and Wonder View.

WHEN THE WEATHER'S GOOD, I LIKE TO take a picnic to the Lowveld National Botanical Gardens in Nelspruit where there is plenty of shade, some lovely walks and incredible birdlife.

I ♥ White River

WHEN THE WEATHER'S BAD, I LIKE TO go out for a long lunch and browse the shops at Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre.
I THINK THE BEST TIME OF YEAR TO VISIT IS September, BECAUSE its not too hot and the game viewing possibilities in the Kruger National Park are amazing. But we're lucky in the Lowveld as we enjoy an enviable and fabulous climate all-year around.

MY FAVOURITE BREAKFAST SPOT IS the Magnolia Cafe at Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre.
FOR LUNCH, I SUGGEST Zannas at the Baghdad Centre (across the road from Casterbridge).
MY FAVOURITE RESTAURANT IS The Fez at the Baghdad Centre, TRY THE fresh sushi or gourmet Fez burger.
BEST LATE NIGHT SNACK FROM the Caltex Garage in White River — its the Lowveld, nowhere else is open late at night!

I ♥ White River

MY FAVOURITE sun downer SPOT IS The Fez at the Baghdad Centre.
FOR A NIGHT OUT ON THE TOWN TRY the Mango Lounge at Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre.
IF YOU WANT TO MEET LOCALS, GO TO Gum Treez Pub & Grill at Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre.

White River’s BEST KEPT SECRET IS The Wellness Centre at Casterbridge where you can be pampered in style.
MY FAVOURITE THING TO DO WITH FRIENDS IS to go to The Fez for sundowners and sushi.
FOR SOME LIVE MUSIC, I LIKE TO GO TO the Blue Moon venue in Nelspruit.
TO RELAX AND RESTORE MY SOUL, I LIKE TO drive through the Blyde River Canyon.

I ♥ White River

IF YOU'RE FEELING ADVENTUROUS, TRY some white water tubing or river rafting with Sabie River Adventures in Hazyview.
MY FAVOURITE WALK / HIKE IS the Belvedere Day Walk which starts at Bourke's Luck Potholes and descends into the canyon to meander through lush riverine forest, where exotic birds (such as the Knysna Lourie and Narina Trogon) are found and is one of the most satisfying walks in the region. It ends at the old Belvedere Hydro Electric Power Station — the largest hydro electric power station in the southern hemisphere in the 1900's.
MY FAVOURITE 'something for everyone' SHOP IS Willowbrook at Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre.

MY FAVOURITE bird WATCHING SPOT IS Transport Dam just minutes from the Numbi Gate entrance into the Kruger National Park.

I ♥ White River

IF YOU'RE HERE IN May, JOIN IN THE FUN AT the Uplands Festival which incorporates live theatre, a country market, children's entertainment, a food and drink marquee with live music and a jazz festival.
MY FAVOURITE GALLERY IS the Kim Kay Gallery at Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre. CHECK OUT THE awesome photographic work and interesting pottery.
MY FAVOURITE BUILDING IS Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre, FOR ITS Lowveld architecture and courtyard shopping and dining vibe.

TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN? A FUN OUTING IS the elephant interaction and walk at Elephant Whispers in Hazyview.

BEST CHEAP AND CHEERFUL OUTING IS a picnic at the Lowveld National Botanical Gardens.

I ♥ White River

WHEN MONEY'S NO OBJECT, I LIKE TO rent an open-game viewing vehicle for just myself and my husband, and spend the day with a knowledgeable local guide in the Kruger National Park.

THE MOST UNUSUAL THING I SEE HERE IS a wild budgerigar flying around the gardens of Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre with lots of wild birds as friends.
MY FAVOURITE WEEKEND GETAWAY IS Tamboti Tented Camp in the Kruger National Park.
WHEN I WANT TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, I support the amazing work done by Masoyi Home Based Care.

Other:
Kaapsehoop Horse Trails; Chimp Eden, Reptile Park at Perry’s Bridge, Big Swing at Graskop, Zipline with Skyway Trails; Hoedspruit Research and Breeding Centre; Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre; Sudwala Caves; Silk Farm and Weavery; Hot Air Ballooning with ‘Balloons Over Africa’.

I ♥ White River BECAUSE of its proximity to the Kruger National Park, Panorama Route and all the adventure activities in the immediate area.

umSisi Cottage

Umsisi Cottage

The cottage at umSisi House offers upmarket self-catering accommodation for those wanting unbeatable access to the Kruger National Park without having to stay in the park itself. The cottage is based in the grounds of umSisi House in the Peebles Valley, close to White River in Mpumalanga, and is only 15 minutes drive from the Numbi Gate entrance into the Kruger Park. We also offer fully catered, luxury accommodation at umSisi House.

Visit umSisi Cottage
View Rates or make a Booking

Desirable Digits

Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre — +27 (0)13 751‑1540
Magnolia Cafe and Mango Lounge — +27 (0)13 751‑1947
Gum Treez Pub — +27 (0)13 750‑0334
Casterbridge Wellness Centre — +27 (0)13 751‑1020
Blue Moon Venue — +27 (0)13 744‑9033

Useful White River Links:
White River Attractions
Things to Do in White River
White River Accommodation
Mpumalanga Accommodation
Mpumalanga Attractions
Mpumalanga Hotels

Sabie Valley Coffee

Let me start by dispelling a few coffee myths: you shouldn't store ground coffee in the fridge but in an airtight container, decaf coffee is punted by the industry because it retails at a higher price not because it's healthier for you, instant coffee is usually chicory and Robusta coffee (cheaper to produce, inferior taste, higher in caffeine) not Arabica, and there is no money to be made in growing coffee crops in South Africa.

Today coffee crops cost more than any other agricultural crop in the country. South Africa used to grow lots of coffee during the '70s and '80s, but today, remarkably, the Sabie farm runs at a loss, something Tim freely admits. It is the roastery, the retail and distribution of coffee around the country to enthusiastic local coffee supporters that keep Sabie afloat.

All this, and more, I learn in a relatively short space of time from a remarkably personable Tim Buckland (no relation to famous mime artist, Andrew, I checked), the owner of Sabie Valley Coffee who does weekly coffee tours of his roastery in the Lowveld.

Sabie Valley Coffee roastery and coffee shop lie in a rather obscure looking building that doesn't exactly invite 'oohs' and 'ahs', particularly on an uncharacteristically misty day, the rain coming down enough to attract vast quantities of mud and drenched umbrellas to the front seat of the car, which my five-year old insists on using as his springboard to the back seat.

I'm a little disappointed by the façade of the building (spoilt by all those Cape Dutch wine farms back home), but decide this is definitely not enough to deter me from a dry interior and the chance to learn more about how coffee is roasted locally. Besides, there's that old adage – don't judge a book...

The coffee shop and roastery lie on the R536 between Hazyview and Sabie, but closer to the Hazyview side, just a little further, in fact, than the Windmill Wine Shop (if you're coming from Sabie and want to do wine and coffee together).

Sabie Valley is not the only coffee farm in South Africa. There are a few in KZN, but generally the industry in South Africa has all but gone under for various reasons – it's labour intensive, it's cheaper to import coffee, the coffee roasting industry is full of, to quote Time, scullduggery, and solely growing green coffee (the beans) that is then supplied to local merchants is not lucrative.

Sabie Valley is still flourishing because Tim and his wife Kim thought outside the box and decided to develop their own unique roasting technique (they had to as no-one in the roasting industry exactly invited them to come and learn how to do it), began to sell their own coffee brand, and opened a coffee shop that gives coffee tours on average once a week.

Despite not growing for anyone other than their own roastery, the Bucklands still produce a whopping 50 tons a year. The eight hectares of Sabie coffee plant only Arabica coffee beans, which they harvest between March and May, using only women to handpick the seeds.

As we move outside, the rain had abated enough to take in the beautiful veranda, tree-filled garden on the banks of the Sabie River, and the baby coffee bushes growing infront of us. We study the young Arabica bushes that take about two years to bear fruit, the seeds of which take roughly six to seven months to develop and once mature, are a healthy red and ready for harvest.

It takes 400–500 cherries to make a 250g bag of coffee. I swallow hard. No wonder we're importing coffee from South America and North Africa, even if some of it is organic and Fairtrade. I make a mental note to support local coffee instead.

By now the smell of coffee roasting is threatening to do me in if I can't either get closer to it, or drink it. Tim invites us all (the group is fairly big, about 20 of us) into his roastery. It's off to the side of the coffee shop, behind a glass door so that you can hear the sound of his roaster and smell the effects of roasting coffee beans. If you haven't already ordered a cuppa, you will after being exposed to the aroma.

Tim waxes lyrical. There is no doubt that he loves doing this. He speaks about the chemical reaction that occurs at 240 degrees where heat converts proteins contained in the coffee beans into aromatic oils. He talks about the different colours of the coffee that equates with different strengths of the drink, and he mentions how important it is to cool the beans quickly so that they retain their flavour.

He also forbids any of us, quite firmly, to stick how hands into the now warm beans as the beans in this form are unstable, and it is a processed food that can become contaminated. He uses a giant wooden paddle to cool the beans by shifting them gently around.

The roastery is not large. There is one operating roaster, the table onto which the beans are then placed, and then bags and bags of beans around us. The bags of raw beans last up to two years as the caffeine in them is not yet active, provided they aren't wet. The minute they are roasted they become perishable.

Tim spends quite some time on 100% Arabica coffee. He ventures that many supermarket chains do not sell Arabica, opting instead for cheaper, faster moving equivalents that are a blend of coffees, including Robusta.

I check my coffee on coming home and find that it is definitely 100% Arabica. Most of the coffees in my local are too. Perhaps this was something of the past and consumers have become more demanding?

Things get really interesting when he begins to talk about the different roasts and the fact that if you are sensitive to caffeine, as I am, you should buy an espresso roast and put it in your cafetiere, and that one should grind for one's method of making coffee. So if using an espresso machine, your beans will be ground until very fine.

He also advocates grinding your own beans as then you can drink coffee not only at its freshest, but nothing else has gone into the grind, like fillers. But I'm not sure that the Woolworths' of this world would get away with bulking up the coffees they sell as 100% Arabica.

The really interesting coffee tour now at an end, all questions asked, and much smelling of coffee beans later, we file through to find coffee and the most delicious chocolate cake known to man at our table places in the coffee shop.

How to Order:

Sabie coffee only roasts to order. Their medium roast, bushveld roast, dark roast and espresso are available at Lowveld Spars, private game lodges, restaurants, guest houses and coffee shops. But they also post to individuals nationally at competitive prices. You can order online: http://www.sabievalleycoffee.com/categories/Coffee-Roasts/

Where to Find Them:

You will find Sabie Coffee roughly 10 kilometres from Hazyview on the R536.
Telephone Sabie Valley Coffee on +27 (0)13 737‑8169 for further details

Useful Sabie Links:

Sabie Attractions
Things to Do in Sabie
Sabie Accommodation
Sabie Guest Houses
Sabie Events
Mpumalanga Hotels
Mpumalanga Accommodation

Casterbridge

White River is linked to Nelspruit by the R40. The two towns are so close (20 minutes' drive) that it is only time before they merge, incorporating the rather innocuous Rocky Drift that at the moment serves as a buffer between them.

The secret to travel, anywhere, is to do as the locals do – 'when in Rome' and all that. I realise more and more that it isn't about reading travel brochures – they'll send you where they want you to go – but following the trail of locals, as they'll lead you to spaces and places where spending your hard-earned dosh will feel that much more rewarding.

And so we ask around Nelspruit before leaving for White River. Locals unanimously agree that when in White River, Casterbridge is the place to be. When we finally get to White River it is heartening to see that, despite its being a week day, the Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre's parking lot is already obviously filling up.

Calling it a lifestyle centre is a little misleading though, as it brings to mind a mall of sorts, which it isn't. It gives the appearance at first of being on the grounds of an old farm. The buildings are all beautifully overhung with ivy and creepers, the gardens are reminiscent of those of the Palace of Versailles (in a far more diminutive way, of course) and there are enough trees dotted in and around the series of buildings to add to the feeling of being on a farm.

Casterbridge lies on a slight rise just outside of town. It began, I believe, as a motor museum, which is still there and really worth a visit. But today the centre is an assemblage of shops and restaurants, a couple of art galleries, antiques, a cinema, a pilates studio and spa, a boutique hotel and a series of offices one can use as one's base (bags the corner office, close to a tea shop!)

I find that my eyes kind of glaze over at most of the boutique style shops until I stumble upon Africa Joy. I've already got my camera poised for some shots of the eclectic mix of gifts, décor, jewellery and other nick nacks, all original, local and supporting either a community upliftment project or eco friendly in some way, when Marlize strolls in.

This is Marlize's shop. She and Dudu run things, but it is Marlize, whose background is in design and architecture, who has put it all together. She shows me her Fullcycle worm bin, which she keeps just outside the shop, and says that one of the reasons she chose this shop was because she could keep the worms there. I get the impression that she's intent on roping in everyone in the centre to recycling their organic waste, and am impressed at her ambition.

I'm really taken with her shop and this side of the centre. It is tucked way at the back, just opposite the entrance to the hotel and, admittedly, there must be many visitors who don't even venture down the corridors beyond the initial restaurants and tea rooms, nut and flower shops to this side of things. However, it is just beyond the motor museum, to which I am dragged, midway through my exploration, by my overly-eager son who wants to show me a couple of the cars.

It's a remarkably informal set-up – simply a series of, admittedly awesome, cars lined up down the two sides of a warehouse, and what seems to be a couple of offices above them. You can enter, stroll around, and leave, without any of the usual 'museum' formalities. It's fun.

Just across from Africa Joy is Rottcher Wineries Avalencia, orange wine for the tasting. I've heard a lot about wine made from oranges here in the Lowveld, and I'm quite keen to hear more about it. They are not the only orange winery in South Africa, but they are the oldest, and the shop also serves as their cellar where oranges are fermented to produce a sweet drink that is something like port, and which I find I don't enjoy, much to my dismay as the concept of drinking wine made from oranges rather tickles my fancy.

It does come served in the loveliest clay, stoppered flask made by the potter across the corridor from here, Antjie Newton, who creates mainly tableware in her high fired ovens in beautiful earthy colours.

Just down from Antjie Newton's studio is the White River Art Gallery, presently exhibiting a selection of prints by artists from The Artists' Press, called the Art of the Lithograph. Marlize has impressed upon me to visit.

I am entranced by Judith Mason's Pomegranate print, a seven-colour lithograph that I immediately want to own. I sit doing rough calculations as to whether or not the budget can possibly be stretched to accommodate a limited edition print, whilst my husband paces nervously behind me. I finally decide to simply enjoy the exhibition for its beauty and simplicity, rather than trying to own a piece of it.

The Artists' Press began in 1991 when Mark Attwood met David Koloane and Sandy Burnett. The group of artists began meeting at the Fordsburg Artists' Studios in Newtown, Johannesburg. Today, work editioned by the studio graces collections all over the world, including the Museum of Modern Art (NYC), the Smithsonian Institute, the SA National Gallery, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and numerous others, including individual's private collections.

The main thrust behind the Artist's Press is to introduce South African printmaking to global audiences, to give artists the chance to collaborate with master printers, to produce high quality original prints, and to introduce artists to print techniques, often a new medium for many of them.

My overall impression of the gallery is that it is unassuming and unpretentious, its walls allowing the art to speak for itself, the sun streaming in from high windows  not enough to distort one's appreciation of the art. On the other side of a concrete box room that acts as a room divider, an artist sits working in what can only be deemed a studio. But it gives visitors like me the chance to peek.

Just outside is an artfully placed children's play area with a swing and jungle gym. On the far side of the quadrangle, another restaurant. In keeping with Thomas Hardy's Mayor of Casterbridge (based on the town of Dorchester in Dorset), which is considered one of Hardy's best works, the Casterbridge Centre is easily the highlight of a visit to White River.

White River Links

• White River Attractions
• Things to Do in White River
• White River Hotels
• White River Accommodation
• Mpumalanga Accommodation

Le Pâtissier

Croissants, country ham, quiche Lorraine, pastries that include apple turnover, Belgian milk tart, chocolate eclair, Danish eight, apple frangipane, custard slice; Belgian breakfast with an assortment of cheeses, croissant or pain au chocolat, health bread sandwiches, artisan breads of every description, and coffee to die for...

Hazyview, when we get there, is busy. That it rests just outside the Kruger National Park is doubtless the reason, particularly as every second vehicle is some rendition of the safari jeep; the type with staggered rows of seating reminiscent of a mini-theatre on wheels – 'ta da, we're here to see wild life!'

As a town that centres around Kruger tourism one obviously needs to be aware of the little tourist traps, like Hazyview's Rondevous Centre, a fine spot to stop if you're intent on booking a safari or a tour of the Kruger, but the second-hand bookshop has prices that would make even Capetonians grumble, and the little clothing boutique is fine if you're shopping with gran.

But drive a little further along Main Road (with Nelspruit behind you) and you'll reach the corner of Sabie Road where rests Perry's Bridge Centre, a collection of shops, boutiques and restaurants that doesn't resemble a mall, which is refreshing. It also shies away from any chain stores, other than a Pappa's pizza pasteria, and even boasts a brewery.

The place is so obviously popular that parking your car in the tree-laden parking area is difficult. Children run helter skelter, there's a man chasing a pig (a pig!) that is obviously not his — given his rather patient and tedious manner it clearly belongs to his boss — and people are milling around under trees. Perhaps it is merely that I'm driving a huge car that isn't mine that entails finding at least two adjacent parking spaces in which to swing in order to park it at all that makes it appear busier than it is.

To one side is the popular Trading Post but we explore a little deeper into the centre and discover Le Pâtissier, Hazyview's Belgian Baker. It's worth holding out for. The place inside is teeming. It isn't hard to imagine why. One side of the shop is given over to the bakery, the shelves lined with various assortments of freshly baked artisan breads, cakes, pies and Danish pastries.

The woman behind the counter is happy to chat in-between serving customers, but my getting a word in is difficult as people are constantly buying – who can resist a Danish, huh?. Ilse turns out to be the other half of the Merchiers' team, the woman who nudged Gérard, her bored husband, from retirement back into the business of baking in a bid to get him out from under her feet. Now, she in turn, is enrolled in dishing out Danish.

Gérard hasn't had a chance before now to practise as a baker in South Africa. After training as a baker for many years, he ran a bakery in Brussels for 10 years, but on coming to South Africa he chose instead to run the local Spar in Hazyview. It was here that he met Ilse, originally from the Congo. On retirement he began toying with the idea of a bakery again. And what a good thing he did.

To one side of the shop is the working bakery, where a group of about three bakers is busy rolling and pummelling dough into various shapes and sizes. The bakery uses no chemicals, enhancers or preservatives. It also uses only the best and most local ingredients – butter, full-cream milk and sugar — and everything is baked on the premises. Watching them is a treat too, and they obviously enjoy what they do, which makes my enjoyment of the food that much greater – happy bakers=happy food.

Gérard is absent, but then I suppose that is excusable, given that he's been in the bakery since 2am (not the usual 4am start, his wife explains to me) and keeps a tight control over everything. He is apparently given to returning home at 11, so we've only just missed him. But I don't need to see him to realise his worth as a baker. The proof is in the pudding, literally, as, when we do order, his wares are so obviously some of the best in the country.

The bakery was originally a wine shop that used to serve cheese platters to go with wine tasting. Gérard began baking bread from home for the shop. Before long he was invited to come and bake on the premises, where he shared the wine shop. It took a while, Ilse tells me, before a journalist wrote a story in the Sunday Times, and they suddenly hit the big time.

Business just 'took off' and since then, they've taken over the wine shop, and when the shop next door became available, they occupied that space as well. It's now filled with chocolate, sweets, dried fruits and nuts and other foods you'd expect to find in a deli.

We nab a table on the verandah. It's a bit of a dicey choice as the clouds are threatening rain, but we manage to find a table under cover whilst listening to the table alongside us heatedly debate over which of the waterfalls around Sabie they have seen, and which were the best. My consensus, by halfway through the debate, is that they've seen so many waterfalls they can't remember half of them. Definitely time for a coffee.

I order a decaf whilst my son and other half order a hot chocolate and coffee a piece. Between us we share a chocolate éclair and a Danish that spoil all other Danish pastries (except for those at Olympia Bakery in Kalk Bay – I remain loyal) and stumble out of there, distinctly the better for the experience.

Whilst at Perry's Bridge, take time to stroll the grounds and visit the various curio shops, galleries and adventure booking office. Just behind Morse Nurseries is Perry's Bridge Reptile Park with quite an amazing collection of snakes, tortoises, frogs and even a huge crocodile. Try and make the snake handler's display as his mixture of stories and facts give one a new found respect for reptiles. And the silk shop that includes mopani worm silk, a rougher textured silk that is great for throws, rugs and shawls.

Hazyview Links

• Hazyview Accommodation
• Hazyview Hotels
• Hazyview Attractions
• Things to Do in Hazyview
• Mpumalanga Hotels
• Mpumalanga Accommodation

Kruger National Park

The Kruger National Park is undoubtedly THE place to be when it comes to seeing game in what should be their natural environment.  Even if during school holidays the number of people entering the park is questionable, traffic fairly congested, and the tendency of individuals to do silly things like feed hyenas and monkeys (now a constant pest in various rest camps) a sign that even in the Kruger, humans are encroaching on the freedom of the animals within. Despite this Kruger Park is a fantastic experience.

One of the world's largest game parks, Kruger has received a  myriad accolades for nature conservation and, more recently, has begun lowering fences that separate the park from neighbouring reserves, allowing the wildlife within even greater access to land and water, and increasing the chance to spot game.

But entering the park for the first time can be a little overwhelming. There are over nine entry points into the park and information on Kruger Park accommodation and the park in general is sometimes confusing.

We've put together a few tips and guidelines to help.

When at Kruger, what to remember:

• 50 km/hr speed limit — whilst the distances between camps might not sound a lot, the speed limit in the park is 50 km/hr on tar roads, so allow roughly 2.5 hours between camps for game viewing. Oh, and, stick to the limit, it's there for a reason...something to do with consideration for animals
• up with the birds – the general consensus is that getting out at dawn is almost guaranteed to reveal the best game, however, when we were there during winter, this was not the case; some of the best game spotting was during the mid-morning.
• dams, hides and picnic spots – you can break your drives by stopping at these, and some of them prove really great game viewing spots, particularly the dams and hides
• take your own – food (restaurants and shops provide only average and expensive meals), bath plugs, torches, insect repellent, sun block, hats and hiking boots
• take advantage of the night drives and guided walking trails – the night drives in particular need to be booked in advance and are well worth it. Each park has a different rate, so do your homework and book at those that charge a little less
• car hire at Skukuza – should your car break down, or if you are part of a tour
• petrol – the larger rest camps provide fuel
• remember to recycle – the park has prominent recycling bins at gates and rest camps

The difference between bush camps, rest camps, private camps,
and private lodges and camps

The rest camps and bush camps are fairly similar to look at, but are inherently different. The rest camps are – Skukuza, Balule, Pretoriuskop, Berg-en-Dal, Satara, Lower Sabie, Punda Maria, Shingwedzi, Olifants, Mopane, Tamboti, Orpen, Malelane, Maroela and Crocodile Bridge. At each of these are bungalows, camping and sometimes chalets, guest houses and tented camps, restaurants, shops and even the odd evening film.

The bush camps, sometimes referred to as bushveld camps, are quieter and more remote rest camps, also with their own toilets and kitchen facilities, but without shops or restaurants. There is no camping available, and thus the general rush of people that usually descend on the rest camps for lunch, are not allowed into the bush camps. These include Bateleur, Biyamiti, Shimuwini, Sirheni and Talamati. They're generally quieter and more remote.

Private camps are usually for groups of visitors and include Boulders, Malelane, Tsendze rustic campsite and Roodewal. These are usually booked up months in advance, for obvious reasons. Lovely if you've a slightly larger group (but look at them even if you a family)

Private lodges – until recently the policy of the Kruger was not to allow private lodge operators into the park. However, this has apparently changed, and a limited number of private lodges, other than those just outside the park, have been allowed to 'set up camp'. These include: Jock Safari Lodge, Pafuri, Imbali, Plains, Rhino Post, Camps Shawu, Camp Shonga and Hamiltons Tented Camp.

What to do other than drive around in your car
– guided walks and outdoor activities

Whilst undoubtedly a lot of fun is to be had driving slowly through the more remote parts of the park to spot game, this can get a little monotonous after a couple of days. There are other activities in which one can partake in the Kruger.

A series of guided wilderness walking trails that take a maximum of 8 people at a time, aged between 12 and 60, are available. They tend to be over a few days, are guided by armed rangers, and include accommodation and food. These include Bushman Trail, Metsimietsi Trail, Napi Trail, Olifants Trail, Sweni Trail and the Wolhuter Trail. On each of them one overnights at a bushveld camp and gets to experience the bush on foot.

Other outdoor things to do within Kruger include:

• mountain bike trails from Olifants Camp
• a 9 hole golf course at Skukuza
• 4X4 adventure trails (four one-day self-driven trails)
• sleepover hides – for the adventurous, these are at Sable Dam Hide near Phalaborwa Gate, and Shipandani Hide at Mopani

Tips for spotting the Big 5

There are those who firmly believe that spotting the Big 5 is simply luck of the draw. But there are a number of things you can do to bring you that much closer to them.

• Use the sightings boards – at the gates and rest camps there are boards that keep daily records of latest animal sightings. These can give you a good indication of the areas in which to drive if you haven't yet spotted a lion or leopard. The downside is that the boards are available to anyone to update, so you are not always sure that the information is valid
• rise with the birds – the best time to spot game is as the camp gates open in the morning as animals are more active
• hide out at waterholes – particularly at midday or sundown, waterholes are guaranteed to receive a visit at some stage of the day, as animals need water
• winter is best – the driest time of the year is best to spot game as they're more active and the bush is not as lush as it gets in summer
• go on night drives
• buy a copy of Andy and Lorrain Tinker's Kruger National Park Guide – awesome guidelines, hot spots, maps and photos

The Limpopo National Park

One can travel from Kruger straight into the Limpopo National Park via the gate at Giriyondo, which acts as a border post. You will need a 4X4 vehicle to do this journey as the road deteriorates after a couple of hours from Giriyondo Gate en route to Massingir Gate.

Together with the Kruger and Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, the Limpopo National Park forms the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park.

The Limpopo National Park is well worth a visit. It is still in the initial stages of development and whilst there are not a lot of camps, there is an overlander site with space for 10 camper vans, 20 individual campsites, 13 chalets and a luxury tented camp. They are all self-catering.

Kruger National Park Links

• Kruger National Park
• Kruger Park Hotels
• Kruger Park Accommodation
• Mpumalanga Accommodation

I ♥ Hazyview

Hi, I’m Tina from Böhm’s Zeederberg Country House in Hazyview, Panorama Route, Mpumalanga.

Hazyview IS BEST KNOWN FOR its warm friendly climate and people, and being so centrally located to major tourist attractions such as Kruger National Park and Blyde River Canyon.

GET YOUR PICTURE TAKEN AT God’s Window (surely the closest you will get to heaven on earth)!

THE BEST sundowner PICTURES CAN BE TAKEN AT the sundowner deck with a cocktail in hand at Böhm’s Zeederberg Country House.

I ♥ Hazyview

OTHER HAPPY SNAPS AT Forest Canopy Aerial Trail zooming across the valley in a harness, any fun activity such as rafting, riding or quad biking by Induna Adventures or with a homebrew beer in hand at Perry’s Bridge Brewery or with a supadupa thick steak at Pioneers best Steak Grill.

WHEN THE WEATHER'S GOOD, I LIKE TO raft down the Sabie River with Induna Adventures.
WHEN THE WEATHER'S BAD, I LIKE TO enjoy a good bottle of Red wine in front of the majestic fireplace at Böhm’s Zeederberg Country House.

I THINK THE BEST TIME OF YEAR TO VISIT IS April, May and June, BECAUSE the weather is great, it is not too hot and everything is still green after summer and there are hardly any tourists around!

I ♥ Hazyview

MY FAVOURITE BREAKFAST SPOT IS Kuka Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge.
FOR LUNCH, I SUGGEST sushi at Perry’s Bridge Brewery.

MY FAVOURITE RESTAURANT IS Pioneers Grill, TRY THE awesome man size steaks!
BEST LATE NIGHT SNACK FROM Tanks come and grab a bite to eat, a drink or two or dance late into the night.

MY FAVOURITE tapas SPOT IS the Windmill Wineshop.
FOR A NIGHT OUT ON THE TOWN TRY Jungle Cafe.
IF YOU WANT TO MEET LOCALS, GO TO Tanks or Jungle Cafe.

Hazyview’s BEST KEPT SECRET IS fresh fruit grown on our own trees all year round, try Pat’s stall for the best selection.

I ♥ Hazyview

MY FAVOURITE THING TO DO WITH FRIENDS IS pack a picnic and go on a stunning hiking trail along the Sabie river.

FOR SOME RETAIL THERAPY, I LIKE TO GO TO Rendezvous Tourism Centre.
TO RELAX AND RESTORE MY SOUL, I LIKE TO get pampered at Summerfields Spa.

IF YOU'RE FEELING ADVENTUROUS, TRY all the activities from mild to Wild offered by Big5Country Booking Office.

MY FAVOURITE DRIVE IS along the Panorama route from Hazyview to Graskop to Sabie and back.
MY FAVOURITE wineshop SHOP IS Windmill Wineshop.

I ♥ Hazyview

MY FAVOURITE bird WATCHING SPOT IS along the Sabie River on one of the many hiking trails.
IF YOU'RE HERE IN June, JOIN IN THE FUN AT the Summerhill 4 x 4 Festival.

MY FAVOURITE GALLERY IS Artefundi. CHECK OUT THE awesome bamboo fibre painted plates and lamps.

MY FAVOURITE BUILDING IS Bohemian Groove Café in Kaapschehoop, FOR ITS artistic flair and good vibe.

TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN? A FUN OUTING IS the Kruger National Park and to spot the Big 5 !

I ♥ Hazyview

BEST CHEAP AND CHEERFUL OUTING IS visiting Perry’s Bridge Tourism Centre, something to do for all ages.

WHEN MONEY'S NO OBJECT, I LIKE TO visit one of the amazing 5 star Game lodges in the neighbouring Sabie Sands Game Reserve.

THE MOST UNUSUAL THING I SEE HERE IS that in some years we have a thin sprinkling of snow on our highest mountain peaks, which is simply beautiful.

MY FAVOURITE WEEKEND GETAWAY IS in a rondavel in one of the Kruger National Camps with a big braai fire in a skottel under the stars.

WHEN I WANT TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, I join on one of the tribal experiences that Malachite Tours offers in the Shangaan Tribal Homeland.

Lots and lots of accommodation possibilities, activities, restaurants, shops, nature, scenery , good people and awesome warm weather!

I ♥ Hazyview BECAUSE where else would you find heaven on earth?

Böhms Zeederberg

Böhm’s Zeederberg Country House

Böhms Zeederberg Country House is a small owner run Guest House situated between Hazyview and Sabie near the Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga, South Africa in a Malaria Free Area. Mrs Böhm and her German speaking family have been the hosts for the past 27 years, achieving a 4-Star Grading which was recently awarded by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa. The Country House is situated on a hilltop overlooking the Sabie River Valley over 60 hectares of indigenous bush inhabited by monkeys, small mammals, Bushbuck and varied Birdlife.

Visit Böhms Zeederberg Country House
View Rates or make a Booking

Desirable Digits

Hazyview Skyways: +27 (0)82 825‑0209
Pioneer's Butcher and Grill: +27 (0)13 737‑7397
Induna Adventures: +27 (0)13 737‑8308
Kuka: +27 (0)13 737 6957
Tanks: +27 (0)71 689‑5134
Windmill Wine Shop: +27 (0)13 737‑8175
Rendezvous Tourism Centre: +27 (0)13 737‑7414
Summerfields Spa: +27 (0)13 737‑6500
Perry's Bridge Trading Centre: +27 (0)13 737‑6929
Shangana Cultural Village Tour: +27 (0)13 737‑7000 or +27 (0)13 737‑6970

Useful Hazyview Links:
Hazyview Attractions
Things to Do in Hazyview
Hazyview Hotels
Hazyview Accommodation
Mpumalanga Accommodation
Mpumalanga Hotels

Southern Kruger

The southern region of the Kruger National Park lies between the Crocodile River to the south, the Sabie in the north and, in the east, the Lebombo Mountains. Nothing quite prepares you for the park's impact, the trees and hills an unexpected flavour to the picture I had of the bushveld as, well, flat (despite having gone to the Kruger as a child).

The southern region gets more rain during the year which translates into more game, shaded by the presence of the Cape chestnut, coral tree, lavender fever berry, and white pear.

This part is where one goes if the white rhino is high on your list of priorities. But it is also popular because it is more accessible for weekend trips from Nelspruit, Hoedspruit, White River etc. School holidays are thus something of a 'mare', making the south more people-dense than the northerly parts of the Kruger park.

Not to be deterred, we decided to go anyway. We also left our booking until a few weeks before visiting the park, and still managed to bag a bungalow in three of the southern Kruger rest camps (only possible because we were flexible). If you're after the river-side cottages at Skukuza, for instance, (definitely the best spot in the camp) you'd do well to book about a year in advance.

Quick overview of the southern rest camps in Kruger:

Berg-en-Dal – southernmost camp in amongst hills, great for rhinos, wild dog,  and lion
Crocodile Bridge – weeny camp virtually at entrance, not bad for wild dog and cheetah
Skukuza – busy, popular and large camp on the Sabie River, great for birds, leopard, hyena, caracal, wild cat and hippo
Lower Sabie – large camp also on Sabie River, good for birds and general game
Pretoriuskop – one of the oldest camps and quieter, great for antelope, birds, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino

I soon learnt, after the first night, not to expect B&B standards from Kruger's rest camps. They are great for their position and access to game. They are not hotels and one should not expect hotel standards, despite the prices. Don't rely on the shops and restaurants for food either. They are average and really expensive. What you get for your money is clean linen, access to facilities and a place to lay your head.

Our first two hours in the park were undoubtedly our best. Entering via the gate at Malelane fairly late in the morning (not regarded as a good time for spotting game), we saw two herds of elephant right up on the road in succession, buffalo (again on the road), and rhino all within a couple of circular loops close to the gate, as our first night was Berg-en-Dal.

Right at the gate were a couple of waterbuck and a gazillion crocs, all so sun-soaked that the proximity of healthy looking buck obviously did not tantalise. Nevertheless, we remained on the bridge for a while to see if there would be any action.

The rhino we saw was admittedly out of the corner of my eye. We were obviously the last straw in a series of unnerving events for the chap who literally saw red when our borrowed silver Fortuna ambled by. I had time to say 'put foot'!before he flattened us, or at least that was how it looked to me. Not even when we plucked up the courage to backtrack slowly could we see him though. I'm still having trouble convincing my family there was a rhino at all...

Photographs — Left: Berg-en-Dal / Right: Berg-en-Dal Dam

First night – Berg-en-Dal

Berg-en-Dal is probably the prettiest camp of the three. Despite the fact that one of the hot plates on our two-plate stove did not work, and any attempt to use the toaster meant that we lost our connection to electricity completely, the thatched, brick bungalows are quiet and cleverly designed so that a bathroom, kitchen and bedroom easily fit. Private verandas and a braai area finish it off. Set in amongst the trees the camp lies on the bank of the Matjulu Spruit in amongst a series of hills with a dam on the border of the camp, at which you can sit and watch the odd bird or buck come to drink. We stayed in a bungalow but there is also a campsite, family cottages and a couple of guesthouses.

You get: crockery, cutlery, linen, hotplate, toaster, kettle and fridge
Our verdict: quaint, pretty, quiet, the best of the lot, but needs a bit of TLC

Photographs — Left: Skukuza / Right: Bungalow at Skukuza bungalow with kitchen

Second night — Skukuza

Skukuza buzzes. It is busy at whatever time of year mainly because it is the administrative headquarters of the Kruger, but also because it is large. Accommodation varies from lovely chalets downriver from the shop and restaurant on the banks of the Sabie, to two-and-three-bed bungalows with en suite bathrooms, but minus a kitchen (these are communal and outside), which does make a long-term stay here rather uncomfortable, but it's fine for overnight (if you do not mind having to re-wash all your crockery and cutlery because the people before you obviously left at dawn and must have used the hand basin as a washing alternative – minus soap). There are also safari tents and a campsite. The highlight of Skukuza is the waterside/restaurant area under a canopy of trees, the views over the river, and the access to game. Wildlife at Skukuza is probably of the best. Hippo are both audible and visible, particularly at night but also during the day when we were there (June), which I found surprising.

What you get in a bungalow: crockery, cutlery, a fridge, 2/3 beds, linen
Our verdict: escaping the hordes is difficult, definitely worth booking ahead of time to nab one of the riverside chalets (big enough to share amongst a couple of families), not sure that I'd stay in the bungalows again, and watch out for monkeys in the camp

Photographs — Left: Lower Sabie bungalows / Right: Tents at Lower Sabie

Third night – Lower Sabie

One of the most popular camps in Kruger. We arrived earlier than anticipated and took a walk around their obviously newer tented safari style accommodation and tried to do a swop. This part of Lower Sabie lies on the opposite side of the rather snazy, raised restaurant area on the banks of the Sabie, to the older bungalows and campsite. It looks lovely and a wonderful way to stay in Kruger. Our bungalow, when we finally got the keys (you can't book in much before 2pm) was a lot better than anticipated. We ended up in a 3-bed bungalow with a sizeable bathroom and kitchenette. Like Skukuza, there are wonderful trees and a grassy area that leads down to the Sabie River. If you avoid the humming restaurant and are far enough from the campsite, your visit is calm and peaceful.

What you get in a bungalow: crockery, cutlery, linen, hotplate, toaster, kettle and fridge
Our verdict: restaurant area has beautiful views over the river though very busy, try and stay in riverside chalets or tented safari tents

Hotspots for viewing game in the southern Kruger:

• Lake Panic hide, on the H11 to Skukuza from Paul Kruger Gate
• Mlondozi Dam hide on the S29 near Lower Sabie
• Mathekenyane 'Granokop' 10km from Skukuza on the H1-1
• Renosterpan on H-3 from Malelane Gate to Traders Rest (takeaway shop en route)
• Nyamundwa Dam between Phabeni Gate and Skukuza on S1
• Sunset Dam outside Lower Sabie on H4-1

Tips:

• A must-buy: Andy and Lorrain Tinker's Kruger National Park Guide and Map, available from most of the shops in the rest camps
• Remember that the speed limit is 50 km/hour and covering the distance between camps takes longer than you think
• Drive slowly to spot game, and do shorter drives with stops at dams, hides and rest camps
• Andy and Lorrain Tinker recommend the following route in southern Kruger: from Skukuza to Berg-en-Dal, Crocodile Bridge, lower Sabie and back
• When busy, stick to the dirt roads, most people tend to drive the tar roads

Kruger Park Links

• Kruger National Park
• Kruger Park Hotels
• Kruger Park Accommodation
• Mpumalanga Accommodation

Boondocks Labyrinth

Stuart and I get off on the wrong foot with one another. It doesn't help that I hear incorrectly when he introduces himself, and proceed to call him by the wrong name until he graciously corrects me when I finally shake his hand at the gate.

He bears this inadvertent discourtesy without criticism, gracefully in fact. As he does my challenging tone (I'm a little stressed and Stuart gets the brunt of it. Would it make me look a little better if I added that I don't like talking on cell phones?).

I later laugh at Stuart's account of what it takes to hold a telephone conversation up on the hill at Boondocks. It is nothing short of undignified and involves placing one's head virtually inside a pot plant with one's derrière exposed – cell phone reception is virtually non-existent, except at the site of the plant and intermittently on the edge of the escarpment. And Telkom refuse to bring in a line all this way. Not having any telecommunication or internet access forms a large part of the charm of Boondocks.

I begin to understand Stuart's initial hesitancy when chatting to me when he meets us at the gate to his property. Getting to the lodge is a good fifteen minute drive over rough terrain and through incredible bushveld, all part of a larger game reserve formed by a number of like-minded neighbours who have brought down their fences for the sake of preservation (one of them includes a former hunter). A visit to Boondocks is not as simple as arriving and ringing the front doorbell. Obviously.

Boondocks is a sanctuary for the soul. There is no other fitting description for the space that lies perched overlooking the valley below. An unspoilt piece of heaven. “A lot of the visitors through here experience something profound”, admits Stuart, “relationships break up, people change their lives forever, or start doing completely new things with their lives.” One thing is certain: you won't leave here unaffected. There is something about the place.

“Not everyone arrives here,” continues Stuart thoughtfully, “some get lost en route, others change their minds, those that do are meant to be here, and I can usually sense on the phone which ones will arrive.” Obviously we're meant to be here, which is rather heartening after my rude behaviour earlier. After meeting Stuart's wife, Ann, and a recurrent visitor from Johannesburg who comes so often she is enough part of the household to make us tea, and Scout the Rhodesian ridgeback, we are invited to explore.

The gardens are spectacular. Beautiful and artistic water pools lie in strategic niches on the grounds shrouded by palms, ferns and other plants that bend towards the water longingly. Boondocks has been lovingly crafted as a retreat centre. Workshops for groups are commonplace here and the naturally healing environment works on one even without a constructive workshop. There are beautiful, private ensuite rooms, their sliding doors open to the garden, their bathrooms handcrafted. I find myself wishing I had a spare month...(or two).

There is an open air shower perched on the edge of the valley, secluded spots in the garden for meditation, and water finds its way effortlessly from a spring three kilometres higher up the mountain via gravity to a tank that overflows and feeds all the various water features that play a big part in the restorative atmosphere at Boondocks. Boondocks is solar powered as like Telkom, Eskom have not set up a supply to the mountain.

We begin to move out of the gardens, heading down the slope away from the lodge towards the dam. We're in search of the labyrinth that Stuart built with his own hands from stone, based on the Chartres Cathedral in France. Stuart laughingly sends us on our way, “there has only been one person who got lost trying to find the labyrinth,” he says, “just follow the path around the dam.”

This duly done, we are mesmerised by the views from Boondocks across the valley to the mountains beyond. We find ourselves at a little stone circle Stuart has designed, below it a series of pools. But no labyrinth. The sun has made an appearance and we're not dressed for the heat. I admit defeat and head back up on my own to confess, somewhat shamefaced, that I'm the second person not to find it.

I've been battling demons all day. Their presence has soured my visit and in no small way prevented me from finding the labyrinth. I feel much like the weather, sunshine overlayed in gray clouds. And I am only too conscious that Stuart is alert to this. I feel put on the spot, but he simply removes the pipe from his mouth and sends Scout and his visitor down with me to find the labyrinth on the other side from where we have looked. I feel rather like Alice.

It's glorious, when I find it. It lies in under the trees, perfect for contemplation and secluded time spend in reflection. Yes, it is based on the Chartres, but what makes it unique is the slight twist in the tale, for Stuart has built around the trees and, as a result, the path is adapted, hence every now and again there is a beautiful bend that wasn't in the original and a curve cradles a tree, allowing it to remain.

It is not a labyrinth the way that some people understand it to be. Often one has it confused with a maze in which one can get lost and arrive at dead ends before finding the centre. A labyrinth, by comparison, is unicursal, a path you follow in a one-way direction until you arrive at the centre, or heart. From there you wind your way out, returning on the exact path that is, for the very reason that you are exiting and no longer entering, a completely different experience.

The metaphors are thus many. The path is never the same on a journey as it is on the return, the path is unknown and a literary metaphor for finding oneself amidst life's agitation and complexity, the labyrinth is as much a journey within, it is a commune both with ourselves and the environment in which we stand, and this environment in particular holds its breath with me as I stand in stillness. As I know it will be shattered the minute the others catch up with me.

I don't walk the labyrinth. This is not the space or the time to do it. I will return one day to explore the presence this labyrinth has to offer me.

Stuart and Ann give us tea on their wide veranda. They talk about how they discovered Boondocks, or it discovered them – they're both originally from the UK. Stuart feels he was directed to build the labyrinth right where it stands today. When you build something with your own hands it is immensely satisfying, I can see that. Our conversation is interesting, the space in which we sit, quite beautiful.

We leave Boondocks, enriched for the visit, but with a sense of incompleteness. I have this uncanny feeling that I will return one day, to walk the labyrinth.

Where to find it:

Address: Boondocks is 4.3 kms from Kaapmuiden on the N4 between Nelspruit and Malelane, Mpumalanga.
Telephone: +27 (0)82 808‑2733
Opening Hours: By appointment only

Useful Links:

• Wild Frontier Attractions
• Things to Do in Mpumalanga
• Wild Frontier Accommodation
• Mpumalanga Accommodation
• South Africa Accommodation

Mabusa's Painted Mountain

“You can't miss them,” Stuart instructs as we leave Boondocks, “head off that way, go past the whatsit, down a slight dip and they're on your left”. Stuart is busy giving us last minute directions to find Nukain Mabusa's flower garden, advertised on most of the local tourist information we pick up as worth a look-see.

We zoot off along the R38, Kaapmuiden behind us, Barberton ahead of us. I'm looking out for a garden. My better half, who as usual has done a bit of homework, is looking out for a series of painted rocks. Neither of us is quite prepared for the non-event of the stone garden.

Drive too fast and you will pass them by without a backward glance. Nowhere is there a road sign to prepare you – local tourism obviously, despite using the designs as a branding tool, hasn't deemed them worthy of any type of formal roadside marketing.

The stones, most of which, I would guess, have weathered somewhat from the constant sun, wind and rain that assaults them, are actually remarkably camouflaged, despite fanning up the greater part of the hillside.

I later learn that the rocks have indeed been left to languish. And it is only through the work of a few local lads — Mike Dehrmann from Working for Water, his grandson Greg, and Vernon Paul, who owns Satico Sawmill — who together have pledged to adopt and restore the 'garden' that it will endeavour, despite being regarded as an international icon.

A few months before we arrive at the scene the site of the stones was a lot worse. You could apparently barely see the rocks for the height of the grass. They began by cutting it back with a bushcutter, and it took five days to clear.

The rocks lie in a part of the Lowveld known as Revolver Creek. After passing Esperado and Louisville a little later on we decide everything around here is coloured by the type of language you would expect in a Western movie. There is a village just across the road from the stones. We hear music pumping in the background, and people mill about behind a bamboo screen.

We tumble out of the car, my son to climb and scramble, and the rest of us to get up close to the rocks. “Where are the flowers?” I ask in all innocence until I realise that the title describes the garden of rocks.

Nukain Mabusa's garden has stood here for nigh on thirty years. It is world famous rock art, featuring in John Maizel's book Raw Creation and in numerous exhibitions.

His work is recognised as an important example of South African Outsider Art, described by Maizel as synonymous with Art Brut (raw art) which is 'uncooked' or 'unadulterated' by culture, and raw because it is in its most direct and uninhibited form. The other South African example is Helen Martins' Owl House in Nieu Bethesda in the Karoo. She at least has a museum to protect her work.

My son doesn't need an explanation of Outsider Art. It describes artists who exist outside of established culture and society, which at times, I muse, also sometimes describes his antics and complete lack of inhibition. He totally identifies with the idea of painting rocks and assembling them on a hillside. They are not strange to him.

He doesn't even ask how the stones got here. They remain for him, an obstacle course designed exclusively for his discovery and treats them the way, I think, Mabusa would have enjoyed. That they are painted in different colours and designs only adds to the experience.

If you consider that this is one of only 44 environmental art works world wide, we're actually standing in an art gallery, viewing work highly considered by those who recognise an artist who, despite having no formal artistic training, was nonetheless inspired to create this personalised space. He landscaped his art in much the same way a landscape artist applies paint to canvas.

There is something beautiful about the arrangement of geometrically painted rocks. As I begin to photograph them, his 'garden of flowers' comes to life.

The works were a tourist attraction during Nukain Mabusa's life, despite the fact that he was not recognised as an artist. That came after his death. He lies in a grave identifiable only by a reference number, in the cemetery in Barberton. The story reminds me a little of Mozart's unmarked grave. Does brilliance fit hand-in-glove with poverty?

And the man behind the stones? Called the 'Crazy Man' by locals, Nukain Mabusa came from southern Mozambique, just across the border from here, from whence he fled during the civil war after his wife and child had died. He moved to Revolver Creek where he worked as a farm labourer in exchange for using the land on which he painted his stones.

An article by Pat Hopkins, who met the artist before his death, gives me a far better account than any other formally written biography, for not much is known about Mabusa. Whilst alive, Mabusa used to live in a two-hut homestead alongside the rocks. The rondavels were also painted with yellow, black and white circles and squares, apparently inspired by chevrons and traffic signs.

Inside the huts his walls were covered in similar. Whilst on the walls hung the odd newspaper clipping about his work. Outside, every rock surface available on the mountainside has been painted in his signature patterns – red, blue, gold animal motifs and geometric patterns. At the very top is a large black and white striped boulder that resembles the haunch of a zebra.

But why a 'garden of flowers'?

Mabusa apparently described how if you stood at the crest of the mountain, keeping the stones aligned with a similar zebra haunch down near his home, the rocks look like flowers tumbling from heaven. The two rocks he described as his 'altars' – one on earth and the other in heaven – separated, yet linked.

His garden, Pat tells, was Mabusa's preparation for Judgement Day and he described his own garden as the 'most beautiful garden in the universe'.

But there is a sad ending to the story. Mabusa's eccentricity was probably the reason he eventually dug a grave on top of his painted mountain and buried himself alive.

Brilliance might not always go hand-in-hand with poverty, but it does with eccentricity. And his death gave me pause to consider both Mabusa and his rocks in a new light.

Where to find it:

You will find Nukain Mabusa's garden of flowers alongside the R38, 8 kilometres from Kaapmuiden, off the N4 east of Nelspruit.

Useful Links:

• Wild Frontier Attractions
• Things to Do in Mpumalanga
• Wild Frontier Accommodation
• Mpumalanga Accommodation
• South Africa Accommodation

I ♥ Malelane

Hi, I’m Peter Jaehne from Khandizwe River Lodge in Malelane.

Malelane IS BEST KNOWN FOR its lush, tropical surroundings and proximity to the Kruger National Park.
GET YOUR PICTURE TAKEN AT the Malelane Bridge with hippos frolicking below you in river.
THE BEST Kruger Park PICTURES CAN BE TAKEN AT the Malelane Gate,the entrance gate to the Kruger National Park.

WHEN THE WEATHER'S GOOD, I LIKE TO relax in my swimming pool watching the elephants below the Lodge.
WHEN THE WEATHER'S BAD, I LIKE TO watch National Geographic movies about Africa and its beautiful wildlife.
I THINK THE BEST TIME OF YEAR TO VISIT IS all year around BECAUSE the colours of the bush and its flora and fauna changes all the time.

I ♥ Malelane

MY FAVOURITE BREAKFAST SPOT IS Afsaal, located inside Kruger between the Malelane Gate and Skukuza. Try the pancakes!
MY FAVOURITE lunch SPOT IS the new diner in town.
MY FAVOURITE RESTAURANT IS Hamilton's. Originally an old trading store, the walls are stone clad and the green lawn lends itself as the perfect playground for children.
BEST LATE NIGHT SNACK FROM Nandos at the entrance to the town.
FOR A NIGHT OUT ON THE TOWN TRY the BBQ Sundowner Safari offered by the South African National Parks.
IF YOU WANT TO MEET LOCALS, GO TO the Duck 'n Dive pub.

Malelane’s BEST KEPT SECRET IS its direct proximity to Kruger and its great all-year climate.
MY FAVOURITE THING TO DO WITH FRIENDS IS head into the Kruger Park before the sun rises.

I ♥ Malelane

TO RELAX AND RESTORE MY SOUL, I LIKE TO watch the elephants playing on the banks of the Crocodile River between Malelane and Kruger.
IF YOU'RE FEELING ADVENTUROUS, TRY micro-lighting above the Crocodile River.
MY FAVOURITE DRIVE IS from the Malelane Gate to the beautiful Lower Sabie Camp.
MY FAVOURITE food SHOP IS the extremely well-stocked SuperSpar in Malelane.

MY FAVOURITE GAME AND BIRD WATCHING SPOT IS on the Malelane Bridge outside the Malelane Gate.
IF YOU'RE HERE IN May, JOIN IN THE FUN AT the annual Portuguese Festival.

BEST CHEAP AND CHEERFUL OUTING IS a drive to the Malelane Bridge leading into Kruger — fantastic game viewing for free.

I ♥ Malelane

WHEN MONEY'S NO OBJECT, I LIKE TO spend most of my time inside Kruger and its many great rest camps.

MY FAVOURITE WEEKEND GETAWAY IS a stay at the Lower Sabie Rest Camp inside Kruger.
WHEN I WANT TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, we make our Lodge available to local teenagers in the area who otherwise are unable to appreciate the bush in a luxurious environment.

I ♥ Malelane BECAUSE people make time for one another.

Khandizwe River Lodge

Khandizwe Lodge

Captivatingly set on the banks of the Crocodile River with breathtaking views of the neighbouring Kruger National Park, Khandizwe’s uncompromised standards of excellence, fine devotion to detail and unrestrained luxury have earned this spectacular destination a prestigious 5-star grading. With the emphasis on exclusivity, accommodation is limited to only 4 en-suite bedrooms, each one exuding refinement and supreme comforts such as fully stocked mini-bars, beverage trays, air-conditioning, overhead fans, hairdryers, bathrobes, fine linen and beds that sleep oh so well.

Visit Khandizwe Lodge
View Rates or make a Booking

Desirable Digits

Hamilton's — +27 (0)13 790‑3421
Duck 'n Dive Pub — +27 (0)13 790‑1258

Useful Malelane Links:
Malelane Attractions
Malelane Accommodation
Malelane Hotels
Mpumalanga Accommodation
Mpumalanga Hotels

Kaapse Hoop

We round the corner at the top of the plateau, having left Nelspruit behind and below us, and there suddenly in a clearing in amongst a series of rough sandstone rocks, Kaapsche Hoop makes its presence known.

The gorgeous little hamlet lies high enough above the towns of Nelspruit and Barberton to experience a completely different set of weather patterns. Residents will tell you that you can anticipate a difference of at least five degrees.

It's usually a lot cooler up on the mountain, in amidst numerous pine plantations with names like 'Berlin'. Often white blankets of mist swirl in and the wild horses that roam free in and around the town appear like unicorns in a world in which it is no longer bizarre to anticipate faeries; sightings of the endangered blue swallow simply adding to the mythical atmosphere.

There is something distinctly otherwordly about Kaapsche Hoop. It has elements of Pilgrim's Rest, but before all the fuss and bother turned the town into a tourist haven with bus loads of people coming and going. Kaapsche Hoop claims to have been the centre of the gold rush of the 1880s, after Bernard Chomse found gold in the bed of a stream on the plateau that perches between two valleys, each dominated by a river – the Crocodile and the Elands.

Photographs — Left: Tin Chapel / Right: Wild horse en route

The town, in fact, discovered gold even before Johannesburg and directly opposite the plateau, down in the valley that surrounds the town of Barberton, remains one of the richest veins of gold in the country – the Sheba Mine. Originally the town, because of a combination of unusual sandstone rock formations and swirling mists, was known as Duiwel's Kantoor but this changed with the discovery of gold when it became known as the 'hope of the cape' or Kaapse Hoop.

The town was a booming little mining town during the 1880s with close to 5 000 residents. Over the years as interest dwindled — gold ran out — the town slowly died away until it was virtually a ghost town with all of 16 people living there.

Connie and Trevor of Corner Cottage tell me how Trevor stumbled upon the town in the mid 1980s whilst he worked as an engineer at Ngodwana. He suffered a flat tyre whilst out here with his camera, and, in the mist followed the only telephone line he could see into the very house where he and Connie now live. The house was already 99 years old. The town was in dissarray, the Post Office boarded up, and the old hotel virtually the only commercial venture in town.

Photographs — Left: Street lamps / Right: Mining commissioner's house

Whilst awaiting rescue, Trevor was to take photos of the house. Years later, in 2003, he brought Connie out to the town to propose that they move here, for something about the village spoke to him. They were comparing his old photos with the same house whilst standing just outside, when the then owner came to invite them inside, something she later confessed she seldom did.

As with all stories like this one, it just so happened that the owner's husband had recently suffered a heart attack and they needed to sell, even though there was no for 'sale sign' on the door yet. Connie and Trevor expressed an interest in the house. The owners proposed that they sell their house to them, but that they remain on in the house for a further two years.

Connie and Trevor, when I meet them, have spent five years restoring the house carefully, maintaining it exactly as it was initially built. Trevor has lovingly hand made all the wooden panelling, restored doors, window sills and floors, without the temptation to make the tiny house with its pressingly low ceilings any larger. These days the nature of the town has changed enormously. It exists solely for tourism. People stop off here on the way to the Kruger National Park. And a lot of people have bought up homes and turned them into guest houses, restaurants and arts and crafts shops.

Photographs — Left: Two cats follow me ... / Right: Connie & Trevor

The couple are part of a Heritage committee the town has set up to try to conserve the old buildings. In a sense they're trying to protect the town from itself. They're considering registering as an Article 21 company to keep it unique. They're hoping to set up an eco committee and have collected a heap of historical photos of the town from two little old ladies who were raised in the town.

Up at the end of their road where the old Post Office has been completely restored and modernised into a guest house, is Komisaris Plein. The village has raised the money to build a wooden fence around the old, original Mining Commissioner's House (1884) that stands here. The wild horses were rubbing up against the doorways to scratch themselves and slowly the house was disintegrating.

Not everyone agrees with the fence. Inside the old building's clay walls are crumbling, and where they haven't, every inch is defaced with scratched graffitti. Just beyond the old building visitors can escape onto the plateau in amongst the aloes and the incredible rocks of the area. A walk starts from here.

Just opposite Komisaris Plein is the beautiful tin church, perfect for weddings in Mpumalanga – it's not as new as it looks. Many of the houses here conform to the old standard – houses on wooden stilts, made from sheets of tin. Street names have been established for the town and signs now grace the edge of each street. And the group want to provide eco information for those who come to walk the trails that start from the little hut in town, and they want to set up a picnic area.

Photographs — Left: Kommissaris Plein / Right: Anabelle's shop

On the black reef quartzite sandstone rocks to the east of town, behind Komisaris Plein, it's a little chilly. Nonetheless we enjoy our picnic, drink in the views of the surrounding plateau that seems not to end and imagine that a hike would be more than rewarding.

Two cats follow me through town. They're fluffy and friendly and turn up like bad pennies (or is that good) wherever I go.

To look out for when in Kaapsche Hoop:

• Koek 'n Pan (every one stops here to sample the pancakes, they have an ATM)
• the wild horses
• Kaapsehoop horse trails
• Salvador (great pizzas)
• over 200 different bird species
• Blue Swallow Natural Heritage Site
• hiking trails – to the east a walk through sandstone pillars, to the west through forest to a waterfall
• craft shops
• Komisaris Plein
• the derelict jail and magistrate's court at the top of the village
• tours of Adam's Calendar and Kaapsche Hoop (Enos Zulu 072 331 1197)
• the geology of the area, which is said to date between 2 600 million and 3 600 million years ago

Don't expect to find:

• a supermarket
• chain stores
• property agents
• anything open on a Monday

Kaapsche Hoop lies 14 km from Ngodwana and the N4, 28 km from Nelspruit, and rests on an escarpment overlooking the De Kaap Valley and the town of Barberton. Once there, you may never want to leave...

Useful Links

• Kaapsehoop Attractions
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Adam's Calendar

“Oh, sorry, no we don't organise tours to Adam's Calendar”, the rather disheveled youth who seems to be managing Koek 'n Pan single handedly through an unanticipated brunch rush, tells me.

I good naturedly fail to mention that I've already taken the trouble to fill out the form he thrust in my hands earlier, when I broached a tour to the stones. I'm beginning to wonder if Adam's Calendar is deliberately ellusive and difficult to find for visitors. Perhaps it's fitting that the stones, shrouded in mystery, remain that way ...

There is a book lying on the table in front of me called 'Adam's Calendar', written by Johan Heine (who 'found' the stones in 2003) and Michael Tellinger. I pick it up and leaf through it. It is filled with beautiful photographs of the dolomite stones. I find I am excited about seeing them.

“Adam's Calendar is built along the same longitudinal line as Great Zimbabwe and the Great Pyramid. It is also aligned with the rise of Orion's belt when it rose horizontally on the horizon some 75 000 years ago.” I read.

Pictures taken from the air seem to clearly indicate how the ancient stones could have formed a circle. Is it possible, as the authors allege, that these are the only example of a functional, mostly in-tact, monolithic stone calendar in the world?

The fact that Michael Tellinger has also authored the rather controversial 'Slave Species of god' that claims human beings are a species created by the Anunnaki, a superior species from a planet called Nibiru, who use us as slaves to obtain gold on a regular basis (all based on translations of Sumerian cuneiform tablets by Zecharia Sitchin), does leave me more than a little sceptical, and wary about the authenticity of the stones.

The Koek 'n Pan guy hands me a cell phone number which we duly dial, only to find that Dr Steven Evans no longer does tours from Kaapsche Hoop to the famous stone calendar, said to be older than 75 000 years and the oldest man-made structure on Earth. That's older than the pyramids at Giza and the Stonehenge, to put them in perspective.

All hope is not lost, as he gives us the number of Enos Zulu who he assures us will take us on a tour. Enos answers after only a couple of rings. He initially wants to add us to a group he's taking the following morning, but we're really keen on seeing the stones today so press him.

Photographs — Left: Enos Zulu / Right: 3 Stones with "the workshop" in the background

He's just down the road, he assures us, and will begin walking, if we're prepared to pick him up. He's renting a room from someone in the little forestry settlement of Berlin, and off we head down the sand road past a few of the wild horses. We later learn from Enos that they've tried keeping tabs on the horses. At last count there were at least 150 of them, but they can't be sure.

Enos is indeed wearing the unmissable red and black jacket he described, but we meet at a fork in the road and manage to slip past him. It is only his piercing whistle that alerts me. He is easily likeable, affable, well-spoken and a font of knowledge.

He has the key to the gate that will allow us onto the Blue Swallow National Heritage Site, where you will find Adam's Calendar. Enos is also one of the local bird guides for the heritage site, which is how he started out in the business. Known affectionately as Adam's Calendar, the standing stones are called the Johan Heine Stone Calendar. They have been dated by astronomer Bill Hollenbach to between 25 000 and 150 000 years old.

The authors (Michael Tellinger lives just around the corner in Waterval Boven and also gives tours of the stones, if you're prepared to fork out quite a hefty fee) place the date closer to around 75 000 years, which they base on the movement of people in southern Africa at that time. But it could, they state, be even older.

Photographs — Left: The stones / Right: Two little boys meet at the stones!

Enos spends over an hour and a half taking a group of us (another couple and their children have joined us) through the stones. He explains how the stones probably came from a source of dolomite roughly two kilometres from the site. This is based on a geology report that indicates the rocks were moved here and worked with human hands.

He points out what the authors consider 'The Workshop', a scattering of loose dolomite stones that could be the remains, particularly as there appear to be chiselling grooves in evidence, of where the stones were worked.

He walks us to 'the Stone Altar', indicates the pathway hewn in the grass from the altar to Adam's Calendar that Credo Mutwa (and many other sangomas and shamans) has confirmed was used as a path of initiation. Enos points to the Barberton valley below and indicates the meteor impact crater and the two pyramid-shaped hills (the third is buried) that the authors postulate are pyramids, and there do seem to be two connical shapes that do not seem to fit into the rest of the natural hillside.

All of this, Enos alludes, ties into the Anunnaki/Sumerian history of the deep Abzu and gold mining. It is difficult to follow his train of thought. Much of his talk he has learnt at the knee of Michael Tellinger, and he admits that a tour with Michael would make it all that much clearer. Standing out here with only the stones for company, it isn't hard to believe most of what Enos is saying, no matter how tenuous the claim.

Could this African Stonehenge, Adam's Calendar, be the special place of observation built by Enki 260 000 years ago in the deep Abzu (South Africa) described in Sumerian tablets? Michael Tellinger certainly seems to think so.

There is something distinctly mystical about the stones. Call it an energy or a sense of the sacred. One cannot but be awed by the stones, their presence and the incredible scenery around here.

Now within the circle of rocks with the late afternoon sun leaving long shadows on the ground ahead of us, Enos explains where the stone man he showed us upon entering the gate of the heritage site, the stone that had been moved from the circle, would originally have stood – here at the western mark where the sun always rises just above the middle rock.

One would have entered the stone circle from the southern edge, the north being the direction of the sky where our creators were believed to have come from. He indicates the summer solstice line and the equinox line, and then finally the third line, that of the winter solstice.

I'm mesmerised by the circle.

The authors, Johan Heine and Michael Tellinger, have recently released another book about Adam's Calendar entitled Temples of the African Gods, which goes a step further. They link the entire valley, filled with stone circles and ancient roads, to Enki's Calendar, and the dawn of humanity.

Whatever your take on the claims by the authors, Adam's Calendar forms a beautiful space on the plateau alongside the town of Kaapsche Hoop, overlooking the Barberton Valley, a peaceful space filled with open sky, incredible views and the spiritual atmosphere of ancient standing stones.

Contact Details:

Enos Zulu gives tours on the history of Kaapsche Hoop, local birds, and Adam's Calendar. You can contact him on 072 331 1197.

Useful Links:

• Waterval Boven Attractions
• Waterval Boven Accommodation
• Mpumalanga Accommodation
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I ♥ Komatipoort

Hi, I’m Sue Steele from Trees Too Guest Lodge in Komatipoort, Mpumalanga.

Komatipoort IS BEST KNOWN FOR the Crocodile Bridge Gate into the Kruger, being next to the Mozambique and Swaziland borders and for prawns!
GET YOUR PICTURE TAKEN AT the Kruger Park with an obliging elephant or lion as your backdrop ... subject to availability.
THE BEST wildlife PICTURES CAN BE TAKEN AT the section of the Kruger between Crocodile Bridge and Lower Sabie.
OTHER HAPPY SNAPS AT the stunning Samora Machel monument or from a micro light flight up the Crocodile River.

WHEN THE WEATHER'S GOOD, I LIKE TO visit the Kruger Park.
WHEN THE WEATHER'S BAD, I LIKE TO ... visit the Kruger Park! Remember a bad day in the bush beats a good day in the office!
I THINK THE BEST TIME OF YEAR TO VISIT IS March to October, BECAUSE its not too hot and the game viewing is stunning ... although again there is no bad time to visit Komatipoort and the Kruger Park.

I ♥ Komatipoort

MY FAVOURITE BREAKFAST SPOT IS ... there are a couple of restaurants in town and many lodges serve breakfast, lunch ad evening meals too.
MY FAVOURITE lunch time viewing SPOT IS the Komatipoort Golf Club with an amazing view onto the Kruger Park.
IF YOU WANT TO MEET LOCALS, GO TO the Komatipoort Prawn Festival from 22 to 25 June.

Komatipoort’s BEST KEPT SECRET IS the long list of available activities … game drives, golf, fishing, micro light, horse and elephant back safaris, quad biking and more.
MY FAVOURITE THING TO DO WITH FRIENDS IS visit the Kruger Park.
FOR SOME CULTURE I LIKE TO GO watch the internationally famous African Childrens Choir who have a base in Komatipoort.
TO RELAX AND RESTORE MY SOUL, I LIKE TO visit the Kruger Park ... its obvious!
IF YOU'RE FEELING ADVENTUROUS, TRY an elephant back or microlight safari.

I ♥ Komatipoort

MY FAVOURITE WALK or DRIVE IS a morning bush walk or full day game drive in the Kruger.

IF YOU'RE HERE IN June, JOIN IN THE FUN AT The Komatipoort Prawn Festival.
MY FAVOURITE BUILDING IS the Samora Machel Monument, FOR ITS incredible atmosphere and stunning views.

TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN? A FUN OUTING IS the Kruger Park with a swim in the public pool at Skukuza.

BEST CHEAP AND CHEERFUL OUTING IS the Kruger Park or free game viewing from the Komatipoort Golf Club.
WHEN MONEY'S NO OBJECT, I LIKE TO cross the border and take the one hour drive to Maputo for a stunning seafood meal.

I ♥ Komatipoort

MY FAVOURITE WEEKEND GETAWAY IS a drive through the Kruger Park and a night's stay at the Rissington Inn in Hazyview.
WHEN I WANT TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, I ask the African Children’s choir to perform at my lodge for guests who make donations. We also buy all our hotel soap from a local community project that will soon be producing other lotions and potions too!

I ♥ Komatipoort BECAUSE it is a small, quiet, traditional town with tree lined streets and a real sense of community. We are busy with a number of tourism projects which will assist in the upliftment of previously disadvantaged people. Also, my own lodge has had more than 80 nationalities to stay…the whole world comes to Komatipoort, so should you!

Trees Too Guest Lodge

Trees Too Guest Lodge

A lovely Guest Lodge (not self catering), just eight kilometres from the game abundant Crocodile Bridge Gate into the Kruger Park and five kilometres from the Lebombo Border with Mozambique. An ideal base to explore the Kruger National Park, game view all day and then relax by the pool on your return. Also an ideal stopover for a few days on you way to Mozambique, or Swaziland. Situated on the quiet edge of Komatipoort but a 5 minute walk to shops, restaurants and banks. Come to and enjoy our beautiful licensed bar and restaurant, no need to bring food and drink with you, you’re here to relax!

Visit Trees Too Guest Lodge
View Rates or make a Booking

Desirable Digits

Komatipoort Golf Club — +27 (0)13 790‑7315
Skukuza Rest Camp — +27 (0)13 735‑4265

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Lowveld Botanical Garden

Nelspruit's Lowveld Botanical Garden is where I not only lose, but find my hat. Having dropped it somewhere on the pathways through their incredible African rainforest where my mesmerised self lost track of both time, and my hair covering. I was to have it restored to me by one of the entrance attendants who carefully placed it to one side to wait for my return visit, which obviously I was then destined to make.

The Lowveld Botanical Garden lies amidst sprawling strip malls and the Tsogo Sun Casinos in the heart of the 'new' part of town that is given over principally to automobile show rooms. It's rather an obscure place for a slice of nature, and for this reason so necessary, and only fifteen minutes' drive from where we stayed in the suburb of West Acres.

For those who know of the garden's existence (because for a school holiday it was surprisingly empty), it's a little piece of paradise in amongst the hum of the city. Fortunately, the presence of roaring waterfalls puts paid to any traffic noise and one easily 'escapes', as it were, into the beauty of the garden.

The garden's proximity to Tsoga seems to have paid off. They're chiefly responsible for the incredible wooden walkways, visitors' centre, restaurant, and indigenous plant nursery in the form of a generous sponsorship, together with grants from Environmental Affairs and Tourism.

Now the Lowveld Botanical Society is looking for sponsors for a new children's section in the garden in which they plan a theme garden, a maze and play areas, an outdoor classroom and artwork to decorate the space.

The main entrance to the garden has been revamped since 2004. The Lowveld Botanical Garden is no longer the garden of people's youth. A modern thatched entrance opens onto a totally unique water feature – the first of its kind in the world – made from verdite, the oldest known rock in the world that occurs in the hills of Mpumalanga. The water feature has been donated to the garden by Little Barn Craft. Each tile of the rock has been hand-cut and carved – it's gorgeous. Little Barn Craft must be inundated with requests for similar – I know I'd love one.

Beyond the entrance, where there is also a restaurant that serves incredible carrot cake, the Lowveld Botanical Garden is something of a surprise. I'd read all the literature, which had prepared me for the two rivers that run through the reserve (the Crocodile and Nels Rivers), the size of the garden (which had me visualising lots of green lawn), and the suggestion of steep slopes on the Crocodile River. I'd even read the bit about the rainforest, but nothing prepared me for the reality thereof.

The simulated tropical African rainforest is an event in itself. Absolutely incredible, it graces the eastern bank of the Crocodile River, riddled with wooden walkways that allow one to walk in silence, in amongst the trees. Once a day, early in the morning, you might have to dodge a massive overhead stream of water that is the garden's answer to the rain that should fall over the forest below. If anything, it adds to the novelty of the space.

A rather impressive suspended metal bridge takes you across the Crocodile River away from the sweeping vistas of the waterfall — and the typical Lowveld type scenery that has one scouting around in amongst the krantz aloes in an attempt to sight the five-lined rainbow skink, often out sunning, but rather elusive nonetheless – to the rainforest.

Suddenly one is transported into another world completely. The aerial boardwalk, sponsored by Sappi, allows one access to sights and sounds to which one is not usually privy. Looking upwards one can quite clearly see plants growing on plants, known as epiphytes, of which the rainforest is full.

Tangled trees stand in amongst typical rainforest ferns, moss covered steps take over from the aerial boardwalk and lead you into little nooks and crannies where there are benches for minutes of contemplation, and burbling water in little ponds. The light in here in the late afternoons is indescribably beautiful and plays delightfully on the tips of large fronds and palms.

The garden has cleverly simulated the forest by planting pioneer trees as quick-growers to provide the initial protective canopy, allowing the true forest to emerge underneath. Growing rapidly, once the big slow-growing emergent layer trees have grown, these pioneers naturally die.

Below these layers are the understory layer, where little sunshine reaches and plants need larger leaves, and then the forest floor, where it is dark and damp and things decay fast, rich in bugs that make compost from fallen leaves and other debris in record time.

It is sobering when standing in one to realise that rain forests are cleared at 40 hectares per minute. It take about 1000 years for them to re-colonise devastated area. And that coffee, chocolate, cola nuts and yams all grow in Africa's rain forests. In fact, Africa is the home of coffee. Though more of it now grows in Brazil, coffee arabica bushes grow naturally in the forests north of here.

From the forest one emerges into the rest of the garden, which looks more in keeping with the 'garden' that I initially had in mind – cycads, aloes, ponds filled with water lillies, and indigenous trees — like the sausage and candelabra tree.

And there is a delightful Riverside Trail, which says it takes an hour to do, but which one can easily do faster. Winding through indigenous bush and riverine forest, the trail takes you along the banks of the Crocodile river, with many places to stop and simply drink in the view of water pools, flat rocks and little cascades, until you reach the falls of the Nels River at the far end of the garden.

The threat of Bilharzia puts paid to any thought of water play for children, but nonetheless, it is a wonderful walk to do, and probably necessitates a second visit, for the forest will already have taken up a great deal of your time.

And my hat. I return the following day alone, to collect it, obviously, but also for the chance to re-walk the boardwalks of the forest and to contemplate the destruction we wreak on rain forests elsewhere in the world. Once you've walked this forest you are left with only one question: can we afford to do so?

Address: Off White River Road, Nelspruit, Mpumalanga.
Telephone: +27 (0)13 752‑5531
Opening Hours: September to March: 08h00-18h00; April to August: 08h00-17h00

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Nan Hua Buddhist Temple

A visit to Nan Hua Buddhist Temple in Bronkhorstspruit — There is no greater peace than contentment. The best reward in life is peace, something that cannot be given to us by the Buddha or any God. We need to create the conditions and environment for peace within ourselves.  The key to peace is contentment.   (Ven. Master Hsing Yun)

I'm standing in the vast reception area of the Nan Hua (flower in the south) Buddhist Temple reading various meaningful passages by the Master Hsing Yun, the founder of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order ...

The temple, which is actually a village that takes up an entire suburb — give or take a few houses built by those who don't mind sharing their neighbourhood with Buddhist monks and daily Buddhist comings and goings — makes one feel as if one has flown into historical China, apart from the surrounding landscape that is a typical highveld winter, the brown grass a tribute to lack of rain.

One is immediately stilled by the atmosphere in the temple. It seems to work a kind of magic. A friend of mine would say this was because the building was filled with sattva, a Sanskrit word, which in its barest form means 'luminosity' but refers to a certain clarity, serenity and harmonious balance that occurs in mind and attitude.

Whatever it is, I am content to spend time here in the silence. Only in reception are there murmurs as people come and go past the little shop that sells various Chinese Buddhist trinkets and curios to which my son is immediately drawn, as his grandmother has given him R20 to spend. Rather a Buddhist temple than a sweet shop.

Through the doors on the other side of a quadrangle comes Buddhist chanting. There is a meditation in full swing in the Kuan Yin Shrine (the Great Compassion Shrine), and a series of shoes are lined up outside. I itch to take photographs, but Sipho in reception has only given me permission to take photographs in certain areas of the temple. Inside are roughly twelve or so Chinese Buddhists kneeling whilst they chant. It's an interesting sound and I sit awhile, even though it is cold, to listen.

In 1992 the City Council of Bronkhorstspruit donated six hectares of land to the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order. The Venerable Master Hsing Yun sent one of his long –term disciples, the Venerable Master Hui Li, to build this Chinese Buddhist, cultural and educational complex.

The order follows a humanistic approach, which means that the village actively promotes Buddhism through education, culture, charity, and purifying human hearts and minds through practice. They have a strong global perspective, in other words, and have over 16 Buddhist colleges and 190 branch temples across the globe, three universities and numerous schools.

The Nan Hua Temple's charitable projects includes winter donations of hot lunches at schools, computer donations, and wheelchairs. They also supply vegetables to nearby schools on a weekly basis to make sure children have a decent meal.

I head upstairs to the little Pu Hsien Shrine via the dining hall, which is due to feed visitors and monks a vegetarian lunch soon, as it is Sunday, although there is little activity here yet, despite being 10.30. You are encouraged to join the meal time and can give a donation at reception for your food. There is also a tea room just above the reception area, known as the Dew Drop Inn Tea House, where you can sample a variety of exotic teas and coffees. I'm a little intimidated by the quiet and the spoken Chinese, and decide that my coffee cravings will have to wait.

I'm amazed by the ornateness of the little shrine. The shrine to Samantabhadra is the Bodhisattva of Great Strength, whilst the six tusked elephant is a symbol of the six Paramitas – charity, morality, patience, effort, meditation and wisdom. The room is icy, particularly as I've taken off my boots as is the practice, and am wandering around the shrine in only my socks.

All around the room there are little carved wooden rupas, there must be at least 1000 of them recessed into the walls and I'm amazed at how much work has gone into creating the room. They represent Quan Yin, a female deity.

Downstairs the chanting has stopped. We head over to the main shrine, across the traffic circle through which an ADT vehicle comes obscurely roaring, its lights flashing. Just where it is off to is unclear as there is very obviously no disharmony this side of the cultural village.

The main shrine is incredible. It is regarded as the most important building in the village and is also called the Great Hero Hall. Even the steps leading up to the hall have significance, to remind visitors of our aim to gain enlightenment (it isn't something you can be given). The hall is massive, filled with three very large Buddha statues also referred to as the Triple Gem Buddha (for some reason I find myself thinking of Sol Kerzner around now because of the sheer magnitude of the building).

I'm not allowed to take photos, which is unfortunate, but I probably wouldn't have felt comfortable whipping out a camera whilst faced with three smiling, bowing Chinese Buddhist monks, who can barely speak to me, but make us immediately comfortable and hand us a number of pamphlets in English, describing the temple and the work that takes place here.

To one side of the temple one of the monks is shuffling around in a make-shift kitchen, making tea. It can't be too warm in his robes, despite his fleece, hat and warm socks. Ahead of me in front of the central Buddha, a Chinese couple and their baby, tied to his mother's front in a kangaroo, are busy bowing and praying, sticks of incense in their hands. Later, on returning home, my son was to take out a stick of our incense. 'I know how to pray with this now, mom' he gestured, whilst bowing from his waist.

In the village are some 66 self-catering units, usually used for visiting groups or for the meditation retreats held at various times during the year.

There is yet another temple behind the main temple, but we don't get to it. By the time we've seen the main one, we're all templed out. The centre trains monks as well, most of them local South Africans, and the whole place operates on donations, not all of them financial, given to help spread Buddhist principles in South Africa.

A beautiful space, well worth a visit.

Bronkhorstspruit Links

• Bronkhorstspruit Attractions
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Day trips from Nelspruit

There is a lot more to Nelspruit, or Mbombela, than its proximity to the Kruger National Park alone. It is true that this qualifies as a major attraction for visitors. That it lies within an hour's drive of the huge national park is a tempting possibility for day trips into the park (and is no doubt the reason why everyone in Nelspruit drives around in an SUV). But there is a lot more to do and see within 80 kilometres of the popular Lowveld city, through which the Crocodile River meanders (and continues to wend its way through much of the surrounding countryside; one seems to cross it a myriad times).

You can now fly all the way into Nelpsruit, although generally it's a lot more expensive than flying to Johannesburg and hiring a car. The city has two airports, one an international airport and the other little more than a landing strip used for non-commercial flights. The weather is excellent all year round, if you're looking for an excuse to visit, even if it gets a little warmer than is comfortable in summer. But just about everything is equipped with air conditioning as a result.

Here follows a selection of things you can look forward to in and around the city:

Lunch and a hike at Kaapsche Hoop

The fairytale village of Kaapsche Hoop lies in the hills directly above Nelspruit, roughly 30 kilometres outside of town along Enos Mabuza Drive. Easy to reach from Nelspruit, it is often shrouded in mist and home to a great many wild horses (no-one knows just how many but on speaking to locals there are at least 150 of them). Extremely popular over weekends for lunches, brunches and teas, the former mining town that began its life just before the discovery of gold in Johannesburg, has converted itself into a perfect weekend getaway for Gautengers and Lowvelders alike. Most of all it is  popular amongst hikers for the trail that starts at the hut in the town and heads off into the Berlin plantation, part of the commercial forestry of the area. The hike is anything from two to five nights divided into several individual trails that can be combined together. Four huts provide overnight sleeping facilities.

The falls around Sabie

Sabie is a quaint forestry town that lies in the shadow of Spitskop and Mount Anderson, its main road lined with at least 20 restaurants that include the Smokey Train Diner in an abandoned railway coach. Along the south bank of the Sabie River lie a series of three waterfalls close to the town (there are a myriad more a little further afield, if you have the time but these are easiest if time is an issue) – Bridal Veil Falls, Lone Creek Waterfall and Horseshoe Falls. You can reach the fall via one of several sawmills in Sabie, along a rather pot-holed road (take the road past Merry Pebbles resort, it's well sign-posted). Day walks around Sabie include the Forest Falls Nature Walk, which takes one to the Forest Falls (the only waterfall that is wider than it is high), the Loerie Trail, the Secretary Bird Walk, which finishes at Mac Mac Pools, and the Misty Mountain Trails. (See Sabie Accommodation to stay in the town).

Day trip into Kruger

The Kruger National Park, if you have a Wild Card, is easy to do as a number of day trips, Nelspruit is so close. But it is easier done as a long weekend or a three to four day stay (Kruger Park accommodation during school holidays can be an issue, so if you have left it until the last minute, you can rest easy knowing you can do it as a number of day visits). Some people go to camp at Secunda for weeks at a time – the choice is yours. Best done outside of school holidays, the park is still one of the most spectacular in the world, and game is abundant. Spotting game depends very much on luck and your ability to take the time to try and find it, if you are going to self-drive. Nelspruit gives ideal access to the popular southern region of the Kruger, and the nearest gates are Malelane (south east), Numbi (south west) and the Kruger Gate (slightly north of Numbi and a longer journey as a result). The escape to the bush is a highlight of any trip to the Lowveld. If you are not keen on a self-drive experience there are numerous personalised tours from which to choose.

Heritage Walk in Barberton

Barberton, just 43 kilometres from Nelspruit along a really scenic drive, is the town tourism forgot. The local community has been reticent in coming forward about the town's incredible historical and geological relevance (the mountains around the town are the oldest in the world, dating back 3.5 billion years) but that will all soon change with the imminent release of both the Disney version of Jock of the Bushveld, and the film about Cockney Liz (legendary 'barmaid' who became known as Cockney Liz because of the accent in which she chose to sing, despite her obvious refinement and musical talent. There is a lot more to the story – coming soon). Both of these films will focus much deserved attention on the town, the origin of which was the 1880s gold rush (the Sheba Mine remains one of the richest working gold mines in the world). The Heritage Walk through the centre of town takes in all the relevant history, including South Africa's first stock exchange. Whilst it is a well sign-posted self-guided tour, try to do it with a local guide as you will learn so much more by doing so. (See Barberton accommodation to stay in the town itself).

Sudwala Caves

Whilst the tours of the popular cave tend to be over subscribed and the tour's content more than a little hackneyed, the trip to Sudwala Caves still draws tourists by the thousand and is well worth visiting, if only to see the the oldest known caves in the world, said to have formed 240 million years ago, and the numerous calcium structures that have been given names like the 'Lowveld Rocket', 'Samson's Pillar' and the 'Screaming Monster'. One-hour tours run during the day but what sounds even more worthwhile is the five-hour long Crystal Tour that happens once a month. Aimed at the more 'adventurous' amongst its visitors, it goes a lot deeper into the Mankelekele Mountains and includes a bit of crawling around, until one reaches the outskirts of the crystal chamber.

Interacting with Elephants – Hazyview

Both The Elephant Sanctuary and Elephant Whispers operate just outside Hazyview, roughly 70 kilometres from Nelspruit. Either of these offers you the chance to get up close to elephants and experience their intelligence and compassionate nature one-on-one. Some of the elephants have been rescued from planned culling, all are handled in a gentle and compassionate way, but remain in captivity. (See Hazyview accommodation if you want to stay in Hazyview itself).

Chimp Eden

The Jane Goodall Institute Chimpanzee Eden is a 1000 hectare game reserve just outside of Nelspruit, home to a group of chimpanzees that have been misplaced from their natural habitats in Central Africa. Chimp Eden is a sanctuary for them. The reserve also raises awareness of the need for conservation and about chimps in Africa. Whilst some people stay in the reserve, there are also daily tours that are roughly an hour and a half long, three times a day. Feeding times are at 10am and 2pm.

Panorama and Highlands Routes

Both the Panaorama Route and the Highlands Meander are self-drive routes that take one through particularly scenic areas of Mpumalanga. Essentially they are tourist routes designed to take one via the highlights of the area. The Highlands Meander is  aimed at nature lovers and includes first-rate fly-fishing venues, the chance to spot some of the rarest birds, incredible rock climbing, and access to spectacular wild flowers. It includes the towns of Belfast, Dullstroom, Elands Valley, the Kwena Basin, Lydenburg, Machadodorp, Skurweberg and Waterval Boven and lies in the higher escarpment areas. The Panorama Route, by comparison, offers one the chance to take in the natural wonders of the eastern escarpment of Mpumalanga. It includes God's Window, Blyde River Canyon, Bourke's Luck Potholes, the Three Rondawels, Pilgrim's Rest, Sabie, Lydenburg, White River, Graskop, Ohrigstad, and Hazyview.

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When in Nelspruit ...

Nelspruit is fondly known as Nellies by those who live there, and Mbombela by all that is official, although you are still alright for signs on the highway – most of these still indicate Nelspruit, for those as distracted as I am.

There has been an official name change. Nelspruit, home of Radio Laeveld 100.5 fm, is called Mbombela. But since this happened only in 2009, and the city was still officially referred to as 'Nelspruit' for the World cup, and all road signs (as I already mentioned) still call the city Nelspruit, there is some obvious confusion.

The only people unconcerned are the many traffic officials who zoot around in smart cars emblazoned with Mbombela Traffic, which had the rather sobering effect of ensuring that I maintained the ridiculous speed limit of 70 km per hour on the N4 through the city, despite the double carriageway. I was in a borrowed car!

Nellies is a great place to stay. If you've lived in Johannesburg at all, it's kind of like living in Randburg all the time, with about twenty more shopping malls, all just around the corner from you.

If you haven't gone on at least one shopping expedition whilst in the city, then you haven't lived. There are malls everywhere – new malls, strip malls, industrial malls, big malls, small malls, car malls (with such a spread of new and second-hand cars it is small wonder that everyone drives an SUV of some description – there is Kruger to go to at the weekend, Darling); in short, Nelspruit is a wall-to-wall shopping metropolis.

Mozambicans know the city as a shopping destination, or they drive there for medical appointments. And all of the smaller towns in the Lowveld — like White River, Barberton, Waterval Boven, Kaapschehoop, Malelane and a myriad others — whilst all hosts of a local Spar at least (for some reason Spar has the monopoly on the Lowveld) — head into Nelspruit to really shop.

Photographs — Left: Paw paw plantations between Nelspruit and Barberton / Right: Sugar cane

So, it was with great enthusiasm that I decided, on about day two of suffering incredibly hot weather that is apparently the city's seasonal equivalent to winter, that my Cape Town winter clothing was totally unsuitable and that a plan would have to be made. A shopping expedition followed.

And what joy. There is nothing like shopping in a place where, not only can you choose a parking place from a whole lot of parking spaces, but the shops were almost empty, and selecting and trying on clothes felt like it must feel for the likes of Madonna when she informs the store ahead of time that she's coming in, and they close their doors to the rest of the plebians out there.

You would never think we were in the midst of a recession to sit and watch the main roads through Mbombela. Did I mention the Spur? If you want to make a quick killing, open a Spur in the Lowveld. Nelspruit is home to at least four of them. Driving through other towns in the Lowveld I was to count a fair number to add to my tally. Certainly there are more Spurs than there are independent restaurants.

Out doing a last-minute recce for bread on a Saturday evening, we left a certain strip mall, in a hurry to get home, only to be confronted by a queue of cars that went halfway round the block, waiting to enter the parking lot for an evening out at Spur.

Most of what there is to do in the city centres around shopping malls. The bulk of these are chain stores, but intermittently there is a little gem, like Stoep – books, art and coffee — at SonPark Boulevard Centre. The little shop is tucked away just past another gem, the independent movie house known as Boulevard Cinema (which not only specialises in local films and latest art movie releases but sometimes you can watch a movie and eat popcorn for less than you pay at places like Nu Metro).

Stoep is humming. It definitely qualifies as a trendy eatery, its walls donned with wonderful, must-buy-now local art (painted mostly by the chef, Hannah Steyn), price tags visible and affordable, a second-hand bookshop in an alcove, and a restaurant where coffee and cake are the order of the day. It is also a framing establishment and sells the odd nick nack, like home-made local biscuits and lovely rings, but none of it is tacky or vaguely in the region of 'tuisnywerheid' type fare.

Photographs — Left: Sunset over Nellies / Right: The ubiquitous "Soccer Ball" at a viewing point over Nellies on Enos Mabuza Drive

It's the establishment of three friends, Hannah Steyn, Elsabe Malan, and Annemarie van der Walt, who have simply thrown together each of their niches and tastes, and come up with Stoep. Annemarie, obviously run off her feet, still manages a friendly face at my odd enquiry, and kindly agrees to let me swop two books I've just finished reading, for one of hers. If we were staying, this is where I'd hang out, on a daily basis. It kind of feels like home. Wish I had bought the painting of the chair...

The other place we get to hang out for a few hours, is the local library. This is my idea. I'm a fan of the library system in the Western Cape. It functions well, there are great books, always new ones on the shelves and the system is computerised. It even sends you reminders via email that your books are due.

Nelspruit, I fast learn, is not as lucky. It apparently takes at least seven librarians to keep this library ticking over at any one time, which isn't too surprising given that they're still on an antiquated card system (you know, the card of book stuffed in pouch with your name on it system of your childhood, well, mine at any rate).

New books, well, there aren't many of them. And to join the library, temporarily, I have to part with a deposit of R290, R50 of which the library will keep for admin, and on the return of all four books (I'm used to taking at least seven) that I am allowed to borrow, they will return R240. I take the risk, and our family of three fight over which one of us gets to choose two books.

There is also much fumbling over writing my receipt. When I finally return it a couple of weeks later, together with the books, I need to point out their error, as they appear only too happy to short change themselves by R10(!).

What to do in Nelspruit when not shopping must wait for another story...

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Anvil Ale House

The first indication that Dullstroom is the home of Anvil Ale, a micro brewery that produces artisinal beer exclusively for the town, is the unobtrusive sign, strategically placed at the entrance to the popular weekend town. Admittedly it is at ground level, but it is obvious enough that even I see it, and it indicates that at the other end of the main road is the promise of beer.

South African's love their beer, and seeking out an ale house, particularly when on holiday, is something just about eveyone who sees the sign is wont to do. So the garden of Anvil Ale House, even at half past three in the afternoon, is busy with patrons soaking up what rays of sun there are still to be found on this particularly chilly winter's day.

Anvil Ale House is beautiful. The stone building looks modern, yet also like something out of the south of France or Italy — creeper like growth on the walls and the stone work reminiscent of Europe. I later learn from the proprietor that it has been here some time and that he hand picked it especially for this venture. At the time it was not even on the market. Admittedly he and his wife then spent three years building, which goes some way to explain the modern feel and the brewery attached to the house.

Anvil Ale House is not your average pub. I gingerly approach the main door of the facility, anticipating the rowdy crowd, hunched around the bar, eyes riveted by a big screen television, the sounds that accompany sport and the smoke infested atmosphere sure to have me hightailing it out of there in seconds.

But I couldn't have been more wrong. There isn't a big screen in sight, and inside there is a sophisticated atmosphere that accompanies the average bistro. In a sense, it is, given that there is a wonderful menu available on black boards on the wall, assuring me that if I wanted to, I could partake in smoked trout and scrambled egg, wholesome vegetable soup, trout quiche, toasted pita and then a quick scan down to the bottom reveals boozy cake (more about that later).

Theo de Beer doesn't even appear to see the humour in the obvious correspondence of his name and vocation. My bark of laughter at seeing his business card doesn't elicit any reaction from the little man behind the bar, whose warm and convivial welcome to me, as he draws a draft with a large foamy head for someone, means that I stay to find out more. But then, after thirty years' of brewing history, he is probably immune to his name's association with the very product he brews.

There is something of the modern day gnome about Theo. His pink cheeks, white hair and accompanying beard appear right at home in his brewery. His eyes twinkle merrily behind his glasses, and his incredible ability to swing from English into Afrikaans, and back again, has me guessing as to the origin of his home language. His wife is Afrikaans, also little, but more demure. She manages to balance two pairs of glasses – one on her head, the other on her nose — whilst she hurries back and forth, bringing beer, food and cake to all and sundry.

Despite the busy late-lunch-bordering-on-tea crowd, Theo takes the time to tell the story behind Anvil Ale. He used to run Hops Hollow brewery and guesthouse on the Long Tom Pass, on the Highlands Meander not far from Dullstroom. Tired and in search of something new, they packed, sold up and were on their way to New Zealand when the current recession hit, affecting any plans to leave the country.

The de Beers then took time out. Theo fondly describes it as a gap year, in which they travelled the country to visit all the places they wanted to see, before returning to Dullstroom as their home of choice, this venue specifically. Theo talks about using his past experience to influence this business. He finally has the chance to do it the way he would like to.

The brewery next door, which he later takes me to see, is small, yet it is what is termed a '1000 litre brewery'. In effect, I learn, it produces 800 litres at a time as you need to allow for roughly 200 litres of loss during the process. This is quite normal, he assures me, as when skimming the yeast off the top there is an inevitable loss of ale.

At the moment Theo spends between 19 and 25 days brewing his ale, whereafter he sells the bulk of it from his pub in draft form. The rest is bottled – a litre at a time. The ale house has only been open since April 2010 and there is a sense of excitement and a flush of newness about the place that makes people frequenting the ale house feel as though they have discovered something unique.

Which indeed they have. Theo brings across three tasters for us. He produces a blonde ale, a pale ale and a porter, which he calls his 'girlie ale' as women tend to prefer it. This probably has something to do with the low hop profile and the aftertaste of chocolate on the tongue. The blonde ale he describes as warm and the one most like the lager South Africans know as beer, whilst the pale ale is more fruity, malty in the mouth and bitter when you swallow.

I enjoy all three of them with my other half and five-year old, who gets his first taste of beer. On our way out we get a take away piece of Theo's boozy cake to share. I can't resist after Theo spends a few minutes talking about the way they make it on the premises, where it keeps for two weeks, due to the cake's alcohol content.

They also produce a chocolate rum cake with cherries on top, soaked in brandy for a month. Their German sausage they get from a renowned butcher in Nelspruit, their cheese is a white cheddar and gouda from a cheesery in the next valley, and they make all four of their own relishes, including a mustard. So you can look forward to real local, home-made food.

No guesses as to how well the brewery is going to do. With his intention to supply other restaurants in Dullstroom with bottles of his brew, Anvil Ale will soon be synonymous with the town and a reason alone to stop for lunch.

Contact & Address
To find Anvil Brewery, it is on the right if you drive into Dullstroom from Lydenburg, or on your left on the other side of town, if you enter via Belfast.
Telephone: +27 (0)13 254‑0197

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I ♥ Nelspruit

Hi, I’m Charmaine de Lange from Eco Eden Bush Lodge, Conference and Events Venue in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga.

Nelspruit IS BEST KNOWN FOR its excellent climate, bushveld and nearby Kruger National Park.

GET YOUR PICTURE TAKEN AT God’s Window on the Panorama route, an easy day drive with numerous waterfalls as well as the gold diggers town of Pilgrim’s Rest en route.  The scenery is literally breathtaking as you stand on top of the escarpment, looking into the KNP and Mozambique in the distance.

THE BEST action PICTURES CAN BE TAKEN AT The Big Swing in Graskop or doing white water rafting on the Sabie River.

OTHER HAPPY SNAPS AT Kaapsehoop, Blyde River Canyon and of course of the Big Five.

I ♥ Nelspruit

WHEN THE WEATHER'S GOOD, I LIKE TO relax around our stunning swimming pool.

WHEN THE WEATHER'S BAD, I LIKE TO cuddle around a campfire in our boma.

I THINK THE BEST TIME OF YEAR TO VISIT IS January to December, BECAUSE of the Lowveld’s all year round warm climate.

MY FAVOURITE BREAKFAST SPOT IS Mugg and Bean at the Crossings Centre. You will find them at Shop 29, Nelspruit Crossing, on the corner of the N4 and White River Road. Stop by for one of their delicious muffins as well.

FOR LUNCH, I SUGGEST Jock and Java in Ferreira Street. This is a lovely family restaurant with unique indoor and outdoor seating.

MY FAVOURITE RESTAURANT IS Orange Restaurant, TRY THE smoked trout and beef fillet!

I ♥ Nelspruit

BEST LATE NIGHT SNACK FROM Super Steers who stays open until after midnight.
MY FAVOURITE fishing SPOT IS on the Blyde and Elands Rivers.

FOR A NIGHT OUT ON THE TOWN TRY Emnotweni Casino and Explorers Bar at the Riverside Mall.

IF YOU WANT TO MEET LOCALS, GO TO Jock and Java Restaurant and pub. Don't forget every second Monday night they host a quiz evening!

Nelspruit’s BEST KEPT SECRET ARE the Lowveld Botanical Gardens, Chimp Eden Sanctuary and the various local happenings over weekends, especially Blue Moon Concerts.

MY FAVOURITE THING TO DO WITH FRIENDS IS a breakfast run along the Panorama Route and you don’t need a motorbike for this!

I ♥ Nelspruit

FOR SOME CULTURE, I LIKE TO GO TO the Shangaan Cultural Village.
TO RELAX AND RESTORE MY SOUL, I LIKE TO spend time at one of the many scenic waterfalls with a picnic basket and good book.

IF YOU'RE FEELING ADVENTUROUS, TRY walk with elephant at Elephant Whispers. Here you can experience an elephant interaction with all six of the elephants. You will be able to touch them and learn more about their behaviour.

MY FAVOURITE HIKE IS Fanie Botha Hiking Trail over four days. The trail has three different starting points: the Ceylon, President Burger or Graskop Huts.
MY FAVOURITE biltong SHOP IS Halls Gateway.

MY FAVOURITE bird WATCHING SPOT IS the look-out at Eco Eden from where more than 100 species of birds in abundance can be observed throughout the year.

I ♥ Nelspruit

IF YOU'RE HERE IN June / July, JOIN IN THE FUN AT the Innibos Festival. This is a family orientated eventincluding music, theatre, visual arts, craft stalls and more. It attracts visitors of more than 100 000 each year.

MY FAVOURITE ART GALLERY IS Casterbridge in White River. CHECK OUT THE local names like Bosch and Van der Merwe.

MY FAVOURITE BUILDING are found in Kaapsehoop and Pilgrims Rest, FOR ITS historical value, dating back to the times of gold panning.

TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN? A FUN OUTING IS Chimp Eden Sanctuary and Jock of the Bushveld.

BEST CHEAP AND CHEERFUL OUTING IS the local Farmers Market on Saturday mornings.

I ♥ Nelspruit

WHEN MONEY'S NO OBJECT, I LIKE TO visit the nearby Mozambican sea resorts, only 180km on the N4.

THE MOST UNUSUAL THING I SEE HERE IS roaming game, even right in town!

MY FAVOURITE WEEKEND GETAWAY IS to the Bourkes Luck Potholes and the Animal Rehab Centre.

WHEN I WANT TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, I invite learners from surrounding villages for a boma braai and some environmental education.

I ♥ Nelspruit BECAUSE it has a rich culture and history and it is my home.

Eco-Eden Bush Lodge

Eco-Eden Bush Lodge

Set in pristine natural surroundings, the elegant Eco-Eden Bush Lodge offer a unique, eco-friendly African experience with boma evenings, traditional food, star gazing and relaxation. Wake up from your luxury room to the songs of birds in abundance and enjoy the sight of frequent visitors like kudus, bushbuck and red duiker while having a boma-breakfast or dinner. Our four-star farm style accommodation, stunning pool, well-equipped conference facilities and friendly personal service will appeal to the most discerning business and holiday traveler.

Visit Eco-Eden Bush Lodge
View Rates or make a Booking

Desirable Digits

The Big Swing: +27 (0)13 767 1621
Mugg & Bean: +27 (0)13 752‑2250
Jock and Java: +27 (0)13 755‑4969
Orange Restaurant: +27 (0)13 744‑9507
Lowveld Botanical Garden: +27 (0)13 752‑5531
Chimpanzee Eden: +27 13 (0)745‑7406
Shangana Cultural Village: +27 (0)13 737‑7000 or +27 (0)13 737‑6970
Elephant Whispers: +27 (0)13 737‑7876
Casterbridge Farm: +27 (0)13 751‑1540
Nelspruit Farmers Market: +27 (0)13 752‑2801

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View the entire photo gallery:

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God's Window

They speak about Mpumalanga as the place of the rising sun. Indicative in many ways of the outdoor lifestyle that is the essence of time-out in Mpumalanga, one goes there for the wide open spaces, the sweeping mountains, torrentous rivers and waterfalls, and valleys enshrouded in mist.

The  romance of the lowveld beckons with its game farms, lodges and bush breaks in the southern parts of the Kruger National Park. Think Mpumalanga, and Bourkes Luck Potholes come to mind, followed swiftly by other geographic icons like God's Window and the Three Rondawels. So much of the Mpumalanga province that lies in the northern eastern parts of the country is now geared to visitors that it becomes a case of being selective about what one does, rather than having to scour for things to do.

The team at SA Venues has put together a list of the top things you absolutely MUST do when in Mpumalanga, followed by a few of the out-of-the-way, need to have been there before places and spaces that you may not know about ...

The must-do's

Drive/explore the Panorama Route

Blyde River Canyon

This is a self-drive route, heavily inundated during peak seasons, but definitely worth doing for the sheer beauty of the number of natural wonders it incorporates. The Panorama Route drive follows the eastern escarpment of the province and takes in God's Window, the third largest canyon in the world, and certainly the largest green canyon – the Blyde River Canyon — Bourke's Luck Potholes, the Three Rondawels, Mac Mac Pools and Falls, and the towns of Pilgrim's Rest, Sabie, Graskop, Ohrigstad and Hazyview. Escape the road by doing one of the many activities available to you, from hiking to bungee jumping, white water rafting and even gold panning. The route in its entirety is long, so you might want to do only parts of it, or make it the mainstay of your trip and savour every bit of the way. (More info here: Self Drive the Panorama Route)

Do the Highlands Meander

Another hugely popular tourist route, the Highlands Meander might not have quite the impact of the Panorama Route, but is as popular for its beauty. It lies in the higher reaches of the escarpment and is renowned as the place to go for trout fly fishing, surrounded by imposing mountains and rivers. Highlights include Dullstroom and the Gustave Klingbiel nature reserve, the beautiful Long Tom Pass, Horse Shoe Falls, the Escarpment Trail, incredible opportunities to rock climb and spot rare birds, and the rather quaint towns of Machadodorp, Dullstroom, Waterval Boven and Onder, Lydenburg and Belfast.

Visit the Kruger National Park

Kruger National Park

A visit to Mpumalanga without time spent in the Kruger National Park borders on sacrilege. By far one of South Africa's biggest draw cards, two million hectares of lowveld straddle two provinces and give one access to what easily ranks as the ultimate safari experience. A visit to the Kruger Park is more than a game-spotting exercise. Rather it is an immersion into both the incredible wildness and unpredictability of the true bushveld, the heart of the animal kingdom, and what it is to roam free on the plains of Africa.

Take in the Lowveld National Botanical Gardens

The beautiful Lowveld National Botanical Gardens is a 159 hectare green lung that lies in Nelspruit, and is just one of the reasons to visit the town. Through it run two rivers, the Crocodile and the Nels Rivers, both of which add something of their own character to the garden, which is home to 600 naturally occurring plants and over 2000 that have been introduced. Alive with trees and a place to experience Sour Lowveld Bushveld and cycads, spend a day here easily.

Spend a day in Pilgrim's Rest

Pilgrim's Rest

Yes, Pilgrims Rest is on the Panorama Route, but you might want to give the historical little town, which is also a National Monument, a bit more than a cursory glance. It's setting is lovely and it is filled with little historic houses, shops and museums that have managed to retain their original historic appearance thanks to restoration. It's thus a village lost in the 1870s gold rush. Make sure you include a visit to the Alanglade House Museum.

Swing over Graskop

This adrenaline hotspot in Graskop is renowned. Graskop gorge swing is the highest in the world and in a few seconds you go from zero to 180 km/h that has you flying 130 metres above the ground at a rather different vantage point for Graskop Falls. Whilst a swing may call to mind a sedate seat moving slowly over a gorge, it is anything but. Not only do you go over backwards but the initial part of the 'swing' is a free fall bungee, before you dip into a swing that takes you from one side of the gorge to the other in a series of sweeps. Do not have breakfast before attempting this. Oh, and you can do it in tandem, if that makes you feel any safer.

Visit Loskop Dam

Bateleur Eagle

The Loskop Dam just north of Middelburg, is not only great for bass fishing, but it is a closer-to–Johannesburg alternative to the Kruger National Park, if you're short for time. Three of the Big 5 make the reserve their home – white rhino, buffalo and leopard – whilst you will also see hippo, giraffe, warthog, numerous buck and sable antelope. But really this is a bird watcher's paradise and the fish eagle is not shy about making an appearance. If you can manage to find a place to stay in the surrounding hills of the dam, the views are pretty spectacular.

A quick list of unusual to-do's

Visit the Elephant Whispers near Hazyview and get to interact with elephants

Walk the Labyrinth at Boondocks, near Kaapmuiden – a beautiful setting in which to experience quiet and meditation

Taste wine made from oranges at Rottcher Wineries, Casterbridge Farm in White River

Experience tree top slides – visit the tree-top canopy tour near Hazyview where a series of slides take you from the tree tops to the valley floor through the Sabie River valley forest.

Walk amongst rhinos – you can do rhino walking safaris in the only wilderness concession in the Kruger National Park (via the Paul Kruger Gate)

Hike Blyderivierspoort – a 2.5 day walk from God's Window to Bourke's Luck Potholes through the Blyde River Canyon (perhaps not unusual, but definitely worth it)

Buy directly from farmers at the Nelspruit Farmers Market – this once a month market is a wonderful space in which to pick up fruit, veg and other delicious food

Vist a dairy in the town of Tonteldoos – Pendle Hill Dairy produces organic cheeses

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Stone Circles

Like many South Africans I took a gap year after school and went to the UK to work and experience life. Which ultimately ended up in me working in a pub for pittance and spending most of my time drinking. Still I did manage to see a little of the United Kingdom and spent some time in Somerset county after going there for the Glastonbury festival. While I was there I saw Stonehenge, the Avebury stone circle and developed quite a liking for the strange, symmetrical stone formations that apparently were maps of the stars.

It was only years later, long having returned to South Africa, cut my hair and shaved, that I discovered that our lovely country has its own version of these ancient temples to the stars ...

Nestled in Mpumalanga are the ancient sites of the Stone Circle ruins and Adam’s Calendar which was found among the stone dwellings. Shrouded in mystery these fascinating sites have been misunderstood and overlooked by many.

Adam's Calendar

There are numerous myths and theories about the origins of man, and both Adam’s Calendar and the Stone Circle Ruins give evidence to the existence of early civilizations.   Adam’s calendar is a 750,000 year old stone calendar, pre-dating all other man-made structures. It is clearly positioned to record the solstice, equinoxes and days of the year and is evidence of consciousness amongst the earliest humans in Africa.

The stone circles are estimated to be about 200 000 in total and they bear witness to those who mined the area for gold thousands of years ago. This ancient civilization still has remnants of dwellings, forts, temples, irrigation systems, agricultural terraces and ancient roads. Visible for hundreds of kilometers is an ancient road structure that connects most of the ruins. This proves that the settlement was not accidental and home to an evolved civilization who planned a transport route. This is very far removed from what historians previously thought: that the stone circles were left over cattle kraals of the Bantu people in the 13^th century.

Be sure to visit the Stone Circle Museum in the mountainous town of Waterval Boven along the N4 to Nelspruit. Explorer and scientist Michael Tellinger has put together an astounding collection of items in a small private museum. The museum is home to a set of aerial photographs of the stone ruins and Adam’s Calendar as well as pottery from the Lydenburg Head’s civilization from around 300AD.  Stone tools that span 1 million years as well as the peculiar wonder stone, a circular stone formed billions of years ago that slowly turns on its own axis complete the museum.

Stone Circles

A half-day guided tour to Adam’s Calendar and the surrounding ruins is another must, allowing you to discover the ancient civilizations up close. Hiking trails, guided tours, 4X4 tours and helicopter flights all make for exciting and unforgettable experiences.

Contact Details:
Stone Circle Tours — Telephone: +27 (0)82 948‑8218
Stone Circle Museum, 17 Zasm Laan, Waterval Boven, Mpumalanga

Waterval Boven Links:
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Sudwala Caves

Area 51 in New Mexico, the Bermuda triangle, the location of Osama Bin Laden — everybody likes a good mystery.

Take the Sudwala Caves for instance. Legend has it that the Sudwala Caves have no end and they may stretch for more than 40km under the mountains. There is also an unexplained constant flow of fresh air in the caves that no one can find the source of. Ok, so it’s not exactly a Sherlock Holmes type mystery, but it still is interesting.  Towering above the valley of the lively mountain stream Houtbosloop, the vast Mankelexele (rock upon rock) mountain range holds one of South Africa’s most impressive wonders: the Sudwala caves ...

Lying in the Drakensberg escarpment, about 35km west of Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, this immeasurable complex of channels and colossal chambers are the oldest known caves in the world. Situated in pre-cumbrian dolomite rocks of the Malmani Group, they were formed over a period of about 3000 million years.

Sudwala Caves

If this isn’t impressive enough, the cave walls have captured fossils of Collenia, the first oxygen giving plants on earth and the stony walls offer tell tale signs that there was a time when the area was covered by warm shallow in-land seas.

The Sudwala Caves are dominated by an enormous chamber called The Amphitheatre which can seat over 500 people. This chamber rockets 37 meters to the tip of the dome-like feature in its roof and has hosted many operas and dramas. Ivan Rebroff, a famous Russian singer, tested its suitability for concert purposes in 1970 and found the acoustics to be just as good as any concert hall in Europe.

Of special interest are the astonishing rock formations. The Lowveld Rocket is a column roughly 150 million years old. If this doesn’t impress you the Screaming Monster is about 160 million years old and Samson’s Pillar is over 200 million years old.

Sudwala Caves

Besides these amazing rock displays  the caverns also brag an array of impressive stalactites. Anciently growing you will have to wait a hundred years for a 2.5cm growth increase.

Visitors can discover the many mysteries of the caves on two tours. The Cave Tour takes about one hour and is suitable for everyone. A tour guide will take you on a fun tour of large well lit chambers with good airflow revealing interesting facts and tidbits. This is ideal for those who are interested in the area, but who are not up for anything exerting and  strenuous.

For the more adventurous there is the Crystal Tour. This is a five hour rendezvous that will take you 2000 meters into the heart of the dark cave to the outer edge of the crystal chamber. The crystal chamber has a beautiful array of dazzling aragonite crystals that will take your breath away.

Sudwala Caves

The route is quite difficult and involves crawling through tunnels and possibly getting wet so it’s perfect for the adventure junkies. The crystal tour takes place on the first Saturday of every month and accommodates groups of thirty people at a time so be sure to book well in advance.

Need to know:

Address: Next to Dinosaur World. R532 towards Lydenburg, take R37 towards Nelspruit for 20 km, take R539 offramp at Rosehaugh, travel 16km and turn right at T-Junction. (50 km outside Sabie).
Telephone: +27 (0)13 733‑4152
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 08h00 to 17h00. Guided tours every half hour for an hour — last 16h30.

Photographs / Sudwala Caves Slide Show from Flickr.com:

Useful Links:

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With my tongue glued to my throat and sweat silently dripping on the road I cycle onward looking for somewhere that could allow me to take a rest. 30km before the little town of Amsterdam I find this haven, my oasis in a dessert of beautiful tree plantations. I stop. I fill my water bottles with near warm water. I quench my thirst. Again.

At the front of his little store in the middle of nothing but tree plantations I am greeted by Rashid Sallie. He smiles and looks at my cycle as if to say that I am welcome to rest my sorrows here for as long as I need. I pick up something to eat and more cold drinks and walk towards him, now sitting behind a till that has run out of paper decades ago. I pay.

As I leave the store, on my way to enjoy what has been kept from me for 120km he calls at me. He says “Life’s an amazing ride, you only need to choose between left and right” the rest will be left to the universe. I’m intrigued. Before I realize he’s telling me his story. It’s the story of a man who started with R30 and ended up with two shops in Mpumalanga, property in Sabie and 500 acres of tree plantations.

He laughs. This store was started in 1977 and he bought it in 1985. Indians weren’t allowed to own property then and he had to sidestep his way through undemocratic paperwork. When I ask how he answers. “ ’n Boer maak ‘n plan, ‘n Indier het ‘n plan” this man has a calm spirit. His eyes and smile make you feel comfortable. Its almost as if he has some insight into your soul and he treats that with a fragile hand not to make your feel invaded.

He worked for a company for 21 years when he spoke to his wife and said they need to find something of their own, something they could leave their children with. When a friend took him to this farm with the little shop near Amsterdam he had to have it. But the price was to steep. But by the stroke of sheer luck two months later he found out that the property was being auctioned off he made a bid and won it as silent partner of a friend that now owned this property. He started small. R30 could buy you 36 breads. And he used that to build up his little empire.

He cares about the community; he knows the name of every single customer he helps whilst I’m standing there. I can see the pride of a man that made it on his own. He was able to send his children to varsity and help so many other family members. He is doing his part as a reserve police officer in the area.

When I ask where they live, because it must be far to drive everyday he opens up a back door of his store. Behind this run down shed is a true oasis of love and care and happiness. You cannot see it from the road but every blade of grass is neatly trimmed and the trees are pruned to perfection. On his stoep you can sense the hours of family gatherings. The fruit trees in the back yard have given many a child a smile on a warm summer day. Rashid has made this his home.

On my way out he tells me that he still has one dream to write the story of this shop. With more that 30 years of history and a starting balance of R30 I think it’s a story worth telling. He calls over one of his assistants. This man has worked here since 1977. ‘the store was small then, but now its big, everybody knows Rashid and we love him. He is our family now".

I leave with a smile. I love how communities get entangled in each other’s lives and families over time and this is such a story. One that transcends any barriers of history and one that will live with the families of their children.

Mpumalanga Links:
Mpumalanga Attractions
Things to Do in Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga Hotels
Mpumalanga Accommodation

Barberton

When I see the turnoff for Barberton / Badplaas my heart sinks for a moment. I desperately wanted to see this town that I’ve heard so much about, but a 20km detour in this heat on my bike seems like a lot to ask. Too many thoughts wash through my tired mind. I want to see this town. I’m only doing this journey once. Lets take the risk and hope this town is as great as everybody says it is…

I didn’t make the wrong choice.

Barberton is from a different century. With the mountains as backdrop and the old school architecture I understand why many people flock here over weekends. But I want to meet these people. Who are the ones lucky enough to be living here…

At the first coffee shop I can find I sit myself down and order a cup of civilization. My cappuccino is great and as I contemplate my plan of action to find someone in this town who’s going to my historical guide a lady walks over from nowhere. Wicky is an artists here. She quickly tells me about the surrounding area making me wish I could spend a whole week here. Sometime I will. When she hears what I’m busy doing she immediately tells me to go meet Sue. Sue will tell me stories that can fill many a book. But I must watch out she’s a bit temperamental. The arty type, if she’s not in the mood she’ll close the door in your face…

I knock on the door of this Sue that will enlighten me with her stories, she opens the door. ‘Hi, my name is Ruan, Wicky said you have great stories and I was hoping we could have a cup of coffee. She hesitates for a moment and then asks if I take sugar.  In one hand she manages two mugs and in the other she has a box of cigarettes and an ashtray. We sit in her beautiful garden at the foot of the mountain whilst a little Maltese poodle is barking at the butterflies. His name is ‘day dog’. I frown. He comes here during the day when his family leaves for work and then at night when they come back he returns, thus she named him day dog.

Sue is originally from England and her accent is still thick as she tells stories with smoke floating from her one hand. She used to be a dancer, a modern ballerina. But when age started hanging onto her ankles she and her husband immigrated to Johannesburg. She tells of great works of South African theatre that she was a part of. She changed careers and was now making costumes for sun international and all their shows. Every bit of theatre history that Sue has helped make is like from a book. She colours all the moments with the perfect lighting and her words seem to make the costumes she worked on real.

After working for Sun International she decided to open up her shop. This woman has no hang-ups; she tells it like it is. I start laughing at her representation of a production meeting. She never got stuck in a meeting because she always pretended to be extremely busy. ‘They can phone me you know, the technology is there, us it!’

Then three years ago they decided to move away from the theatre industry. “I’m old, I don’t want to run after directors that aren’t sure what they want anymore.” They decided to open a guest house. When they couldn’t find something in the Midrand they heard about this place in Barberton and bought it immediately. She laughs at a questions about her children, the oldest is at a sensitive age. With a mischievous glint she mentions that her daughter is turning 30 and her son is in Matric. She still does the odd bit of costume, but not having anyone that can help her makes it difficult. They can do without me in Johannesburg. It’s not like I’m the only costume designer, besides I like the quite life.

At this point we realize that we’ve actually met before. Whilst I was still studying theatre we worked together on a pantomime at the national youth theatre in Parktown. Then there’s the mischievous smile again. You’re the boy who had to wear the stockings… I blush, yes that was me.

I like Sue, there aren’t any issues. She doesn’t beat around the bush and she has the heart of a child. This Ballerina has definitely not performing the dieing swan scene.

She lights up another cigarette and starts whispering the entire town’s gossip…

Useful Barberton Links:
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Leopard Encounter

Janet & John Wills from Porcupine Ridge Guest House in Sabie had this unexpected, heart-stopping encounter on a recent break in the Kruger National Park ...

At around 8.30am on 18 December 2009 my husband, our adult son and I, left Tamboti Tented Camp and drove east along the H7 towards Satara Camp. We soon came to the turning for N'wamatsatsa Waterhole and decided to check it out. Rounding a corner on the dirt road we saw two tiny leopard cubs running across the road with the mother leopard following closely behind. The cubs soon disappeared in the long grass, followed by the leopard. By the time they were about 5 metres from the road we had stopped parallel to them, expecting to see the leopard quickly disappear into the thick bush.

What happened next was the most frightening (and admittedly thrilling) encounter we have experienced in more than 20 years of regularly visiting Kruger ...The leopard suddenly turned and came running back towards us, snarling loudly. She stopped abruptly at the edge of the road, which we presume was a 'warning attack', thankfully giving us time to close all the car windows, she then rushed right up to the car, first to my husband at the driver's window, then round the front of the car to my front passenger window, snarling all the while and looking us straight in the eye with what can only be described as murderous intent. Having also checked the rear window she rushed back around the front and seemed to be going off after her cubs when she turned and launched herself at the rear passenger window where my son was sitting, swiping her paw across the glass with a loud 'bang' as she connected. Having failed to reach us she slowly slunk off after her cubs and was gone.

We were left with thumping hearts and regrettably few photographs as it all happened so quickly. It is entirely understandable that a leopard with tiny cubs would be hyper-protective and prepared to attack anything she sees as a threat to her babies and we suspect there may have been a third cub still on the other side of the road but we were left with several questions.

What would have happened if we had been in an open Safari Vehicle? What if we had small children in the back of the car and wind-up windows? Would overseas tourists on their first visit to Kruger react so quickly? It serves as a reminder of just how 'wild' Kruger can be. We consider ourselves very lucky to have had such a 'once in a lifetime' experience and are very relieved we are not making World News as a leopard kill!

Photographs © Janet & John Wills — Click thumbnails to view the enlargements as a sequence:

Porcupine Ridge

Porcupine Ridge Guest House

Janet and John extend a warm welcome to their beautiful country house, tucked away in the mountains at the heart of the Panorama Route, yet only minutes from the amenities of Sabie village and 50km from Kruger National Park. Porcupine Ridge has five immaculate en-suite bedrooms, a welcoming guest lounge with deep, comfy chairs, satellite TV and cosy fireplace, a spacious dining room and two large covered verandahs for relaxation and alfresco meals. Plenty of enclosed parking with lock up parking available if required ...

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I ♥ Sabie

Hi, I’m Janet Wills from Porcupine Ridge Guest House in Sabie, Mpumalanga.

SABIE IS BEST KNOWN FOR it’s glorious setting in the mountains, as the gateway to the magnificent Panorama Route, as a centre for Mountain Biking, Trout Fishing and adventure activities and of course for it’s close proximity to the Kruger National Park.

GET YOUR PICTURE TAKEN AT God’s Window with the backdrop of the Lowveld all the way to Kruger Park and Mozambique.
THE BEST WATERFALL PICTURES CAN BE TAKEN from the bottom of Lone Creek and Bridal Veil Falls or looking down from the top of Lisbon and Berlin Falls.
OTHER HAPPY SNAPS AT the Three Rondawels overlooking the awesome Blyde River Canyon and at the fascinating formations at Bourke’s Luck Potholes ...

I ♥ Sabie

WHEN THE WEATHER'S GOOD, I LIKE TO take in the beauty of the Panorama Route and marvel at the clear crisp views, walk in the mountains and remind myself how lucky I am to live here.
WHEN THE WEATHER'S BAD, I LIKE TO visit Kruger Park, where the animals are more active, we often see nocturnal animals on dull days and the rainy weather brings out the tortoises.

I THINK THE BEST TIME TO VISIT SABIE is all year round, because our Winter days are warm and sunny with chilly nights when we love to snuggle up by a crackling log fire. Our Summers are hot and sometimes rainy with spectacular thunderstorms but we adore the balmy evenings under the stars. Spring and Autumn are perfect in-between times to visit with all the flowers and new life of Spring and the magnificent colours of Autumn.

I ♥ Sabie

MY FAVOURITE BREAKFAST SPOT IS the deep veranda of our own guest house with our beautiful mountain views.
FOR LUNCH, I SUGGEST Sabie Valley Coffee Shop in a lovely leafy setting overlooking the Sabie River. The coffee Roastery can be seen through windows from the restaurant and they have some yummy lunch options.
MY FAVOURITE RESTAURANT IS The Woodsman in Sabie, with it’s huge wooden deck where you can watch the world go by. Try the delicious Greek specialities, local Trout or the Ostrich Fillet.
MY FAVOURITE SUNDOWER SPOT IS the pool deck at Misty Mountain on a fine evening with the panoramic mountain vista beyond the rim flow pool.
IF YOU WANT TO MEET LOCALS go to Sabie Country Club and have a round of Golf or try your hand at Bowls.

I ♥ Sabie

SABIE'S BEST KEPT SECRET IS the private waterfall on our Estate, a bracing 30 minute walk over the mountain from our guest house.
MY FAVOURITE THING TO DO WITH FRIENDS IS to go to Mac Mac Pools for a picnic.
FOR SOME AFRICAN CULTURE I LIKE TO go to the Shangaan Evening Festival for an evening of African Theatre and feast.
TO RELAX AND RESTORE MY SOUL, I LIKE TO walk in the mountains.

IF YOU'RE FEELING ADVENTUROUS, TRY one of the dozens of activities available in the area, from Abseiling to Ziplining.
MY FAVOURITE WALK IS at Forest Falls, where a pleasant hour’s walk takes you through indigenous forest, alongside a babbling brook, to the only waterfall in the area wider than it is tall. Climb up the side of the waterfall and collect some fresh watercress before the return walk along the other side of the river.

I ♥ Sabie

MY FAVOURITE SHOP IN SABIE IS The Bookcase, a fascinating Alladin’s cave of second hand books, with many interesting volumes waiting to be discovered.
MY FAVOURITE BIRD WATCHING SPOT IS the area around Lone Creek Falls, where a good day might turn up Orange Ground Thrush, Yellow Throated Woodland-Warbler, Yellow-Streaked Greenbul, Forest Canary or Knysna Turaco.

IF YOU'RE HERE IN December, join in the fun at the Sabie Experience, a four day Mountain Biking Event that attracts thousands of entrants and provides thrills and spills for participants and spectators.

MY FAVOURITE MUSEUM IS the Sabie Forestry Museum, the only museum of it’s kind in South Africa, with exciting exhibits for young and old.
MY FAVOURITE BUILDING IS the delightful little St Peter’s Church, designed by Sir Herbert Baker and built by Italians in 1913.

I ♥ Sabie

TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN? A FUN OUTING IS Trout Fishing for the whole family at Horseshoe Trout & About. All equipment can be hired and the kids are practically guaranteed to catch a fish.
BEST CHEAP AND CHEERFUL OUTING IS browsing around the old Gold Mining village of Pilgrim’s Rest. The entire village is a National Monument, full of historical interest, quaint shops and colourful characters.

WHEN MONEY'S NO OBJECT, I LIKE TO interact with elephants at Elephant Whispers or The Elephant Sanctuary. Riding these giants is an experience not to be forgotten.
THE MOST UNUSUAL THING I SEE HERE IS the thick morning mist in the Sabie River Valley below our guest house when the sky is clear above. It feels like you are looking down on the clouds.

MY FAVOURITE WEEKEND GETAWAY IS of course the Kruger Park. The very best place to reconnect with Nature and refresh your soul.
WHEN I WANT TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY I support the local traders in the Market square and support the recycling initiative run by the community.

I ♥ SABIE BECAUSE it is the friendliest place I’ve ever lived. The setting is so beautiful but Sabie is an unpretentious and laid back little town with the huge added bonus of Kruger Park on the doorstep.

Porcupine Ridge

Porcupine Ridge Guest House

Perched above an old gold mine and part of the original mining village, Porcupine Ridge is a stylish, informal retreat combining old world charm with modern comforts. The friendly ambiance invites you to relax and unwind, surrounded by rambling gardens, abundant birdlife and glorious mountain scenery. There are lovely walks on the estate, through indigenous bush, grasslands and plantations. Monkeys, duiker ...

Visit Porcupine Ridge Guest House
Make a Booking

Desirable Digits

Porcupine Ridge Guest House +27 (0)13 764‑2655
Sabie Valley Coffee +27 (0)13 737‑8169
The Woodsman +27 (0)13 764‑2204
Misty Mountain + 27 (0)13 764‑3377
Sabie Country Club +27 (0)13 764‑2282
The Bookcase +27 (0)13 764‑2014
Horseshoe Trout & About +27 (0)13 764‑2682
Elephant Whispers +27 (0)13 737‑7876

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Nelspruit 2010 Host City

Nelspruit, 2010 Host City and the capital of Mpumalanga, lies in the fertile valley of the Crocodile River and has been called the gateway to Mpumalanga and the Kruger National Park. The Lowveld botanical gardens just outside Nelspruit boasts a rare collection of plant species and the first man-made rain forest which attracts the majority of Nelspruits visitors.

Nearby Sudwala caves, a dinosaur park and cultural centre will expose your senses to the most primitive of Africa’s history. A short distance away from Nelspruit is the gold mining town of Kaapsehoop where the mist filled evenings and herds of wild horses grazing in the town will transport you into memories of the past. The mountains in and around Nelspruit provide much in the way of camping and hiking trails with varying levels of intensity ...

The Nelspruit Nature Reserve offers several walks through the reserve, lasting from one to six hours. The Green Heritage Hiking Trail offers a pleasant, relaxing way to enjoy the indigenous vegetation, a wide diversity of birds and small antelope.

Nelspruit 2010 Host City

Take a walk along the Nelspruit Historical Walking Trail. Stretching from the Promenade Centre to the Civic Centre, the one-hour historical route brings interesting facets of Nelspruit's past to life. Features include a restored ox-wagon in the library gardens.

With its sub-tropical climate, abundant sunshine and lush hills and valleys it forms the ideal base from which to explore Mpumalanga. The inhabitants are warm and welcoming, catering to every need and providing you with exactly what you need to make your holiday in Mpumalanga a pleasant one ...

Accommodation in Nelspruit and near Mbombela Stadium:
Find Accommodation in Mpumalanga for the 2010 World Cup by using our Mpumalanga map designed to show distances in kilometres from Mbombela Stadium to towns within a 30km, 60km, 90km and 120km radius to the Stadium. See: Mbombela Stadium Accommodation.

Useful Links for planning your 2010 Trip:
Nelspruit Attractions
Things to Do in Nelspruit
Nelspruit Map
Mbombela Stadium
Nelspruit Hotels
Nelspruit Accommodation

Oncoming traffic became somewhat indistinct, the world took on the ambiance of Narnia (I kept waiting for Mr Tumnus to come trotting out from under a lamppost) and my stomach took the opportunity to inform me that it was more than a little hungry — ravenous probably comes closer!

And so Sabie it was for a quick nosh stop, and I think the restaurant was set in an old train, but I can't be certain. I think we had pancakes or crêpes, but to tell you the truth, by this stage it could have been anything! Our destination was beginning to feel more and more elusive, and, as the mist continued we had reservations about getting there at all. Perhaps when the mist settled in like this, roads began turning in on themselves because it felt as though we drove around in ever diminishing circles whilst getting nowhere fast.

But that was the tired brain speaking. After food, things even started looking quite romantic, and we set off again in the knowledge that it wasn't far now. Considering that some of the accommodation in Pilgrims Rest we passed had names like 'Misty Mountain lodge', it was obvious that mist was a common occurrence here and that we had nothing to fear.

We pushed on to Mac Mac along the R532 and then on to Pilgrim's Rest to our campsite on the banks of the Blyde River – because we were one of the only people there that weekend we managed to camp virtually on top of the river in the shade of some trees. The campsite was beautiful, and the bathrooms clean and spacious. The caravan park has subsequently become a partnership between the Mpumalanga Department of public works and Imbali Yezwe Project and is family owned and managed.

Hence it was that we only got to see Pilgrim's Rest the following morning, after a good lie in and a hearty breakfast.

Pilgrim's Rest is just gorgeous. The entire town is a national monument in its own right and has also achieved World Heritage status. In a sense, it's a living museum, a typical little mining town built during the gold rush of the late 1800s, with a modern day overlay. So you get the feeling of the town as it must have been then, yet modern day shops and businesses now inhabit the buildings. You can read all about the town's fascinating history here — click to view.

We wandered through some of the little curio and arts and crafts shops with names like 'the Daisy' and 'Edwin Woods & Co Wine merchant' (that was actually a place to stock up on South African wine set in what was once a mission church!). You must make a stop in Kuzzulos Emporium where you get to dress up in old fashioned clothing before posing for a photograph to grace your mantlepiece (something like they do at Gold Reef City).

One of the highlights for me was the Royal Hotel. The Victorian style building is restored to what must have been its former glory and offers beautiful en-suite bedrooms — antique brass beds, wash stands and wardrobes that date back to that era. Walking through their lounge is like being in a time capsule(!) and the hotel's bar, known as the Church bar (quite amusing if you think of the irony) used to be a Catholic chapel for a school in Cape Town. It was apparently taken apart, bought by wealthy miners to Pilgrim's Rest (a six week journey!) and then fitted back together again (they obviously had a lot of time on their hands back then).

We could have tried a whole list of touristy type adventures laid out for people wanting the whole experience — gold panning, the Digging Museum, a whirl through a variety of churches, a house museum that survives as a living example of the lifestyle of the town's original general dealer, but we chose instead to hive off to the town's historic cemetery.

Set at the top of a hill, overlooking the town, the cemetery is the site of early graves of the town's residents. We were one of the only visitors to the town who bothered to trek up there, but it's worth it because of one grave. Known as the Robber's grave, it lies the opposite way to everyone else's. Poor man, his crime was no worse than to have stolen other people's tents from them, but for his sins, he was shot by someone and buried in a way that everyone would remember him (I'll say nothing about today's law and order, shall I).

Once we thought we had the town scouted, we headed out on the Panorama Route, also known as the R532 — the northern parts thereof. It's a famous route that takes in what must be Mpumalanga's treasure trove — God's Window, Berlin Falls, Bourke's Luck Potholes, the Blyde River Canyon and the Three Rondavels. Continue on and the route also incorporates the Maria Shires Waterfall, Mac Mac Falls, Sabie River Gorge, and the Long Tom Pass.

Each of these wonders is worth a stop for the spectacular scenery. Pity we had but four days to explore before returning to the city. But such is life ...

Useful Links:
Pilgrims Rest Attractions
Pilgrims Rest Accommodation
Pilgrims Rest Hotels
Mpumalanga Hotels

Photo Credits:
Photographs of Pilgrim's Rest are Courtesy of and © South African Tourism.