Lowveld & Panorama Road Trip Self-Drive Guided Road Trips hosted by Platteland Tours

Duration: 5 Days/4 Nights Dates: 25 – 29 Mar, 27 – 31 May & 7 – 11 Oct 2021 Thursday to Monday

Departure: Shell Ultra City N1 (North) Return: Shell Ultra City N1 (South) – Midrand – Midrand

Departure time: 09:00 (Route briefing and welcome at 08:30 )

Max. 10 Vehicles Max 22 passengers

Tour price: R5100 pp sharing Distances: 1172 km. About 260 km on 50% single supplement gravel roads.

Tour Details:

Travel in your own vehicle in a convoy through towns that you normally just sped past or don’t know exist like Waterval Boven, , , Bronkhorstspruit, Machadodorp, Hendriksdal, , Dullstroom, etc. (Not in this order!) Real ‘Platteland dorpies’! (Small countryside towns). Discover or rediscover these places.

We’ll stop en route for sightseeing, snacks, road stalls, photo’s, toilets, coffee/tea, tourist destinations and less familiar places. Enjoy the drive and ride in your own vehicle. At night and en route you’ll have the opportunity to mix, mingle and have fun.

Departure & Return Location: Depart from Shell Ultra City N1 (North) in Midrand OR join at Sasol Northaven (North) on the N4 just past the Diamond Hill toll plaza or at Nan Hau temple in Bronkhortspruit. The Road Trip will end Shell Ultra City N1 (South) in Midrand, late afternoon on the last day. You can join and/or leave en route. Just inform us accordingly on the Booking Form.

Price includes: Accommodation for 4 nights (B&B), a tour leader with his own vehicle, all administration and leading of the tour (including booking of accommodation, meals & excursions, etc.), high frequency two-way radio per vehicle to use during the tour, lots of relevant info, group safety by traveling together, a travel report with pictures after the tour, daily briefings of the tour, limited vehicle breakdown support, fun, new friends & new routes. Tour price excludes: Lunches & dinners, fuel & toll gates for vehicles, Comprehensive Travel Insurance, gratuities, entry fees to venues or places, drinks, breakdown recovery costs and personal expenses.

Accommodation: We overnight in good guest houses & lodges, including breakfast . All of these places are COVID-19 compliant.

Dinner: All other meals are optional, but budget for about R200 pp/dinner.

Deposit: 50% of the tour price with the booking and the outstanding balance by latest 6 weeks before departure date. Banking details are on the Booking Form.

Take on tour (suggested): Your vehicle, your family & friends, pocket money, a smile and goodwill. Some other extras could include: Sneakers (walking shoes), a hat, binoculars, toilet paper, wet wipes, coffee flask, camera, torch and sunglasses.

Vehicle: Any 4 x 2, sedan or SUV vehicle with good ground clearance, for when traveling on the gravel roads, is suitable for the tour. Only 10 vehicles allowed on tour. We do not speed whilst on tour, but we expect all vehicles to travel at the speed set by the tour leader.

Who should go on this tour: People who love travelling, enjoy back roads, singles, couples, those who have never been to the Lowveld and would like to enjoy the natural beauty and friendliness of the people, people who are unfamiliar with driving at foreign places, people who’d prefer to travel with other people in a safe environment, people who don’t like getting lost, those who’d like to be well informed as they drive along, those who like driving their own cars, people who like sharing their lives, interest, knowledge, fun and care with others. People who enjoy life at an easy pace.

Who should not go this tour: Moaners, groaners, whiners, speedsters, hooligans, boozers, etc.

VHF Radio: We provide each vehicle with a two-way radio for the duration of the tour in order to communicate with everyone. It charges on the vehicle’s cigarette lighter.

Money: A credit card, plus some cash, will be needed.

Fuel: We’ll stop regularly to fill up.

Clothing: Casual

Excursions: It is not included in the tour price. You can book and pay an excursion on the day of arrival at the venue. Additional excursions on this tour are limited, but entry fees are levied at some places. I.e.: Certain waterfalls.

What to expect:

An orderly and well planned Road Trip, with a few surprises en route. Good food, a beautiful country, interesting roads and routes, tar and gravel roads, mountain passes and small towns, cute shops and funky art places, friendly people and something new…

On this tour you’ll traverse many mountain passes – some of them well known and others could be new to you. All adding to the natural beauty of the region with wide vistas and all are tarred. You’ll travel through 3 provinces on this tour.

Itinerary:

Mpumalanga Lowveld & Panorama Road Trip

Day # 1 Shell Ultra City (N1) North to Waterval Boven 261 km on tar including short distances on good gravel roads

Welcome, briefing & handing out of 2-way radio’s before departing via Pretoria, Bronkhorstspruit, Witbank, Middelburg & Machadodorp to Waterval Boven. En route we’ll stop at a couple of interesting places and venues before dinner (optional) and overnight in Waterval Boven.

Day # 2 Waterval Boven to 154 km on tar including short distances on good gravel roads

After breakfast we depart for Graskop via the N4, Sudwala Caves, traverse a number of mountain passes, forestry’s, waterfalls and scenic nature. We book in at a lodge in Graskop where we’ll overnight for two nights. Dinner (optional) will be enjoyed in town.

Day # 3 Graskop Circular route & back to Graskop 176 km on tar including short distances on good gravel roads

Today you’ll visit the historical town of Pilgrims Rest, before proceeding to Ohrigstad, the Blyde River canyon, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, God’s Window, as well as a few more beautiful waterfalls. We’ll stop at some more unannounced interesting places before returning to Graskop where dinner (optional) will again be enjoyed in town before overnighting at the same venue as the previous night.

Day # 4 Graskop to Sabie district 242 km on tar including short distances on good gravel roads

Although the towns Graskop and Sabie are just a few kilometres apart we travel with a detour into the mountains and visit Mariepskop in the Drakensberg (the view is breathtaking), as well as a beautiful lesser known waterfall. Enjoy the agricultural heartland of the Lowveld before returning via interesting mountain passes to Sabie and surroundings. Late afternoon you’ll arrive at your overnight lodge in the mountains. If time permit you may enjoy some organised adventure & fun. Dinner (optional) at the lodge and overnight.

Day # 5 Sabie District to Shell Ultra City - Midrand 339 km on tar

Although it is the last day of the tour there is still lots to be seen and enjoyed. We’ll traverse the Long Tom pass, visit an old building in Lydenburg, spend some time in Dullstroom and stop en route at an interesting place or two. En route to our final stop at Midrand guests can leave the group at their own point of choice to travel home the shortest way before the tour ends.

Note: Please note that distances and routes can vary on a daily basis. PHOTOS of some of the places to be visited and/or seen:

Map:

Come and re-discover the beauty of the Mpumalanga Lowveld & Panorama Route. Whether it is the mountains, die hills, the rugged rock formations, the streams, the clean air, the citrus orchards, the trout dams, the food or the people that attract you – just go and enjoy it.

We are looking forward in welcoming you on this Road Trip.

Johan & Lenie Badenhorst Platteland Tours Tel: 082 920 6908 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.plattelandtours.co.za 5 Jan 2021