Surrounding Area
Mozambique
Fancy visiting Mozambique? We can highly recommend from personal experience a Guest Lodge in the quaint town of Ponto do Ouro. Take a look at our review onTrip advisor or visit theirWeb Site to make a booking.
Kruger National Park
The obvious attraction are the wonders and wildlife of Kruger National Park, which is mere 30 minutes from Avocado Grove and offers guests the opportunity to see the "Big Five" (rhino, elephant, buffalo, lion and leopard) plus huge variety of other wildlife and birdlife. You can either do a self-drive safari in Kruger Park or go with a guide in an open safari vehicle on either a half, full day safari or even a night safari. We would recommend that you start off going with a guide, who is experienced in spotting game, and once you've got your used to what to look for you can go and go back to Kruger in your own vehicle. Kruger is the size of Israel so there is always more to explore and see!
The Panorama route
The Panoramic route includes stunning scenery such as God’s Window and the world’s third largest canyon, the Blyde River Canyon, which has a number of beautiful waterfalls, Bourke’s Luck Potholes and the Three Rondawels rock formation.
White River, where our house is, is the gateway to the Panorama route.
The area offers something for everyone with bungee jumping, white water rafting, 4 x 4 trails for the adventurous, or walking, hot air ballooning for those seeking gentler pursuits.
Pilgrim’s Rest
Also nearby is the quaint town of Pilgrims Rest, a living museum dating back to the gold rush where you can pan for gold!
Lowveld National Botanical Gardens
The 159 hectare Lowveld National Botanical Gardens, with its rugged and rockery scenery, two rivers, cascades and pleasant restaurant, is located in nearby Nelspruit.
White River
White River is described on the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency as ‘creative and eccentric’ (http://www.mpumalanga.com/routes/lowveld.asp) and Wikipedia notes that White River is noted for its arts and crafts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_River,_Mpumalanga).
White River has just sufficient altitude to escape the nasty old anopheles mosquitoes that plague the not-too-distant Kruger National Park and the rest of the Lowveld, so it’s quite a good place to spend the mosquito-haunted nights if you’re spending the days in Kruger.
It’s smack in the middle of fruit and nut growing country so the many lovely guest houses have lots of lovely local ingredients to play with. An interesting use of one of the more ubiquitous local crops is an orange winery, where you can taste and buy a range of different wines and liqueurs made from delicious Valencia oranges. You can also visit an orchid farm, a cheese farm and some macadamia nut farms. White River has become a bit of an artists’ retreat so there are loads of lovely studioswithin close driving distance where you can admire and purchase anything from paintings and sculptures to weaving and pottery. The White River Country Club, with its championship golf course, is the closest option to the town but there are a few others an easy drive away.
Motoring enthusiasts may enjoy the White River Motor Museum in the Casterbridge Centre, which also houses a Barnyard Theatre. Barnyard Theatres are great; rock up in a group or just a couple, bring a picnic supper and park off at a comfy table while you watch some innovative theatre. Wine and other drinks are usually on offer but you can also bring your own.
White River is close enough to the towns ofSabie, Graskop, Hazyview and Nelspruit to use it as a base for most of theMpumalanga activities.
The house is 5 minutes drive from White River town centre where you will find 2 supermarkets, pharmacies, post office, banks and other essential shops, plus restaurants and bars. 8 minutes drive from the house is the charming Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre (http://www.casterbridge.co.za), a local gem where you’ll find stylish shops selling local handicrafts, a couple of galleries, restaurants and a bar, a vintage motor museum, the barnyard theatre and a small cinema.
There is also a shopping mall and a wide array of shops in nearby Nelspruit.
Eating out
For those who don’t want to use the well-equipped kitchen, there are ample restaurants in the local area to satisfy all tastes – from family restaurants such pizza/pasta, steak houses, Portuguese chicken and fish & chips to stylish gourmet restaurants.