Mpumalanga
Highlands Meander
Mpumalanga, the place of the rising sun
Welcome to
Mpumalanga.com, your gateway to South Africa's most exciting and
diverse tourism destination.
Mpumalanga, which means "land of the rising sun" in the
local SiSwati language, has it all -- from exhilarating wildlife,
to secluded mountain retreats, ancient ruined cities, wild water
sports, and some of South Africa's most diverse and vibrant
African cultures.
The province's year-round sunny weather, soaring peaks, steamy
jungles and expansive waterways have also made it home to a
bewildering array of adventure sport, from expeditions down the
world's oldest caves, to taking flight at the continent's largest
paragliding festival.
THE SEVEN WONDERS...
Mpumalanga covers almost 80 000 square kilometres of what some
may call God's own country. All of it begs to be explored, from
rolling highlands to the lofty escarpment and lush wetlands.
Mist
shrouded waterfalls, the incomparable Blyde River Canyon,
caves occupied by man for 50 000 years, and a floral kaleidoscope
unmatched in the sub-continent are just some of Mpumalanga's
natural wonders.
NATURAL WONDER
The Blyde
River Canyon
remains Mpumalanga's greatest wonder. The 25km long
abyss marks the spot where the ancient Gondwanaland super-continent
tore apart millions of years ago to form Africa and Asia. The
resulting chasm is the world's largest green canyon, with its 700m
cliffs making it the third largest canyon of any sort on the
planet. Sub-tropical jungle, some of southern Africa's scariest
rapids, and pristine hidden side ravines and valleys are home to
mountain reedbuck and dassies on the canyon walls, hippo and
crocodile in the Blyde Dam, and impala, kudu, blue wildebeest,
waterbuck and zebra on the lowveld plain near the canyon's mouth.
It is the awe-inspiring views from the canyon rim, however, that
makes this one of Africa's natural wonders. Weird needles of
rock, hundreds of feet high, overviewed by mist-enshrouded rock
shelves have inspired names such as God’s Window,
the Pinnacle, and Wonder View. The most prominent feature, three
huge rock spirals rising out of the far wall of the canyon with
tops that look like traditional African hut roofs, dwarf visitors
and have been dubbed the Three Rondavels after
the huts they resemble. Trials through the misty dwarf forests on
the canyon rim break out suddenly onto ledges that offer views
all the way across the Kruger National Park and into Mozambique
almost 100km away.
NATURE'S WISHING WELL
One of Mpumalanga's most surreal phenomena, the Bourke’s Luck
Potholes,
have been dubbed nature's wishing well. Here, over many
millions of years, a complex of smooth cylindrical potholes and
rock sculptures have been hollowed out by the created by
whirlpools at the confluence of the Blyde River
(‘river of joy’) and the Treur River (‘river of
sorrow’). The ravine in which the potholes lie reaches a
depth of 30m, though the actual potholes are generally about 6m
deep. The potholes are only five minutes’ walk from a car
park, and an imaginatively constructed network of paths and
bridges allows visitors to see them from every angle -- and drop
pennies into the potholes while making wishes. The gold and
sliver glitter from tens of thousands of coins contrast artfully
with the streaked white and yellow lichen covered rocks to
heighten the surreal nature of the potholes. Water continues to
play a key role in shaping the escarpment, with a dozen or so
waterfalls within easy reach of both Blyde River Canyon and the
Potholes.
KALEIDOSCOPES OF COLOUR
Mpumalanga's floral splendour, which boasts over 130 species of
indigenous wild flower is rivalled only by the brief burst of
colour in the Namaqualand desert. But, unlike Namaqualand,
Mpumalanga's flowers bloom for months, with bright yellow arum
lilies and hundreds of other species carpeting the escarpment all
the way from Dullstroom to the highlands
of Roossenkaal in a kaleidoscope of colour for up to three months
every spring. But even winter brings out flowers in Mpumalanga,
with acres of red
and yellow tulips in
the province's coldest, highest town, Belfast, while avenues of
massive Kapok trees turn shocking pink and Coral trees replace
their leaves with bright red flowers in the more temperate
lowveld. The provincial capital, Nelspruit, is always red,
with three species of popular tree flowering in sequence
throughout the year. Even the dry highveld transforms into a
canvas of pinks, purples and whites in autumn when the wild
Cosmos that gives this region its name blossoms. But it's not all
spectacle. Some of the world's rarest flowers, including endemic
protea species found only in one or two tiny valleys each, offer
the more discerning visitor a floral Big Five to rival the more
famous wildlife.
HIDDEN FAIRYLAND
The world's oldest dolomite caves, at Sudwala, give visitors a fantastical
glimpse into multi-coloured netherworld populated by weird
dripstone formations and twisted tunnels with fanciful names such
as Screaming Monster, Devil's Pulpit, Lot's Wife, the Fairy Glen,
Weeping Madonna, Samson's Pillar, Lover's Lane, Whispering
Tunnel, and the Wolf. One particularly vivid dripstone, the Space
Rocket, is 11m high. Longer six-hour adventure tours into the
cave complex, reputed to be one of the most extensive in the
world, explore the fragile Crystal Chamber and a massive 90m long
by 45m wide chamber. But even this extended tour, which includes
wading through subterranean streams, doesn't explore the full
reaches of the caves. Expert explorers have charted 2 500m of the
cave system, and believe that it extends for kilometres more. The
Sudwala Caves have lured humans for almost as long as we've
existed, providing shelter to our oldest ancestors, exiled Swazi
kings, and even inspiring world famous author Rider Haggard to
write his classic, King Solomon's Mines. The caves still hide
mysteries, despite being inhabited for thousands of years. No-one
has managed to find the source of a mysterious cool draft that
blows from deep inside the mountain. And no-one has been able to
trace the legendary Kruger Millions treasure reputed to be hidden
in its deepest caverns. And now, it can still all be yours -- the
caves, nominated world heritage site, are on the market for a
cool R10,6 million!
Just next to
the Highlands
Meander is The
Panorama, which abounds with breathtaking views from natural
wonders along the eastern slopes of the escarpment. There is God's Window and the world's third largest canyon
and biggest green canyon, the Blyde River Canyon.
There are also the astonishing Bourke's Luck Potholes and three rondawels. The towns of Lydenburg, Dullstroom and White River are gateways to the
route, which takes visitors through the quaint towns of Pilgrim's Rest, a living museum
dating back to the hey days of the gold rush, as well as Sabie,
Graskop, Ohrigstad and Hazyview.
Mpumalanga
Highlands Meander 6 Day
Language : English
Guide/driver : Yes - Satour
Vechile : Minibus/car with air - con / PA
Pick Up : Johannesburg
Time : TBA
Day 1
-
Pick up by Eco Afrika Tours JHB Airport @ SAA
Depart via N4 East to Nelspruit via Witbank and Middelburg.
Accommodation: Karula Hotel. DBB
Lunch: excluded
Supper: Included
Day 2 -
Breakfast Dinosaur Park and Sudwala Caves.
Fanie Botha hiking trail
Accommodation: Karula Hotel BB
Lunch: En Route Excl
Supper: Included
Day 3 :
Our journey today takes us into the magnificent Mapumalanga via
Hazyview, to Hoedspruit.
Drop in at Jessica the tame "Hippo" for a ride on her
back.
Accommodation: Depot Inn BB
Lunch: En Route Excl
Supper: Excl
Day 4:
Today though to Blyde river Canyon, Burkes Luck Potholes, to
Pilgrims Rest. We visit Pilgrims Rest (An old gold diggers town),
Accommodation: Crystal Springs Mountain Resort BB
Lunch: En Route Excl
Supper: Excl
Day 5 :
Today we explore Graskop and the Long Tom Pass, and drop down
Lydenburg to the enchanting town of Dullstroom
Trout fishing is on the menu as well as the catch
Accommodation:
WALKERSONS
COUNTRY MANOR
Lunch: En Route Excl
Supper: Excl
Day 6 :
Some leisure
time and a good lunch and then back via Pretoria to Johannesburg
to the Airport or Hotel
Lunch: En Route Excl
Included:
All entrance fees. All transfers; guides' fees; transport;
accommodation bed, breakfast, some meals as specified, portage.
Excluded:
Meals as specified; Alcoholic drinks & tips and items of
personal nature.
10 seater Lux Bus
Tariff per person sharing:
R 7,750.00 per person sharing
Min 4 passangers
.
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Bookings
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