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Tourist Attractions of Limpopo
Highlights
Tourist Attractions of South Africa
South Africa is a vast and extremely fascinating country that packs a powerful tourist punch. Few countries can match it for variety and diversity in attractions, activities and cultural groups. From art and history to food and wine, wildlife and nature, nightlife, shopping and even places of worship – there is so much on offer to attract, entice and entertain.
The Western Cape with its mountains and oceans offers scenery that has inspired thousands of descriptions. It has great beaches, World Heritage sites, romantic winelands and museums that celebrate a rich cultural heritage. You can’t talk about a trip to Cape Town without discussing the fabulous cuisine and shopping options that draw tourists time and time again.
Gauteng’s brash exterior belies its depth, uncovered at numerous cultural and historical attractions. Places like Constitution Hill, the Apartheid Museum and Soweto feature alongside chi-chi restaurants, funky galleries, shopping malls and fascinating visits to the Cradle of Humankind, where all our stories began.
In Mpumalanga you’ll find a host of nature-related attractions, arts and crafts outlets, country towns, cultural villages and stupendous scenery along the well-known Panorama route. Of course one of the major attractions is the world-famous Kruger National Park.
Limpopo shares this wildlife sanctuary - the size of a small country - and has many of its own nature reserves. It also boasts the fascinating Mapungubwe, where once an ancient kingdom developed a field of influence that spread beyond the continent. Intriguing groups such as the Venda and the Balobedu still practise culturally-rich traditions in the far north of this region.
The North West is all about Sun City, and the Pilanesberg and Madikwe Game Reserves, but don’t forget the mampoer farms and the idiosyncrasies of the Marico, the cultural mélange at Lesedi on the shores of the Hartebeespoort Dam or the little town of Taung where the famous skull of the same name was discovered. From the Margaret Roberts Herbal Farm (De Wildt) to Sol Plaaitje’s house in Mafikeng, there’s much to explore.
Immense skies and enormous spaces characterise the Northern Cape, along with attractions such as the Big Hole in Kimberley, the Loeriesfontein Windmill Museum and the myths and legends as taught by the ancient San. The Augrabies Falls National Park, the Ais/Ais Richtersveld National Park and the Riemvasmaak community all offer interesting experiences and insights.
KwaZulu-Natal has its own brand of uniqueness when it comes to tourist attractions. Here you can visit a Hare Krishna temple in Durban, pay your respects at the Battlefields in the Midlands, come face to face with Zulu culture and celebrate some of the finest beaches along the Indian Ocean coastline. Sunny year-round, the province has great places to shop, eat, and discover.
The Eastern Cape is a place of rich heritage and struggle sites. Here historic monuments find their place alongside fun aquariums and beachside establishments. Malaria-free game sanctuaries and numerous nature reserves thrill adventure-seekers and nature-lovers.
Small towns and homegrown hospitality are the distinctive attributes of the Free State. Visit the Basotho Cultural Village on the way to the spectacular Golden Gate National Park, visit the Choet Visser Rugby Museum in Bloemfontein or the Fertility Caves (outside Clarens). Make your way to the fun galleries of Clarens, feast visually on the sandstone sights of Ficksburg and drink in the fascinating history of the provincial capital, Bloemfontein.
Wherever you go around the country, you’re bound to find a fun attraction, a moving museum, a great place to enjoy the local vibes. Enjoy surfing the Nightjar site for the best attractions on offer in each of the provinces.
Articles & Blogs

Step Out at Marataba
7:41pm 9 Dec
By Romi Boom (treehouse pic excluded)
Marataba’s elusive location in a hidden section of Marakele National Park makes it one of the most desirable safari destinations in Africa. Go totally off track to find nirvana in its Mountain Lodge and Thabametsi Treehouse.
We have ringside seats, a fleet of Marataba safari vehicles lined up against the towering backdrop of the Waterberg. Half a dozen guides volunteer to offload two metal crates from a white pickup. When the humans are safely back in the vehicles, the felines’ release is imminent, the tension tangible....

Black Mambas
3:35pm 18 Nov
The Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC) is delighted to announce a new partnership with the Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit, the first majority female anti-poaching unit in South Africa.
Founded in 2013 by Transfrontier Africa NPC, the Black Mamba Ani-Poaching unit was formed to protect the Olifants West Region of Balule Nature Reserve.
Within the first year of operation the Black Mambas were invited to expand into other regions, and now protect all...

Exploring the North
3:44pm 8 Jul
By George Brits
The far northern parts of the country are a long way from Cape Town. And with a whole country of attractions in between, it’s been years since the last time we had been up there. In fact, we have never been to the far north of the Kruger. So, when the invite to a friend’s daughter’s wedding in Hoedspruit arrived, we thought: ‘It’s about time…’
The Ups and Downs of Mapungubwe
Mapungubwe has always been on our ‘to do’ list, and that was where we headed after the wedding. In what came to characterise our trip, we only arrived at reception at 5:30pm (it gets...

Baobab Hill Bush Camp
7:20pm 18 Jul
Words Harriet Nimmo, pics Mike Kendrick
One of the biggest drawcards of Pafuri, in the Makuleke Concession, are the regular sightings of Pel’s fishing owl. Now, in addition to the lodge option, there’s luxury self-catering.
I have fallen in love with Kruger all over again. Having previously somewhat dismissed the far north of Kruger as “just mopane and not much game”, I have been proved wrong. Remarkably, the north has now become my favourite part of the park.
For a group of friends who want to get away from it all, there’s an exciting new...

Caution: Black Mamba Territory
8:27pm 23 Feb
The sisters of the Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit (APU) are not doing it for themselves but for the entire world—putting their own lives on the line every day in an effort to save our precious rhino. The APU was founded by Transfrontier Africa to protect the Olifants West region of Balule Nature Reserve, which forms part of the Greater Kruger National Park.
The area in which the Black Mambas patrol is a free-range savannah ecosystem with open borders to the Kruger. The highly endangered black rhino as well as the white rhino are strongly represented in this location.
Since the...

Girls gone Birding
9:55pm 1 Oct
Words Rachel Lang & Lauren de Vos, pics Ben Coley & Rachel Lang
What happens when the vibrant party of birdwatchers you’re with are just as colourful as the birds themselves? When the quiet, contemplative moments so necessary for taking in new information are matched by fits of laughter? The helpless, stomach-crunching kind that makes you wonder, in between thinking about racquet-tailed rollers and red-backed shrikes, whether youíll have developed a six-pack by the end of the week. It was like being the naughty kid I never was at school, except that our feathered subjects...

Appetite for Adventure
9:55pm 27 Aug
Words and pics Albie Venter
Walking amongst large animals is a huge drawcard for both guides and guests. Being able to get within a reasonable distance from an elephant herd and viewing them without disturbance on foot is a great rush. Intense training is involved to make a potentially problematic situation seem effortless. The Field Guides Association of South Africa (FGASA) stipulates that guides wanting to qualify as a trails guide back-up need a minimum of 50 hours on foot in dangerous game territory, while lead trails guides have to rack up at least 300 hours.
On the day I...

Hail the High and Mighty
8:54pm 19 Mar
Words Keri Harvey, pics Keri Harvey and supplied
Kruger’s Magnificent Seven elephants were so named for their giant tusks. Since the last of them died 30 years ago, 15 new princes to the throne have been chosen. They are the Emerging Tuskers.
We are up early, ready to leave when the gate opens at Letaba Rest Camp in northern Kruger. The first light of day offers excellent game viewing and sightings of interesting animal behaviour, and we’re not missing the action for anything. In the picnic basket...
African Crowned Eagle
8:30am 27 Dec
African Crowned Eagle
Pafuri, South Africa. B&W. f/10, 1/640 sec, ISO-400, Focal Length 190mm.
Luvuvhu - Lanner Gorge Exit
8:30am 6 Dec
Luvuvhu - Lanner Gorge Exit
Where the Luvuvhu river exits the Lanner Gorge complex and runs east. f7/1, ISO-125, 1/160 sec. 36mm focal length.
Baobab Twins
8:30am 29 Nov
Baobab Twins
The baobabs up north, just south of the Limpopo river, are both prolific and majestic. f/6.3, 1/160sec, ISO-125 and 36mm focal length. EV -0.7; 0; +7 then merged into HDR format.
Morning Moonlight
8:30am 22 Nov
Morning Moonlight
Here's an interesting shot of the fever tree forests in morning moonlight, with silver hues and lifting mist. No source of light was present other than the moon. I used f/8, ISO-500 and a 1.3 second exposure, and a tripod.
Fever Tree Forest - Pafuri
8:30am 15 Nov
Fever Tree Forest - Pafuri
One of the natural wonders of the area are the fever tree forests. This photo was taken at sunset. f/9, 1/100 sec, ISO-320 with a wide angle lens. EV -0.7; 0; +7 then merged into HDR format.
Loxodonta africana
8:30am 8 Nov
Loxodonta africana
In a recent visit to the African Bushveld, we were amazed at the density of large herbivores - specifically buffalo and large herds of breeding elephant. f/4.5, ISO-800, 1/640 sec, 300mm focal length.
Look at the whole scene for additional information
10:49am 1 Nov
Look at the whole scene for additional information
In the bushveld, one always has to be aware of one’s surroundings. For example, a tracker following a pride of lions for his guests would do very well to look at the shadows underneath the trees before he ends up on the menu – but when you are inexperienced, it it hard not to focus entirely on the problem instead of looking around. Thus, the final ingredient that I learnt during Track & Sign week with Bushwise Field Guides, was to always take a step back and look at the entire scene as well. You will often find...
Analyse the detail within the problem
9:30am 31 Oct
Analyse the detail within the problem
Here we see a civet track… or is it a genet? Maybe a small leopard? Or a tiny lion? Maybe even a wildcat! Tracks are wonderfully detailed things, and the third step that I learnt during Track & Sign week with Bushwise Field Guides, is to look at all the little details within the problem. In a potentially confusing example like this, for example, here the shape and position of the toes lead to African Civet, and the size comparison to the Blue Wildebeest track next to it confirms this.
- Erik Brits
Evaluate the direction of the problem
9:30am 30 Oct
Evaluate the direction of the problem
Unfortunately, there are no “footprint marshals” instructing our wildlife to politely step around each other’s tracks, and to only step neatly and firmly in soft soil. As a result, tracks can become muddled, and in order to identify the one you are investigating, it helps a lot to be able to gather extra information, such as a matching track from the other foot, or a clue about the behaviour of the animal. To do any of this, it helps tremendously to know where to look. Thus, determining the direction of the animal is invaluable,...
Optimise your lighting
9:30am 29 Oct
Optimise your lighting
Tracks are delicate, intricate things beyond belief. The amount of detail that a patch of earth, slightly disturbed, can convey to an experienced reader, is astonishing. When looking at tracks then, external factors such as casting your own shadow over the track you are investigating, can make your efforts at interpreting the sign significantly harder. Glare can also be very influential. Thus, the first thing I learnt during my track & sign week with Bushwise Field Guides was to be aware of my location and position myself appropriately when...

Tracks and Tribulations
7:35pm 28 Oct
By Erik Brits
Me and my big mouth, I thought to myself as I glanced in the mirror at the torrent of dust that my big tyres were kicking up. The scorched earth was bone dry, and a mere footstep would elicit a puff of dust like a tiny volcano… Them northerners will tell you that August is a temperate month – the mornings no longer biting with the icy tenacity of winter, and the afternoons not yet raining down cosmic rays with the full fury of summer – but this knowledge was of little consolation to my pasty Capetonian skin, which evaporated my life-giving fluids faster than I...
A Night to Remember
9:30am 23 Oct
A Night to Remember
As you stare into those eyes, a feeling of innocence and beauty overwhelms you. Surely these animals cannot be the killers everyone says they are. The crunching of bones and ripping of flesh bring you back to reality… these are some of the largest cats around and those innocent eyes are supported by the brain of a hunter, jaws filled with teeth designed for cutting, biting and slicing, with massive canines and 300kg of muscle and power. The powerful jaws will have no difficulty in crushing a man’s skull and the meal provided will be completely...