~ ABOUT MPUMALANGA PROVINCE ~

Mpumalanga: Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, north of KwaZulu-Natal and bordering Swaziland and Mozambique.The name means east or literally "the place where the sun rises" in Swazi, Xhosa, and Zulu. People are drawn to Mpumalanga by the magnificent scenery, by the fauna and flora and by the diversities this province offers by combining the best of both the Lowveld and the Highveld, with humid grasslands below, and cool, quiet forests blanketing the peaks above. The Lowveld is subtropical, due to its proximity to the warm Indian Ocean and latitude. The Highveld is comparatively much cooler, due to its altitude of 2300m to 1700m above sea level The diverse and special flora and fauna of the province enjoys protection in a range of nature reserves.

Known as “Paradise Country” this is the province with the most attractions. Home to such beauties as God's Window, the Blyde River Canyon and the Kruger National park to name a few. Mountains, panoramic passes, valleys, rivers, waterfalls and forests characterise the landscape. Some of the oldest rocks on earth are to be found in the Barberton area and these ancient greenstones and metamorphosed granites form the Crocodile River Mountains in the south-east of the province.

The history of pioneers, hunters and fortune seekers, have left fascinating gold rush towns such as Barberton and Pilgrim's Rest in their wake. Nelspruit is the capital of Mpumalanga, the commercial and administrative hub of the Lowveld, and the centre of a vast citrus-growing region. Also found in this province is the Sudwala Caves, they have been described as a must see for visitors. This network of caves, as yet not fully explored, hold the title of the oldest known caves in the world. A visit to the Botshobelo village, a museum chronicling the lives of the Ndebele people, offers an opportunity to photograph their traditionally adorned huts.

The Blyderiver Canyon: The Blyde River Canyon is surpassed in size only by the Grand Canyon and the Fish River Canyon. While it is difficult to compare canyons world-wide, Blyde River Canyon is one of the largest canyons on Earth, and it may be the largest 'green canyon' due to its lush subtropical foliage. It has some of the deepest precipitous cliffs of any canyon on the planet. It is the second largest canyon in Africa, after the Fish River Canyon, and is known as one of the great wonders of nature on the continent. The canyon which is part of the “Panoramic Route” which also include viewpoints named for the spectacle they offer, and God's Window and Wonder View hint at the magnitude of the scenery. Possibly the best view in the whole of the Blyde River Canyon is of the "Three Rondavels" also known as the "Three Sisters", huge, round rocks, thought to be reminiscent of the houses or huts of the indigenous people, known as rondavels.

The Blyde River canyon supports large diversity of life, including numerous fish and antelope species as well as Hippos and Crocodiles. At the meeting point of the Blyde River (river of joy) and the Treur River (river of sorrow) water erosion has created one of the most phenomenal geological phenomenon in South Africa. The ‘Bourke’s Luck Potholes’ have taken thousands of years to form strange cylindrical sculptures carved by swirling water. The smooth red and yellow rocks contrast with the dark pools. All five of South Africa's primates can be see in the The Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve. At 200 metres, the Kadishi Tufa waterfall is the second tallest tufa waterfall on earth. In the case of the Kadishi Tufa fall, the rock formation that has been produced strikingly resembles a face which is crying profusely, and is thus sometimes known as 'the weeping face of nature'.

Kruger National Park: The largest game reserve in South Africa, the Kruger National Park is larger than Israel. The park is part of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere, an area designated by the United Nations Education and Scientific Organisation (UNESCO) as an International Man and Biosphere Reserve (the "Biosphere"). The park has 9 main gates that allow entrance to the different camps. The names of these gates are Paul Kruger Gate, Numbi Gate, Malelane Gate, Crocodile Bridge Gate, Punda Maria Gate, Orpen Gate, Phalaborwa Gate, Phabeni Gate and Pafuri Gate.

The Kruger National Park has one of the most diverse Fauna and Flora in Africa and is home to the baobabs, fever trees, knob thorns, marula and mopane trees underneath which lurk the Big Five, the Little Five (buffalo weaver, elephant shrew, leopard tortoise, ant lion and rhino beetle), the birding Big Six (ground hornbill, kori bustard, lappet-faced vulture, martial eagle, pel’s fishing owl and saddle-bill stork) and more species of mammals than any other African Game Reserve.