Mpumalanga: The beautiful and winding roads

Mpumalanga offers one of the best road trips in the world, writes Rea Khoabane

Mpumalanga is great driving country. With its beautiful routes that loop and twist around and down the Escarpment, it might, in fact, offer some of the greatest drives in the world.

On our first day, we drove east from Johannesburg, stopping briefly in Dullstroom for lunch at  Pickles and Things where one of our party was introduced to grilled trout with almonds — a whole fish that looked alive!

By that evening we were at our first night stop, the Forever  Resorts Blyde Canyon. After an early  breakfast, we drove to one of the resort’s lookouts, a point from which  you first begin to appreciate the scenic splendours of the province.

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As it was misty we headed to one of the other lookout points for a better view. In front of us the Blyde River glistened in the canyon below and the morning sun warmed the  famous Three Rondawels. Historically, the formation of three round-topped mountains was  known as “The Chief and his Three Wives”. 

The flat-topped peak was named Mapjaneng — “the chief” — after legendary baPedi leader Maripi Mashile who defeated an invading Swazi army in great battle nearby. The peaks are named after his wives, from left to right,  Magabolie, Mogoladikwe and Maseroto.

From there we headed along the aptly-named Panorama Route to God’s Window where you gaze eastwards from the top of the forested cliffs and when the mist rises up from the valley, you feel like you are standing on the very  edge of the world.

Our night stop was at the Sabi River Sun Resort, which is set in lovely country on the banks of the Sabi River.

We continued driving in the morning, this time on a game drive in Kruger (see the “Roadside Attractions”) before heading down to Nelspruit  for our overnight stop at the comfortable Town Lodge Mbombela.

The following day brought us more fine road trips. First we headed up to Sudwala to see some old “fossils”. Later we took a drive to  Barberton,  the old gold town nestled at the foot of the mountains near the Swaziland border. The afternoon saw us conquer two mountain passes — Montrose, near Mbombela, and then Schoemanskloof, on the scenic, roundabout drive to Waterval Boven — as we headed for our night stop at the Spanish hacienda-style Protea Hotel Malaga.

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The main road from Waterval Boven to Mbombela may be busy but it is beautiful as it eases off the Escarpment, plunges through a tunnel and makes its way down the side of the mountain to the valley below. At the bottom, at the place they call Waterval Onder, the road and river join hands as they travel eastwards to the sea.

In the morning, we drove on the pretty R40 to Kaapsehoop village to see the famous wild horses. The mist had come down and the village was an eerie sight. Some of the locals said we should climb the mountain to see what they call “the edge of the world”. So, accompanied by  a dog named Aloe, we did just that.

Then it was time to take another road home.

WHAT IS TOMSA?

TOMSA is the 1% tourism levy collected by tourism businesses with the aim of contributing to the promotion of South Africa as the preferred tourist destination locally and internationally. The levy is added to the consumer’s bill for their use of various travel and tourism services in South Africa such as accommodation, car hire, tour operators, travel agencies and tourism experiences. The levy is applicable for both local and international tourists.

Enter Finders Keepers now and you could win R1-million!

sub_head_start WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE sub_head_end

Oliver Roberts is wowed by some of Mpumalanga’s unusual creatures

The next time you take that steep drive off the R539 to reach the  Sudwala Caves, you should stop off at the Dinosaur Park just next door. It might sound like a place for children, and it is, but if you’re an adult with even a vague interest in our prehistoric past, it’s a treat.

And once you’ve whetted your primal appetite with inanimate dinosaurs, you could head to The Cradle of Life and see some of the world’s most beautiful predators in the flesh. But more of that in a moment.

The main reason to visit the Dinosaur  Park is not so much to do with the excellent, to-scale renditions of  dinosaur  species, or the subtropical forest in which the beasts roam, but rather because you might get the chance to chat with Philip Owen, owner and operator of the  Dinosaur  Park for the past 20 years.

He inherited it from his dad, who opened it in the mid-’70s. You don’t always expect to meet a real renaissance man in a  dinosaur  park, but that’s what Owen is, despite his vaguely embarrassed protest when I say so.

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Owen studied geology and geography, has a drama degree and used to tour with the then Provincial Arts Council of the Transvaal. After a bad car accident in 1996, in which he lost one eye and much of the sight in the other, Owen took over at the park. He gives guided tours, mostly to school groups, but if you see him leaning against a concrete Hadrosaurid, talking to one or two adults, you really should listen in.

He’ll tell you anything you want to know about dinosaurs and set off on fervent, Latinised tangents about the region’s indigenous plant life, about trees that grow underground to protect themselves from fire, about magical cycads, about the wondrous species endemic to just a small section of Mpumalanga.

“We get nearly 15,000 visitors to the park a year,” Owen says. “And it’s amazing how many people came here as children and then return as adults. I had a guy in here today who came here in 1994 and now he’s returned with his girlfriend.”

Situated in Badplaas, along the R38, The Cradle of Life is an old farmer’s co-op whose ancient volcanic and sedimentary rocks have been carefully preserved by a team of historians and geologists, and is home to an incredible variety of animal species including white lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, Siberian wolves, hyenas and, most wonderfully, pumas and jaguars. Go on one of the hour-long game drives during feeding time and take in the breathtaking spectacle of a Bengal tiger or sleek puma leaping for their “catch”. A humbling and spiritual experience in a vast and well-kept reserve.

DETAILS: The Sudwala DinosaurPark, open 8.30am to 5pm. See www.dinosaurpark.co.za; www.cradleoflife.co.za

KAAPSEHOOP

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I’ve been to Kaapsehoop three times now and I’ve never been disappointed. You think, “Yeah, sounds wonderful, but will I actually see any wild horses?” Then you arrive and you realise that you can’t not see the wild horses because they’re everywhere — in the lush fields, dotted among the rocks or trotting along the road that passes through it, trucks driving slowly around them in the mist.

The story is that they arrived with a travelling circus in the mid-1800s and some were simply left behind. Now there are more than 200 of them. There are lovely guesthouses and restaurants too. It’s worth the detour.

DETAILS:See www.kaapsehoop.com. For a detailed guide on the route, See www.southafrica.net.

KRUGER NATIONAL PARK 

The Kruger National Park doesn’t need any introduction and for good reason — it is one of our national treasures and it is, as we were reminded, always full of surprises. On our game drive — the first one ever for one of the TOMSA/Sunday Times Finders Keepers team members — we saw elephants, a white rhino, a herd of buffalo, two lions and two leopards, one of them stalking an impala. And we saw a flock of shiny blue Cape Starlings.

DETAILS:See www.sanparks.org/parks/kruger.

MATSAMO CULTURAL PARK

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This Swazi traditional village is a vibrant attraction at Jeppe’s Reef, near the SA/Swaziland border. It is a recreation of an authentic village that preserves Swazi history and culture, where visitors can see a traditional way of life. There are dancing, drumming and singing performances, or you can sit down with one of the people who live there for a demonstration of cooking, weaving or beadwork.

There is a very good curio shop and a wonderful restaurant overlooking a dam. When you’ve eaten, lay your head down in one of the beautifully built traditional beehive huts — each with aircon and showers ensuite. Rates from R625 per person sharing including dinner and breakfast.

DETAILS:Phone 063-076-2527or email dudu@matsamocustoms.com.

BARBERTON

This little town was once the scene of one of the country’s most prolonged gold rushes. Fortunes were made — and lost — here and when the mania faded away, people left or turned their hand to other things. Now its riches are its jacaranda-lined streets and its 19th-century buildings which you can explore on a walking tour.

Stop to say hello to Jock of the Bushveld, South Africa’s most famous dog, who is immortalised in a statue outside the town hall, and pay your respects to the old steam engine that once worked the line to Kaapmuiden and who, when the time came to retire, puffed back to Barberton under her own steam.

DETAILS:See www.pathfinda.com/routes.

SUDWALA CAVES

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Once you’re done seeing the dinosaurs, do yourself a favour and visit the caves, one of Mpumalanga’s more deserving attractions. Guides will tell you the story on Somquba, a Swazi royal, who once hid out here with his followers and hundreds of cattle while he battled his brother for the throne. I was amazed at the size of the underground chamber in which Somquba, his people and their cattle lived — no wonder they could not be found, nor driven out.

I did not, however, have the courage to embark on the four-hour tour to the Crystal Chamber, deep in the cave system. Those who do say it is one of the best experiences of their lives. If you are fine with small, dark spaces, and don’t mind getting dirty or wet, you should go.

DETAILS:See www.sudwalacaves.co.za.

ABSEILING AT WATERVAL BOVEN

Rock climbers have been visiting the sandstone crags around ’Boven for decades. But you don’t have to be a climber to appreciate the beauty and adventure here — you can go mountain biking on trails that lead out of the town, take a hike into the Elands River valley or — if you’re feeling brave — abseil alongside the Elands River at the point where it thunders off the escarpment and drops 90m into the valley below.

DETAILS:See www.rocrope.co.za.

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THE PANORAMA ROUTE

One of the world’s most spectacular drives, the Panorama Route runs between the Blyde River Canyon and the little town of Sabie. In between is all the magnificent beauty that this part of the province has to offer — from the canyon and Bourke’s Luck potholes, to God’s Window and the Pinnacle and the fascinating and historic mining village of Pilgrim’s Rest.

For me, though, the magic of the route is in the waterfalls — the beautiful, slender Lone Creek and Bridal Veil falls near Sabie, the beautiful Mac Mac falls nearby and the splendid cataracts called the Berlin and Lisbon Falls near Graskop. All are worth spending time at, feeling the spray of a mountain stream settle on your skin.

Details:See www.southafrica.net.

sub_head_start EATING ON THE RUN sub_head_end

STEFANO’S

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THIS Italian restaurant in Sonpark Shopping Centre is a small gem. Skip past the attempts to offer locals what they want in the way of pap & stew and prawns with pink sauce and move on to the traditional items.

The pizzas and pastas are made with the finest ingredients — tomatoes that StefanoPotgieterhimself (an authentic Italian from Pretoria) assures us are imported from Napoli.

The puttanesca and carbonara pastas are some of the best you’re likely to taste anywhere.

The service is good, the food is comforting and it’s “justa lika ya mama makes it”, only better. — Tymon Smith

DETAILS: Sonpark Shopping Centre, Corner Faurie and Annecke streets, Nelspruit, Phone 013-741-034, open 11am-9.30pm (Mon-Sat), 11am-3pm (Sun).

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BLYDE CANYON, A FOREVER RESORT

3 stars

The Blyde Canyon Forever Resort is situated in the perfect position close to the Three Rondavels. It’s the ideal pit-stop and a great place for a holiday. The six- to eight-sleeper chalets are spacious and spotless and come with a fully equipped braai area.

The resort has a restaurant — hiking there on foot is highly recommended for those who want to feel like Africa’s Alice in Wonderland, wandering down the roads that lead through the leafy meanders.

DETAILS: R532, Ohrigstad. Phone 086-122-6966, e-mail blyde@foreversa.co.za or see www.foreverblydecanyon.co.za.

RATES: Four-star units R1,500 to R2,500 per unit, three-star R800 to R2,700, depending on the number of people in the unit and the season. — Leonie Wagner

SABI RIVER SUN RESORT

The Sabi River Sun Resort is the epitome of comfort. With the option of staying in a hotel or a  chalet, the resort offers something for everyone. The lake is a regular cooling-off spot for hippos — and brave guests who book well in advance can request a chalet adjacent  to the lake (it’s perfectly safe). The chalets are modern and spacious with verandahs overlooking the golf course and water.

DETAILS: R536, Hazyview. Phone 013-737-4600, e-mail sabiriversun.reservations@tsogosun.com or See www.tsogosun.com/sabi-river-sun-resort

RATES: From R2,085 per room, with dinner, B&B (R1890 single). Children with their parents stay and breakfast for free. — Leonie Wagner

TOWN LODGE MBOMBELA

2 stars

The thing with chain hotels like the Town Lodge is you always know what you are going to get and that’s a good thing. While Town Lodges are aimed at business travellers rather than holidaymakers, they make useful city bases for exploring the town or, in a place like Nelspruit, the surrounding countryside. The rooms are compact but very welcoming, with personalised messaging and décor that would calm even the most stressed-out traveller.

RATES: R850 to R990 per night. — Leonie Wagner

PROTEA HOTEL MALAGA

The Protea Hotel Malaga in Waterval Boven is one of the pièces de résistance of the province, neatly hidden in the foothills of the northern part of the Drakensberg mountains. Its location and homely ambience are both wonderful and with décor that lends itself to an air of romance and mystery, it’s the ideal venue for a family breakaway — or even a wedding.

DETAILS: N4 Sycamore, Waterval Boven. Phone 013-257-5300, e-mail or see www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mqpma-protea-hotel-waterval-boven-malaga

RATES: From R662 to R840 per night. — Leonie Wagner

This article was prepared in partnership with the Tourism Business Council of South Africa for the Sunday Times’s Finders Keepers competition.