Mpumalanga : Lowveld
Overview
Together with the escarpment, the Mpumalanga lowveld is the province’s main tourist
area and includes diverse attractions like the world renowned Kruger National Park
and the healing mineral spring resort at Badplaas. The Lowveld is a place where
you will find some of the oldest mountains in the world, mystical rain forests, historical towns and awe inspiring
waterfalls.
Things to do an see
The Lowveld Legogote area is an exciting tourist destination and is home to the
provincial capital Nelspruit situated in the fertile Crocodile River Valley. With
its tree lined streets and impeccably tended suburban gardens, Nelspruit is the
ideal starting place to explore the Lowveld’s many tourist treasures. Good roads
lead to many beautiful and interesting parts of the area. Top of the list is the
2 000 hectare Kruger National Park, one of the world’s greatest game reserves. The
Kruger National Park is unrivalled in the diversity of its life forms and is a world
leader in advanced environmental management techniques and policies and is home
to an impressive number of species: 336 trees, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles,
507 birds and 147 mammals.
Other destinations worth visiting are impressive network
of caves at the Sudwala
cave complex, where you will find the world’s oldest dolomite caves and the wild
horses at the quaint town of Kaapsehoop. For the lover of wildlife the Lowveld offers
unsurpassed game viewing and walks, both in the Kruger National Park, as well as
host of other private game reserves. For the adventure seeker there are a myriad
of options, including rock climbing, river rafting, hot air balloon rides and 4x4
trails.
The Wild Frontier with its borders on Mozambique, Swaziland and the Southern tip
of the Kruger National Park. It contains some of the worlds oldest geological forms
including the Mkonjwa mountains which is said to be the oldest in the world. The
Wild Frontier area of the lowvled is steeped in the history of pioneers, hunters
and fortune seekers and fascinating gold rush towns like Baberton, abound.
A visit to the healing hot springs and Badplaas is a must and the resort surrounding
the springs, with its hotel, self catering chalets, hot and cold pools, water rides
and restaurants, surrounding the baths offer a vacation experience for the whole
family.
Climate
The Lowveld plains is situated in a subtropical climate zone and has an annual rainfall
average of approximately 800 mm. The summer rainfall season starts in September
and lasts until May. While humid conditions prevail during the summer months, the
winter months of June, July, and August are dry.
In the Summer temperatures range from as high as 40° C (104° F) during the day to
10° C (18° F) in the evening. Winters are more mild and temperatures usually vary
between 20°C (68° F) during the day and 10° C (46° F) at night
Accommodation
As one of South Africa’s top tourist destinations, accommodation in the Mpumalanga
Lowveld area is both plentiful and of a high standard. Areas like Nelspruit offer
a wide variety of accommodation, including luxury hotels and five star guest houses
while those traveling outside the main city and town centres can expect a wide variete
of game lodges, self catering chalets, smaller hotels and B&B’s. The area also
has a number of beautiful caravan and camping sites.
Towns and Cities in the area
The Lowveld Legogote area has the following towns or cities :
Kaapmuiden Kaapsehoop Nelspruit White River Schagen
The Wild Frontier area is home to the following towns :
Baberton Badplaas Hectorspruit Komatipoort Malelane Marloth Park Schoemansdal