Business Traveler

Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga means ‘the land of the rising sun’ in the local siSwati and Zulu languages, a name it derives from lying
on the eastern border of the country. It is most famous for being the southern gateway to the country’s premier wildlife
reserve, the Kruger National Park. It is a place of game, adventure and rich history.
PANORAMA ROUTE
On the Panorama Route in Mpumalanga, with its breathtaking
vistas around every mountain corner, waterfalls
plunging down faces of sheer rock, memories of the gold rush
following you as you meander down an endless river canyon,
and eagles hovering above your head – you can’t help walking
with your head in the clouds. Attractions include the Blyde
River Canyon, Bourke’s Luck Potholes and God’s Window.
KRUGER NATIONAL PARK
The Kruger National Park is renowned not only for its
diversity of wildlife, but also for its conservation record. You
can see the famed Big Five, but you’ll also be dazzled by
hundreds of birds, ancient trees, mighty rivers and much,
much more. The Kruger National Park gets over 1.4 million
visitors a year, but because it’s so big – 352 kilometres from
north to south, and covering over 1.9 million hectares – you
will be amazed at how often you are alone watching game on
a 2,500-kilometre network of tar and dirt roads.
PILGRIM’S REST
The village of Pilgrim’s Rest is a settlement lost in time. Here
you can walk in the footsteps of early gold prospectors and
relive the heady days of pioneers, garter-snapping barmaids
and highway robbers. You can also stay over in an historic
hotel and drink in a legendary bar. Pilgrim’s Rest is situated
on the magnificent Panorama Route of the Mpumalanga
province. The entire village is a tourist attraction and was
declared a National Monument in 1986. Today, Pilgrim’s Rest
is a living monument to the feverish gold rush days of the late
1800s.
WATERFALL ROUTE
Mpumalanga is one of South Africa’s most scenic provinces
and when you drive through the Panorama region or visit
the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, you’ll see why. But
it’s not only canyons, mountains and seemingly limitless
horizons that are waiting for you, there’s also the Sabie
Waterfalls Route. There are more waterfalls here than
anywhere else in southern Africa, and you’ll be astonished
by their beauty and diversity. Forget the Big Five and that
magnificent canyon for a while, set aside a day or two, and
take yourself on a waterfalls tour.
BARBERTON
The ‘Gold Rush’ town of Barberton is situated in the heart of
Mpumalanga’s Makhonjwa Mountains. With its mild Lowveld
winters, rich history and wide array of things to see and
do, Barberton is the perfect year-round holiday destination.
Monuments to Barberton’s golden past can still be seen along
the Heritage Walk, while mining tours and gold panning
experiences give a taste of what life would be like. Yet there
is more to Barberton than gold. The mountains that surround
Barberton contain some of the rarest rocks on the planet and
the Geotrail transports visitors 3.5 billion years back in time
to witness some of the earliest life on Earth!
40 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za