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Introduction
Mpumalanga is one of South Africa's most popular tourist destinations, its two main areas being the Lowveld and
the Eastern Drakensberg. The Lowveld is the strip of land stretching from the Drakensberg escarpment to the border
with Mozambique. It is a region of low lying humid plain with many small rivers and low ridges of hills. Most famously
of course it includes the Kruger National Park and the Blyde River Canyon. Gauteng or 'Place of Gold' is one of
the wealthiest pieces of land in the world and yet it still has huge areas of impoverished townships, despite the
extensive house-building programme being undertaken by the Government. Johannesburg and Pretoria represent the
economic and political centres of South Africa. Although it is the smallest province, Gauteng is home to almost
45% of the white South African population and 6 million out of a total population of 45 million. The Northwest
Province could be thought of as the least interesting one in South Africa - much of the region is flat Kalahari
grassland with little green to be seen. It is one of the areas the Voortrekkers came to settle at the end of the
Great Trek and towns such as Mafikeng and Rustenburg have a fascinating history. There is however, a whole range
of visitor surprises in the province - the Hartbeespoort Dam with its smart marinas and water sports centres and
the Cradle of Mankind where in the Sterkfontein caves the first adult 4 million year old 'ape man' fossil was found
in 1936. Sun City and the nearby Pilanesberg Game Park certainly should be on the list of places to visit. |
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Johannesburg
Johannesburg is a vibrant city surrounded by the established suburbs of Parktown,
Rosebank and Westcliffe. Soweto in the south offers a glimpse into township life - it is now possible to stay at
excellent Bed & Breakfast homes in Soweto. The city is just over 100 years old and has seen phenomenal growth
since the first rush into one of the wealthiest cities in the world. People have travelled to Johannesburg from
all over the globe and this has resulted in a cosmopolitan atmosphere. It is 5,784 feet above sea level but in
the Western Deep gold mine, the shafts reach 12,388 feet below ground!! Not a city to be explored on foot (unfortunately
there is still a high crime rate - decreasing but still significant) and with a relatively poor public transport
system, the ideal way to see the city is on an organised tour. It is the shopping Mecca of South Africa, with a
wonderful range of shops, markets, and craft stands. The city's Apartheid Museum is a must, dedicated to the country's
pre-Mandela history.
One visitor option is to spend some time at Gold Reef City - a reconstruction of Johannesburg in 1890's. It is
built in one of the gold mining areas and the original miners' cottages and the mine itself are open to the public.
There are demonstrations of 'gum boot dancing', can-can and tribal dancing. It should be borne in mind that this
is essentially a theme park with large fun fare type rides so don't expect too serious a slant on the gold mining
industry!
Within an easy drive of Johannesburg and Pretoria is the Hartbeespoort Dam in the Magaliesberg Mountains. It is
a hugely popular water sport centre with water skiing, sailing, water boarding and fishing around the shore of
the lake. A popular holiday area, it is studded with holiday cottages, lake-side apartments and retirement homes.
The largest fresh water aquarium in Africa boasts a huge range of South African fresh water fish, crocodiles, penguins
and seals. The road around the lake comes alive at peak holiday seasons and at all weekends with craft stalls,
farm stall kiosks and souvenir sellers, all of which creates a bustling noisy atmosphere. Just South of Hartbeespoort
is the region known as 'The Cradle of Mankind' - a world heritage site with at least 13 locations where important
humanoid fossils or signs of ancient human habitation have been found. The most significant of these locations
is Sterkfontein. A very pleasant new Visitors' Centre is the start of cave guided tours leaving every 30 minutes.
The recreations of humanoid figures and the story of the fossil discoveries at the cave are very well displayed
and explained. |
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Pretoria
The administrative capital of South Africa and of all the cities of the country, possibly the most pleasant to
find your way around. In the Spring the city is transformed by the 70,000 flowering jacaranda trees - every park
, garden and tree-lined avenue appear to be covered in a lilac blanket. The city has its fair share of historical
buildings, parks, art galleries and museums. Many of the tourist attractions are dotted around in the outskirts
of the city and since the public transport system is not geared to tourism, the best way to 'see the sights' is
possibly from your hire car. Within the city centre, pleasant walks with many parks, theatres and restaurants can
be enjoyed - particularly around the pedestrianised Church Square. The National Zoological Gardens (known locally
as Pretoria Zoo!) has been responsible for many breeding programmes of endangered species and is situated in the
city centre. |
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Sun City
Only 100 Km from Johannesburg, this purpose built leisure resort, originally centred around the casino, now has
all the ingredients for a happy holiday for all ages with two golf courses, parasailing and jet skiing on the lake,
quad biking, swimming or just relaxing all catered for. The Valley of the Waves Water Park offers a beach with
artificial waves, and the Roaring Lagoon with oversize waves has some of the most exciting flume rides, one of
which is almost vertical! The Entertainment Centre has a Las Vegas feel to it with slot machines, blackjack and
the like and of course the stage shows are spectacular.
Built in a volcanic crater, the Palace of the Last City recreates a civilisation destroyed by volcanic cataclysm
and the use of imaginative design and architecture gives the whole place an 'out of this world' feel. It is a 338
room Hotel constructed as a fantasy building decorated with animal sculptures, mosaics, frescoes and hand painted
ceilings. There are three other hotel complexes at Sun City, all offering excellent accommodation at a variety
of prices.
Pilanesberg Game Park is only a short drive from Sun City and combines very well with the modern resort. It was
originally established to benefit the local economy and to complement Sun City. Set in a huge extinct volcanic
crater, it has the advantage of being a natural Eco-system existing in the transition zone between the dry Kalahari
and the wetter Lowveld. It is also malaria free, so ideal for families.
There is a wide and fascinating combination of geology, geography and rainfall which gives rise to different patterns
of vegetation - open grassland, rocky outcrops and wooded gorges - and a wide diversity of animals from the 'Big
Five' to 50 other species of mammals, 350 bird species and thousands of other small animals. The Park is easily
driven with good roads, either tarred or dirt, and excellent signs and information. Spotting game from your car
can be very rewarding - it just means keeping a very sharp look out and making sure you don't run over any dung
beetles - remember they have the right of way!!
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Blyde River Canyon
Blyde River Canyon with its sub tropical climate has to be one of the most dramatic areas in the world - second
only maybe to the Grand Canyon in America. The area is famous for its panoramic scenery, dramatic waterfalls ,
bird life, fauna and flora. The Canyon itself is in places 700metres deep and for the most part inaccessible but
where views over the canyon are reachable, the scenery is stunning. There are several view points (one of which
is called 'God's Window') where the expanse of Kruger Park in the East disappears over the horizon and the bottom
of the canyon is almost invisible. Bourke's Luck Potholes have been carved by grit and stones carried by the Blyde
( joyful) and Treur (sad) rivers. Huge quantities of gold were extracted from these potholes by early gold prospectors.
Pilgrim's Rest at the Southern end of the Blyde River Canyon is a totally restored gold mining village (it was
the first gold mining community to be established in the early prospecting days) and the entire village is now
a national monument and a fascinating place to explore. |
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Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park is enormous - aout the size of Wales - extending from the Crocodile River in the South to
the Limpopo River in the North, from the foothills of the Northern Drakensberg to the humid plains of the Lowveld.
It is 60Km wide and over 350Km long giving it a total area of 16,633 square kilometres. The number of bird, reptile,
amphibian, fish and mammal species is huge and over 23,000 plant species have been identified. The game viewing
is excellent whether you drive yourself or opt for game drives from your accommodation. Visitors have a choice
of places to stay, ranging from luxurious private game lodges to isolated bushveld camps or larger well equipped
public camps. The Park is divided up into 16 distinct vegetation regions. These include semi-arid wilderness, small
rivers and dry river beds, open grassland, artificially created waterholes and dams, dense bush and rolling hills.
Each area has its own unique mix of wildlife.
Although the Southern region of Kruger only accounts for about one fifth of the total Park area, it attracts by
far the greatest number of visitors because of its good road connections with Gauteng and the small airport at
Hoedspruit. This area is where most of the private Game Reserves are found. These lodges offer accommodation of
the highest order, often limiting themselves to 10 or 12 guests at any one time. The food is usually excellent
as are the guides and trackers who will go to great lengths to make sure you see all the 'Big Five' plus many more.
Game drives are included - usually one early morning( with coffee in the bush) and another in the evening (with
sundowners served while you watch the sun go down!). Often there is also a game walk available for the adventurous
- a very interesting experience.
Kruger's climate changes throughout the year and each season brings its own advantages. The Park looks its best
after the Summer rains and the animals become healthier with a good supply of fresh grass and newly shooting plants.
The disadvantage of Summer is that the thick foliage and tall grasses can make game viewing more difficult. The
Winter months are good for game viewing as the animals tend to gather at water holes and also there is less vegetation
to hide them but the animals tend not to be in their best condition. Kruger is at its most crowded during South
Africa's school holidays in July and December. Temperatures tend to be more comfortable during June, July and August
although night time temperatures can drop to 0 degrees at this time of year. |
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