Bordering Mozambique and Swaziland, this scenic region offers a variety of attractions from the
spectacular Blyde River Canyon to the historic town of Pilgrim's Rest.
The 30km-long (18.6-mile-long) Blyde River Canyon is
part of a protected reserve. Also in the area are the Echo Caves. An echo can be heard if you tap
the dripstone formations in the caves. Relics from the Stone Age have been found in the caves.
There are a number of waterfalls in the region. The Mac
Mac Falls are the best as the spray creates a tiny rain forest and the Mac Mac Pools below
the falls are perfect for swimming.
Pilgrim's Rest has been preserved since the days when
it was a bustling prospecting town. The gold rush of the 1870s soon petered out, but left behind
this quaint Victorian village. The Lisbon and Berlin
falls are nearby.
A number of private game reserves on the western border of the Kruger Park contain the Big Five
and have good viewing facilities. The Cheetah Project, outside Hoedspruit, breeds this
endangered cat for release into the wild. A visit includes handling tame cheetahs.
The Kruger National Park, which is renowned for its
wildlife management, is home to the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino) and 147
mammal species, as well as a vast number of amphibians, reptiles and birds. Despite the fact that
there are around 3,000 visitors daily, the park remains unspoiled. The rest camps range from
simple to luxurious. Roads and manmade areas blend into the background and occupy less than 3% of
the total area. The remaining 97% belongs to nature.
The Kruger National Park has eleven rest camps which contain all the necessary facilities and
more, to make every visitor's stay more than comfortable.
Situated on the southern bank of the Letaba River, 50km (31 miles) from the Phalaborwa Gate,
Letaba is a most attractive rest camp surrounded by mopane trees, aloes, flowering bushes and
well-situated terraces for game viewing. The camp, which includes six-bed cottages, two-,
three- and four-bed huts and caravan sites, is strategically placed on the junction of three
major routes that continue north, south and west through the park. Within the camp area there
is a shop, restaurant, laundromat and garage.
