East of Pietersberg, the Letaba Valley is a subtropical paradise. The surrounding hills are
forested and often cloaked in mist during the summer months.
Tzaneen, the largest town in the area, is the centre of the tea and fruit-farming community.
Just south of the town, Nkowankowa is a crafts-based industrial centre.
West of Tzaneen, Magoebaskloof offers one of the
region's most scenic drives. A hiking trail winds through the largest indigenous forest north
of the Orange River and passes a number of waterfalls.
The Modjadji Cycad Forest contains thousands of giant cycads and is, according the local myth,
home to the Rain Queen.
North of the Soutpansberg, the plains of the Limpopo Valley are dominated by the enormous
baobab trees. The area is usually very hot in summer with electrical storms in the afternoons
and evenings.
On the southern side of the Soutpansberg, Louis Trichardt is a good base for exploring the
mountains and Venda. Trails wind through the mountain and allow hikers to view the area's rock
paintings. Beware of bilharzia, malaria and ticks.
The former homeland of Venda is now part of the Northern Province and is the home of the
Vahvenda people. Lake Fundudzi and Thathe Vondo Sacred Forest are important sites for Venda
mythology. Home of the python god, Lake Fundudzi is sacred and can only be visited with
permission from the priestess of the lake. There are a number of trails through the forest
and hikers can view the lake from the surrounding hills.
The ruins of the Tshiungane stone fortifications, near Sagole, are worth a visit, even if just
to see the largest baobab in Africa. Ceremonial domba drums are made at the nearby village of
Mutale. Visitors can watch the domba dance, which is performed during the months of September
to December. Venda herbalists and diviners can also be visited by arrangement.
