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Nearby Attractions
BLYDE-OLIFANTS CONSERVANCY
Situated between Hoedspruit and Phalaborwa, the conservancy also happens to lie within the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Reserve, straddling the boundary between Mpumalanga and Limpopo and extending from the beautiful Blyde River Canyon to the Kruger National Park.
South Africa is the third most biologically diverse country in the world, and the Kruger to Canyons biosphere is no exception, uniting widely varied landscapes through which the visitor can travel.
The Blyde-Olifants Conservancy, as its name suggests, has an unusual attribute for this dry part of the world. Through it run two incredibly different rivers - on the one hand is the river most often associated with the colour brown - the powerful Olifants River - behind which runs the Drakensberg escarpment, creating a striking backdrop, whilst on the other is the clear, sparkling Blyde River, a tributary of the Olifants River.
The Blyde-Olifants Conservancy is home to an abundance of plains game, hyena, kudu, giraffe, leopard, squirrel and zebra, whilst the rivers are well occupied with hippo and crocodile. Lion and elephant roam these plains freely and fairly regularly, but it is the beauty of the surroundings which draws the attention.
Follow the Blyde River to the Blyde River Canyon (renamed Motlatse and arguably one of the most scenic and spectacular sights in this part of the country). This gorgeous canyon is the world’s third deepest and extends over twenty kilometres containing some of the most incredible views over cliffs, mountains and river.
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HOEDSPRUIT ENDANGERED SPECIES CENTRE
The Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC) is a sanctuary for animals. It conserves rare, vulnerable and endangered animals and is home to cheetah, wild dogs, black-footed cats, African wild cats, ground horn bills, blue cranes, sable antelope and rhino, especially orphaned rhino, amongst others.
HANS MERENSKY GOLF CLUB
Located just outside of Phalaborwa and bordering on the Kruger National Park, the Hans Merensky Golf Course is another delight of a course to have emerged from the rich lands of the Limpopo.
The legendary Bob Grimsdell designed this Par 72 championship with his usual flair for the Parkland layout. The course is a visual masterpiece and the resident wildlife of Giraffe, Hippo and Crocodiles add a safari element to the game otherwise hard to find.
The course has recently been voted the best walking course in South Africa and received the Diamond Arrow Award for being the highest rated course in Limpopo. Both are indeed excellent achievements considerring the competition South Africa faces.
The course itself has been kept in immaculate condition with special attention paid to the Bayview greens. It measures in at 6549m and gladly welcome visitors every day of the week.
