First-time visitors tend to rush through Mpumalanga in their hurry to get to the Kruger national Park, what they don’t realize is that there is a lot to see and enjoy en route.  Even though the area has been heavily developed for agriculture and there are enormous commercial forestry plantations, it is still very beautiful in most parts and the roads are excellent.  Many rivers rise in the mountains – waterfalls tumble over the escarpment and a myriad of smaller falls grace the exquisite valleys.

Steeped in history, mystery and breathtaking beauty, the Pilgrim’s rest and Blyde River Canyon offer some of the most spectacular views of the African lowveld. Within the small area bounded by Lydenburg, Sabie, Graskop and the Blyde River Canyon are some of the most dramatic waterfalls and beautiful scenic spots in the entire region. Some of the finest trout fishing in South Africa can be enjoyed within the rough triangle between Lydenburg, Dullstroom and Machadadorp.  Dullstroom is set at the edge of the lofty Steenkampsberg range.  Nestled on the slopes of the 2300 meter Groot Suikerboschkop, Dullstroom is Mpumalanga’s highest town.

The Sudwala Caves and Dinosaur Park are some of the oldest caves in the world, located between Waterval-Onder and Nelspruit.  It is believed the caverns were formed by water seeping slowly through the rock dissolving the dolomite.  Tours of the caves last about an hour and a half and the wonderful dripstone formations are fascinating. Mpumalanga also covers the grassland areas of Standerton, Ermelo and Wakkerstroom providing birders with an interesting list of birds too observe around the wetlands, dams and streams in particular. 

In the late 1800’s, gold seekers found that the richest deposits were found in the “Golden Quarry” in the hills above the town of Barberton. Here 109grams of gold per ton of rock excavated was the yield almost 10 times that in the Witwatersrand! Today, ruins remain and visitors can tour the man-made cavern – a wonder of the mining world.  On the way up the mountain you will see some of the oldest rock formations on earth, fossils of blue-green algae and a fossilized beach!

The Kruger national park ranks among the world’s great game sanctuaries, and serves as on of South Africa’s premier tourist destinations.  Covering nearly 20 000 squarekilometres, it a haven to a vast array of wildlife. However, only the central and southern parts of the Park belong to Mpumalanga. The remaining northern part falls under the Limpopo Province. The park’s many rest camps are oases in a magnificent wilderness; it has a well developed network of roads, and it offers the ultimate in terms of both game-viewing and family comfort. Private lodges within the reserve now offer luxurious accommodation in exclusive lodges.