If you're planning a trip to the Kruger National Park, here are twelve other great things to do in the area. 

Spend quality time with African elephants

Visit an elephant sanctuary about 40 minutes outside on Nelspruit in Hazyview. At Elephant Whispers, you get to be up-close and personal with African elephants, brushing their coat, feeding them snacks and riding on their backs.

Contact details: 082 498 4683

Need a break? Grab one of these great deals.

Experience hot air ballooning!

Glide over the Lowveld in a hot air balloon and enjoy magnificent views of the Mpumalanga escarpment and Sabi River.

An early morning activity in the Hazyview (it’s about 40 minutes outside of Nelspruit), this is a great way to watch the sun rise.

Contact details: (013) 737 8191

Visit Bosch Ceramic Studio

A trip to Nelspruit is incomplete without a visit to ceramic artist Anton Bosch’s studio. Colourful and detailed, his ceramic pieces are sought after collector’s items.

His studio is conveniently located ten minutes outside of Nelspruit.

Contact details: +27 (0)13 751 3456

Go on a coffee tour

Visit a local working coffee farm in Sabie. About an hour away from Nelspruit, Buckland Riverbend Farm offers great insight into what it takes to produce the coffee we find in our supermarket.

You’ll be taken through to orchards and roasting plant where the coffee process from nursery to cup will be explained. Don’t forget to sample various roasts in their coffee shop.

Contact details: (013) 737 8169

Shop till you drop country-style!

Originally a mango plantation in White River, Casterbridge is a great shopping and lifestyle centre. With old-style country courtyards and terraces bordered by bountiful gardens, Casterbridge is a home to fantastic artists, designers, fine craftsmen, ceramicists and restaurateurs.

It also has its own independent art-circuit move house, Barnyard Theatre, History and Vintage Car Museum and a farmyard petting zoo for the little ones.

Find paradise the Lowveld Botanical Gardens

Five-minutes from the city centre lies one of Nelspruit's most tranquil attractions: the Lowveld National Botanical Gardens.

On the banks of the Crocodile River, it is home to over 2 000 species of plant across 160 hectares of sub-tropical paradise, making it heaven on earth.

A great way to view a variety of protected Lowveld flora.

Contact details: (013) 752 5531

Experience riverside luxury at Summerfields

A working rose and macadamia farm, Summerfields River Lodge & Rose Spa is situated on the bank of the Sabi River near Hazyview.

Stay overnight in a tented riverside chalet that embraces safari chic in every regard and treat yourself to their signature (and rose infused!) treatments while listening to the gentle trickle of the river.

Contact details: 013 737 6500

Embark on a geological expedition

The Sudwala Caves are the oldest known caves in the world. Formed over a period of 3000-million years, these caverns are part of the Drakensberg escarpment which separates the Highveld from the Lowveld.

Their daily guided cave tours are a must – or if you’re adventurous at heart, sign up for their four-hour Crystal Tour.

Contact details: (013) 733 4152

Hang out with your reptile friends

The Croc River Enviro Park, near White River, is the largest reptile park of its kind on the continent! Get up close and personal with a wide variety of local and exotic species of reptiles, including turtles, crocodiles, fish, snake and other reptiles.

The picnic spots adjacent to the river and playground make this a wonderful way to keep the kids busy.

Contact details: (013) 752 5511

Indulge in some orange-infused wine

Spend an afternoon at Rottcher Winery, South Africa’s only orange winery. A working macadamia nut farm, Rottcher Winery on the road north to White River and it offers unique orange or ginger wines and liqueurs.

Book a tour of the winery to learn most about the distillation process.

Contact details: (013) 755 1988

Visit a Shangaan Cultural Village

Enjoy a night of Shangaan dancing, singing and folk stories, followed by a traditional meal and brew.

A sangoma (a traditional medicine man) will be on hand for those interested in African healing. Run by Hippo Hollow, the Shangaan River Club tours for three hours, making it great value for money.

Contact details: (013) 737 7752

Feed misplaced chimps

The only chimpanzee sanctuary in South Africa, the Jane Goodall Institute's Chimpanzee Eden rescues chimpanzees that have been misplaced from their natural habitat.

Visit the 1 000 hectare game reserve where there are Chimpanzee Tours every hour to spend time with these gentle giants.

Contact details: (013) 745 7406

• Add new comment

Bookmark/Search this post with:

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•