African Travel Guides - Self Drive Routes - Accommodation - Car Hire

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  INFORMATION:
   MPUMALANGA

 
ROUTES & MEANDERS- Classic Mini Routes
Province: Mpumalanga

CLASSIC MINI ROUTES
Pretoria to Loopspruit Winery and Ndebele Cultural Village
4 to 6 hour excursion
Depart from Pretoria on Schoeman Street, east which becomes the N4. Continue on this route for 42km to a point just before Bronkhorstspruit. Turn left onto the R568 indicating Ekandustria. Continue for 15km and pick up the signs on the right to the Loopspruit village and winery which adjoin each other. Winery tours and theme shopping for excellent traditional beadwork Return to Pretoria by the reverse route. 

Highveld Meander
Excellent weekend excursion
Enter the triangle off the N4 at Belfast on the Mpumalanga highlands -trout shop and fishing tackle shop will provide information. Depart from Belfast on the R54O to Dullstroom where there are numerous excellent fishing venues and accommodation. Information at Tourist Centre. Continue out of Dullstroom on the R54O to Lydenburg. Starling's Tackle Shop for interest and information on fly fishing in streams and dams. Depart from Lydenburg on the R36 to the N4, turn left and then right to the village of Waterval Boven, information at the information centre. Return to the N4, turn left, bypassing Machadodorp to Milly's Caltex Service Station where there is a tackle shop with fishing on the adjoining dam. Complete the triangle to Belfast on the N4.

Private Lowveld Game Reserves
No set time
Depart from Nelspruit or any other point in central Mpumalanga to the R4O at Hazyview, a small town between White River and Graskop. In the centre of the town turn east following the signs to the Kruger National Park and the Kruger Gate. Travel for 34km, the signboards to Mala Mala, Sabi Sands and other private game reserves are on the left where you can check in against an advance reservation and receive instructions. For the southern lowveld reserves, take the N4 out of Nelspruit east to Matsulu and Malelane and points beyond. Private reserves are indicated off the N4.

Nelspruit
One day excursion
Depart from Nelspruit on the N4 west for 26km to the R539 and turn right to Sudwala Caves a short distance down the R539 to the right. Return to the N4 and turn left back to Nelspruit. Take the R4O, left towards White River travelling for just one km and turn left following the signs to the Enviro Park. Return to the R4O and continue for one km and turn right to the Lowveld National Botanic Gardens. Return to the N4 and travel for a further one km to a large complex on the right where the Casino is located. The traditional Swazi village at Matsulu is open on certain weekends. Check at Nelspruit information.

Sabie Forest Areas
One day excursion
Depart from Sabie on the R532 to the Mac Mac Falls and continue on to the historic gold mining village of Pilgrim's Rest Return to Sabie, turn right just as you cross the Sabie River at the bottom of the hill and continue out on that road to the Lone Creek Falls in scenic indigenous forest location. Return to Sabie to visit the Forestry Museum which traces the history of the timber industry.

Barberton
One day excursion
Visit the museum and many historic houses before travelling east on the R38 to Eureka City mine. Continue on the R38 to the N4, turn left, cross over the Crocodile River and turn right to Matsulu to visit the Swazi Cultural Village (check beforehand for opening times). Return to Barberton to take in the Bulembu mountain pass above the town, one of the most scenic in South Africa.


Southern Grasslands
One to two day excursion
One of the finest bird watching localities in southern Africa. Enter the area from either Piet Retief on the N2 turning onto the R543 to Wakkerstroom or via Volksrust and the same R543. Information and guides available at the village information centre. At Volksrust there is a small nature reserve conserving lizards. Majuba Hill, the site of the principal battle of the first Anglo Boer War is nearby. Superb walks and hiking trails across hilly grasslands and marshlands. Excellent farmhouse accommodation.

Panorama Route -Pilgrim's Rest. Hazyview. Sabie & Graskop
One day excursion
Depart from the forestry village of Graskop on the R533 heading north along the escarpment edge. Visit 'The Pinnacle' off the loop road a short distance from the village, God's Window, the Berlin and Lisbon waterfalls, 'The Potholes' and on to the dramatic Blyde River Canyon, the third largest Green Canyon in the world, which is accessed from a number of roads leading off to view sites. Return towards Graskop taking a minor gravel road to the right to Pilgrim's Rest, the historic mining village. Return to Graskop on the R533.

Loskop Valley Circuit
One day excursion
Enter the area at Middelburg off the N4. Depart from Middelburg on the N11 towards Groblersdal. Turn left to Botshabelo Traditional Village, Historic Berlin Mission Society Mission Station and Fort Merensky. Return to the N11 and turn left to Loskop Dam. Enter the Loskop Dam Nature Reserve just beyond the dam wall to take in the circular drive through this well stocked and scenic park. Return to the N 11 , turn left to Groblersdal. Exit Groblersdal on the R33 to Stoffberg which will take you through to Belfast. To reach the famous Mapoch Caves take the R555 left, 3km north of Stoffberg following signs to Roossenekal. Complete the circuit via Lydenburg, Dullstroom and Belfast. 



A WEEKEND LEISURE GUIDE AND TRAVEL PLANNER TO THE PROVINCE 
SELF DRIVE INFORMATION

From Johannesburg and Pretoria. Distances approximate. 
Distance - 0. 150 km 
Secunda- Casino -
Dennilton -Hiking trails, game reserves, angling, bird watching, nature walks at Mabusa Nature Reserve, S .S Skosana Nature Reserve, Mkhombo Nature Reserve, Mdala Nature Reserve 
Loopspruit -Wine estate, Ndebele Traditional Village, beadwork 
Witbank -Casino, holiday resort at dam 

Distance: 150 -200 km 
Middelburg -Loskop Dam Nature Reserve, Botshabelo Mission Station and Nature Reserve, Traditional Ndebele Village. 


Distance: 200 -300 km 
Wakkerstroom -Hiking trails, mountain biking, birding, hang-gliding 
Volksrust -Battlefields, lizard reserve 
Chrissiesmeer -Birding, hiking trails, mountain biking, trap shooting, nature walks, frog watching 
Belfast -Trout fishing, hiking trails, birding 
Badplaas -Trout fishing, hot springs, hiking trails 
Dullstroom -Trout fishing and theme shopping, birds of prey centre 
Lydenburg .Historic architecture, museum, fish hatchery, hiking trails and scenic drives 
Waterval Boven -Rock climbing, abseiling, hiking trails, trout fishing and scenic waterfalls
Sabie -Mountain biking, hiking trails, forest walks, waterfalls, wood museum, golf, trout fishing
Nelspruit -National Botanic Garden, Enviro Park, casino, golf
White River -Forest walks, golf, artist route, Barnyard Theatre
Barberton -Historic buildings, museum, mountain pass, hiking trails and walks Pilgrim's Rest -Gold panning, theme shopping, mountain biking, hiking trails, trout fishing, museum
Graskop -Scenic drives, hiking trails
Hazyview -Scenic drives, golf, Shangana Village
Komatipoort -River scenery, Bat hotel, tiger fishing
Kruger National Park -Game drives and African wilderness, golf at Skukuza
Private Game Reserves -Superb accommodation in game country with all facilities for game viewing provided,