MPUMALANGA

Mpumalanga boasts with a huge forestry industry and amazing landscapes, not seen anywhere else in the country. It also hosts the start of the Drakensberg mountain region, where many great waterfalls come down in awesome splendor. Truly the Creator's masterpiece. Many diverse and wonderful little towns line the Mpumalanga borders and beautiful landscapes makes this province the great masterpiece that it is. The word “Mpumalanga” means “Place where the sun rises” which is truly an accurate description of this province.

GEOGRAPHICS

Mpumalanga boasts with an average South African wet summer and a dry winter. During the summer months, mist occurs quite regularly, although there are plenty of sunny summer days to go around.

Temperatures during the summer ranges from 18 degrees Celsius to 29 degrees Celsius and during the winter months from about 6? C to 27? C .

LAYOUT

Mpumalanga consists of manygrassylanes. The western part of the province is situated on the High Veld, and the Eastern Part of the province on the Low Veld. It is here that the Drakensberg Mountain range begins, and the province has several deep gorges and amazing waterfalls and natural wonders.

The province is bordered by Mozambique, Swaziland, Kwa Zulu Natal and Free State. Let's not forget Gauteng. The capital is Nelspruit, which is the center and heart of the Orange growing area.

SURROUNDINGS

Surrounding areas would include Graskop, Sabie, witbank, Piet Retief, Secunda, Lydenburg, Heidelberg and Ermelo. Historical surroundings include places like Barberton and Pilgrim's Rest where the gold rush of the 19th century took place. Fort Merensky is a fort built in the 19th century by a Sotho and Germen missionary.

TRAVEL INFORMATION

To visit Mpumalanga, one should have a warm jacket with you most of the time. Early mornings on the high veld can be pretty cold during the summer months, but heats up during the day to scorching temperatures. In the winter times, dress rather warmly, layered so that you can throw off stuff during the day.

When traveling down to the Nelspruit area, it is important to know that Malaria is cathy in this area, so if you plan on spending more than a day there, taking malaria pills are recommended.

AIRPORTS

There are no airports in this part of the country, the closest being Johannesburg International, about 4 hours away. There are some smaller airfields though, where one is located in Nelspruit.

ATTRACTIONS

A must visit is the Kruger National Park, the pride of South Africa where the big five roam feely in their natural habitat. The Kruger National Park offers a true blue South African experience nothing else in South Africa can offer.

The Sabie Sands Game Reserve is a sanctuary of life and a griping display of survial. It attracts visitors from all over the world with untouched nature and true African Experience.

The Mpumalanga Highlands is a paradise of fly-fishing, rare bird species and the best rock climbing areas as well as spectacular wild flower displays. Truly a must see.

The Panorama Route takes you along the Highlands Meander with breathtaking wonders, rivers and canyons. IT is the start of the Drakensberg Mountain Range with crevases, rivers, waterfalls and awesome natural beauty.

The Mpumalanga Lowveld provides the administration center of the province. The oldest dolomite caves in the worlds have been discovered in this region, as well as the Sudwala Caves and botanical gardens with amazing plant species.

The Wild Frontier borders Mozambique, Swaziland and the southern tip of the Kruger National Park. Some of the most ancient life forms have been discovered in this part of the province.

The Cultural Heartland provides visitors with a colorful image of Ndebele life, art and culture. The Ndebele people group is famous for their bead work, crafts and house painting art.

The Cosmos Country is known as the “energy belt” of Mpumalanga where several power stations are located. Lots of agricultural activities also take place in this area of the country.

The Grass and Wetlands region is home to the famous Lylac Cresterd Barbert bird as well as many other exotic bird species, not found easily anywhere else in South Africa. The largest freshwater lake in South Africa is located here at Chrissiesmeer.