A flourish of warm attractions

From the the spindle-legged impala to the king of the jungle, the lion up to the marauding elephant – makes this province one to visit if you are keen on a truly experience.

Elephants have, by and large, remained one of the province’s major tourist attractions, as Limpopo offers rarely close and personal encounters with these soft-hearted giants that have been known to weigh as much as five tonnes.

During this Tourism Month, daredevil tourists have come and left with indelible imprints on their memory of this magnificent province with its many attractions.

Limpopo has become a sought-after tourist destination for its big game, exceptional birding, untamed bush landscapes and a bygone African kingdom, the centre of which was located at Mapungubwe National Park.

A national park and Unesco world heritage site, Mapungubwe was home to the first indigenous kingdom between 1075 AD and 1300 AD.

For centuries, artifacts left behind by this early civilisation – which suffered its demise due to climate change – lay hidden atop Mapungubwe Hill.

They were discovered in 1932 and the museum at the national park has several on display, including the famous golden rhino.

The 30,000ha site is also at the point where South Africa meets Zimbabwe and Botswana at the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashi rivers.

Here, visitors to the park can enjoy the view (with a choice of sundowners) from a special deck.

Mapungubwe is also the northern gateway to the Kruger National Park (KNP).

The KNP, in northeastern South Africa, is one of Africa’s largest game reserves sprawled over an area of 19, 485 km. Established on May 31, 1926, its high density of wild animals includes the Big 5; lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalos.

Hundreds of other mammals call the park home, as do diverse bird species such as vultures, eagles and storks. Mountains and bush plains are all part of the landscape.

For a walk through some unspoiled terrain believed to have been in existence since prehistoric times, stop by the Modjadji Cycad Reserve in Modjadji, Tzaneen.

It is home to the largest concentration of a single cycad species in the world, which only adds more allure to the area so wrapped up in the mystery of the Rain Queen, Modjadji, after whom the forest and surrounding villages are named.

A trip to Limpopo calls for a stopover at the Debengeni Waterfall in Magoebaskloof. Situated along the R71 route between Haenertsburg and Tzaneen, what the mini falls lack in stature they make up for in character.

If you have ever been curious about how the antecedents of Limpopo’s Basotho population went about their daily lives, then Bakone Malapa is for you. Just outside Polokwane, the museum is built in the style of a traditional Basotho village.

Tour guides take you through the ins-and-outs of how the Bakone, a northern subset of the Basotho, prepared beer, built a fire and ran their errands. It features homes made of cow dung, mud and thatch. The tour also sheds light on the relations the Bakone had with the Ndebele and Tsonga as well as colonialists.

What is the best place to build a bar?

How about inside a tree that has been alive since medieval knights were frolicking with steel in England.

At least that seems to be this place’s sales pitch.

Sadly, old age seems to have claimed the bar in the bowels of the tree but the baobab itself still stands as a testament to the phrase “age ain’t anything but a number”.

Whether you want a fun couple’s weekend or to distract your kids for a couple of days, Forever Resorts Warmbaths has you covered. Nestled in the somnolent town of Bela-Bela, the resort offers a warm-water themed respite for anyone too lazy to drive far out of Johannesburg or Pretoria.

Accommodation options are vast and include everything from standard hotel rooms to chalets and family-sized lake-side cabins. You will also have more than enough to entertain you with a range of activities that include cable skiing, water slides, a spa, a wave pool and more.

thoko@nmgroup.co.za