HaveHave youyou ever?...ever?... Title Page Hiked the Blyde River Canyon trails through the Taken an historical gold mining tour of Pilgrim’s Contents deepest green canyon in the world Rest and Barberton, or panned for gold Contents 2 Walked the Kruger National Park bush trails with a Taken a night game drive in a game park Letter of welcome 3 guide Visited the authentic Matsamo Cultural Park at Introduction 4 Visited the cultural villages at Loopspruit, Jeppe’s Reef Botshabelo, Matsamo, Ebutsini and Hazyview Mpumalanga at a glance 5 Taken an early morning balloon safari over the Mountain biked down the escarpment on the lowveld Travel Advisory 6 7 Sabie Trail Run the rapids on the Sabie or Komati rivers Top Tourist Attractions 8-9 Birdwatched at Wakkerstroom and the Southern Grasslands Played golf at Skukuza in the Kruger National Park Culture and Heritage 12-13 or at the many other Mpumalanga courses Ridden the escarpment horse trails Culture and Heritage 14-15 Fished the highveld dams for carp or yellow fish Fished for trout on the dams and rivers of Kruger National Park 10-11 Dullstroom, Belfast, Mashishing, Machadodorp, Tackled a tiger fish in the Komati River at Wakkerstroom and Waterval Boven Komatipoort Mpumalanga Map 16-17 Swung over the Panorama gorges on a high wire Spent a night surrounded by the sounds of an Nkandla and Gert Sibande African night Driven the many panoramic routes across the Regions 28 - 29 escarpment Walked the Lowveld National Botanic Gardens at Nelspruit Ehlanzeni Region 30 - 31 Parasailed over the grasslands of Wakkerstroom and Volksrust Visited the Sudwala or the Echo Caves Adventure Tourism 18 - 19 Stood in awe at the dramatic view of the Blyde Eaten the tropical fruits of the Mpumalanga Adventure Tourism 20 - 21 River Canyon orchards Adventure Tourism 22 - 23 Explored the southern grassland archaeological Stood at God’s Window with the world at your feet sites from Ermelo Adventure Tourism 24 - 25 Spent the day with elephants and enjoyed an Flown in a microlight over the escarpment and elephant back ride Adventure Tourism 26 - 27 lowveld Or Information Offices 32 Photographed the sculptural wonder of the Just enjoy the wonderful hospitality that Bourke’s Luck Potholes Mpumalanga offers Attended a FIFA World Cup event? Lone Creek Falls - Sabie Nelspruit has been appointed a Host City For the FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa 2 3 Land Area 79 490 km² Population 4,0 million Population density 50 people per km² Provincial capital Nelspruit Other major towns Barberton, Delmas, Ermelo, Introduction Hazyview, Komatipoort, Malelane, Mpumalanga at a glance Mashishing (Lydenburg), Middelburg, Piet Retief, Sabie, Secunda, Standerton, Volksrust, White River, Witbank (Emalahleni) USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS Africa Political Languages: Afrikaans,English, isiNdebele, siSwati, xiTsonga AIRPORT TELEPHONE NUMBERS Airports: Kruger Mpumalanga International, Kruger Mpumalanga Int. Airport 013 753 7500 20km east of Nelspruit O.R. Tambo International Airport 086 727 7888 Grand Central - Johannesburg 011 805 3166 Roads: Good, suitable for all vehicles The province of Mpumalanga is located in the Attractions range from game viewing and bird Lanseria Int. - Johannesburg 011 659 2753 north eastern region of South Africa, and is watching, to scenic drives across the valleys and Business hours 08.30 to 17.00. Most major shopping Rand Airport - Johannesburg 011 827 8884 bordered by Mozambique to the east and the peaks of the vast escarpment landscape, cultural centres are open on Saturdays and Sundays USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS Kingdom of Swaziland to the south and east. and historic gold mining villages. An abundance of Mpumalanga Tourism & Mpumalanga also shares common borders with the accommodation options combine to make Internet Operates countrywide Parks Agency 013 752 7001 Limpopo Province to the north, Gauteng to the Mpumalanga an exciting African tourism Cell phones All major routes and centres MTPA Parks , Reservations 013 759 5432 west, the Free State to the south west and KwaZulu- destination. SANPARKS - Kruger National.Park 012 428 9111 Climate Hot to very hot in summer, especially Natal to the south east. Mpumalanga’s capital city, Police Emergencies 10111 in the lowveld regions. Mild in winter, Nelspruit, is one of the fastest growing centres in The cultural heritage of the province is both varied Cellular phone Emergencies South Africa. The economy of the region as a whole and extremely colourful. From the exquisite but can become very cold in the highveld areas. Mpumalanga is a Cell C 084112 is supported principally by heavy industry, Ndebele beadwork and hut painting in the summer rainfall area. MTN 112 Mpumalanga manufacture, coal mining, agriculture, forestry, highveld to the crafts of the lowveld, a unique Vodacom 147 South Africa Health Malaria occurs in some parts of the power generation and tourism. insight is offered into the lives and cultural heritage American Express 011 359 0111 of the people. lowveld regions of Mpumalanga. Visitors should take the usual Diners Club 011 358 8400 Mpumalanga’s climate and topography vary from Mastercard International 0800 990418 TF MPUMALANGA DISTANCE CHART Barberton cool highveld grasslands at an average of 1600m Those who seek the mystique and diversity of the precautions. If in any doubt, consult a pharmacist or doctor. Always carry VISA International 0800 990475 TF Ermelo 181 above sea level, through the middleveld and African bushveld, the natural drama of both the insect repellent for your comfort. Thomas Cook - Rennies 0800 998175 TF Hazyview 284 111 escarpment, to the sub tropical lowveld plains scenery and the Telkom/Telephone Enquiries 1023 - All areas Essential kit Binoculars, camera (with spare film, towards the Kruger National Park and the private wildlife, or wish to Europ Assistance 011 359 5000 Komatipoort 173 302 121 game reserves on the eastern borders. simply relax in the or digital disc and batteries). Strong walking shoes, sun hat. Warm Medical Rescue International 011 242 0242 Johannesburg 451 410 255 389 varied Nelspruit Mediclinic 013 759 0500 clothing for winter especially for the Nelspruit 344 107 66 221 45 In a recent tourism survey, scenic beauty, climate, environments in an cooler highland locations and for Nelmed Clinic 013 755 5000 cultural attractions and wildlife were voted to be idyllic climate, all early morning and night game Piet Retief 329 358 405 395 103 284 the most attractive features of South Africa. It is in will be welcomed drives. Insect repellent cream or Tourism Information and Safety Line - Pretoria 334 320 58 427 386 231 365 the province of Mpumalanga that the visitor will by the people of spray, especially for night game 083 123 2345 Skukuza 440 449 120 464 227 54 338 165 find an abundance of all four. It is difficult to Mpumalanga with drives and outdoor evening TRAC 24 Hours 083 227 8191 conceive of an area of greater cultural history, a special warmth functions. It is always advisable to Highveld 013 753 3331 - Volksrust 437 281 111 317 227 424 386 99 280 carry a supply of bottled water, scenic and wildlife diversity anywhere in the world, for which the Lowveld 013 243 2222 White River 336 101 339 348 19 363 126 47 240 64 and a visit to South Africa would not be complete province is so especially during the summer The new code for overseas dialing is now 00 months when conditions can be very Witbank 236 227 337 103 231 217 127 324 283 128 262 without a visit to this province. famous. followed by the usual area code and number. hot and humid. The distances given are those over the shortest practical routes; these are not necessarily the best or fastest. 4 5 Belfast to Nelspruit - Map D6,7 Mashishing(Lydenburg) to Sabie - Map C6,7 Sabie to Hazyview - Map C7,8 Take the main N4 route passing Machadodorp and Take the R37 out of Mashishing, at the outskirts of Take the R536 from Sabie eastward over the Waterval Boven. Immediately as you exit NZASM town is the Information Centre and Museum where Bergvleit and Kiepersol passes to Hazyview. The tunnel, turn left into the parking area to visit the you can view the “Lydenburg Heads”, pottery latter part takes you through the extensive banana, Elands River Falls. You will have to walk through the sculptures unearthed on a nearby farm, then avocado and mango orchards of the lower old railway tunnel to reach the viewing platform. continue over the scenic Long Tom Pass which escarpment. - Travel Advisory Continue down the Elands Valley to Nelspruit. An reaches a height of 2150m. On the down slope look Wakkerstroom to Piet Retief - Map G6,7 interesting diversion is to turn right at the Ngodwana out for the lviewsite and parking area where a Take the R543 over the Jantjieshoek Pass through Paper Mill to the village of Kaapsche Hoop then replica of the Anglo-Boer War, Long Tom canon rolling grasslands to Piet Retief. The scenic Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport continue down on the alternate route to Nelspruit. stands. Heyshope Dam is on the left, 28km from Piet Retief. Another alternative route is via the Schoemanskloof Pass. Turn left one kilometer after the Sabie to Nelspruit - Map C7 Fire Warning Machadodorp toll plaza and follow signs to At Sabie, visit the Sabie Forestry Museum which The escarpment is a high risk fire area, especially Nelspruit down the valley through mountain passes displays a fine collection of forestry equipment and during the dry season between June and October. The fire of 2007 destroyed over 8% of the country’s Viewpoint - Long Tom Pass and citrus farms. historic items. For Nelspruit take the R537 through forested hills to come out at White River. Then take total timber resource.