Our second historical stop of the day was Ladysmith, a historic town in northern KwaZulu-Natal that played a central role in the Anglo-Boer War. The Ladysmith Siege Museum sits next to the town hall in a building built in 1884 that originally served as a market house and later became a...
After spending the night in Dundee, we visited the Talana Museum (🎟️50 ZAR), one of the most important heritage sites in northern KwaZulu-Natal, which brings together the region’s rich military, industrial, and cultural history. Dundee was founded in 1882 by Peter Smith and soon...
We made an overnight stop in Barberton, a historic gold-rush town nestled in the De Kaap Valley of Mpumalanga and surrounded by the dramatic Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains. The area is remarkable not only for its pioneer and mining heritage, but also for its extraordinary geology. The...
After visiting the Sudwala Caves, we made a short stop at Elands River Waterfall and the old railway tunnel near Emgwenya, formerly known as Waterval Boven. The waterfall drops around 70–75 metres over the red cliffs in three separate ribbons. To reach the viewpoint, we had to walk...
The Sudwala Caves in Mpumalanga are widely described as the world’s oldest known cave system, with rock formations dating back about 240 million years and formed within much older dolomite estimated to be between 2.8 and 3 billion years old. Acidic groundwater developed the caves in...
We stopped for a tasting of the famous “Four Some Gin” (195 ZAR) at Safari Distilling House, formerly known as Gin & Co, a prominent South African boutique craft distillery. The distillery is known for capturing the character of the African wilderness through artisanal...
Many people told us not to visit Pilgrim’s Rest because of safety concerns and because, according to them, the town had lost much of its old charm. Well, our visit turned out to be completely different. We had a great experience and were glad we didn’t believe those warnings...
We arrived in Graskop in the late afternoon, a scenic small town perched on the edge of the Drakensberg escarpment in Mpumalanga at around 1,400 metres above sea level. Graskop is best known as the gateway to the Panorama Route and an ideal base for exploring the surrounding natural...
We made a short stop at Bourke’s Luck Potholes, one of the most fascinating geological attractions along the Panorama Route, located about 35 kilometres north of Graskop. The site marks the northern gateway to the Blyde River Canyon and is famous for its spectacular cylindrical rock...
We enjoyed driving the Panorama Route through Mpumalanga, one of South Africa’s most spectacular scenic drives, famous for its dramatic viewpoints, deep canyons, winding mountain roads and impressive waterfalls. The route follows the edge of the Drakensberg escarpment. It passes...