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Mining can add value
Driving into Phalaborwa at about 8am, the first thing that struck me was the haze in the air. And this was not a heat haze, it was dust from the mines. Phalaborwa is another one of Limpopo’s towns that today owes its existence to the copper and phosphate mines that surround the town. The second […]
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My First Game Drive!
I went for my first game drive in a golf cart… on Phalaborwa’s Hans Merensky Estate… and saw giraffe for the first time as well as hippopotamus, crocodile, warthogs and impala in a matter of about 10 minutes on a golf course. Surely that says it all… where else in the world can you do…
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So is it tourism; where is Destination Marketing?
I’ve learnt something interesting in Limpopo. Most accommodation establishments in this province aren’t really part of tourism at all — in fact, about 70% of all bednights spent in the province have very little to do with tourism. I define tourists as discretionary spenders — they have a choice and decide where they want to…
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Superlatives in a superlative setting
I went to sleep to a chorus of frogs worthy of an orchestra. The lake at Bramasole Guest House in Magoebaskloof lay across the lawn from my bedroom, while the other side looked into an ancient indigenous forest. The trees are like none I have ever seen with names like Forest Cabbage Tree (Cussonia sphaerocephala)…
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Of feet, fairies and a fantastic house
Magoebaskloof has a mystical charm about it and it has attracted free-spirited and eccentric people for 100 years who value the nature of their surroundings. One of these is Colleen Ballenden, whose family has lived on their property in idyllic surroundings for a century. When Robin McIntosh of Intersect Architects and Bramasole Guest House discovered…
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What’s in a name? Limpopo’s regional maps
Around 2002, Northern Province changed its name to Limpopo Province, and with that went a whole slough of name changes. Regions were changed and towns renamed. Now trying to understand all this on the internet becomes even more confusing. The Limpopo Tourism website has no map of the regions so a Google search shows the…
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More than accommodation – hospitality at its best
TZANEEN COUNTRY LODGE is an oasis run with impeccable warmth and precision. You can either use it as a base to explore Mopani’s varied attractions — it’s only 45 minutes from the Kruger National Park and the second biggest Baobab tree in SA, 30 minutes to Magoebaskloof, not to mention nearby elephant rides, etc, etc…
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Mr Tzaneen Country Lodge
SCHULTZ IS A STAR among the many stars at Tzaneen Country Lodge. He is, says Adri Kruger, “Mr Tzaneen Country Lodge” and he looks after everything when she and Faan go away. Many returning guests ask if he is available when they make a new booking and ask if he can look after them. In…
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Route 71 to Tzaneen – a different world
[mappress] If you’re coming from Johannesburg, the road to Tzaneen takes you past the outskirts of Polokwane, Limpopo’s capital, and then east. Surprisingly, it’s a proper dual carriageway with a wide median down the middle — not something I’ve seen very often around here – probably because I avoid toll roads because I they show…
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Next stop – Mopani
Setting off to explore Tzaneen and the Mopani region in Limpopo.