Jul 29, 2020 | Things to in and around Nelspruit
With schools closed and many people working from home, families have more time to spend time together. Unfortunately, coming up with things to do to make things fun can be tough sometimes. Luckily there are plenty of fun and exciting things to do with your family. The Lowveld and Mpumalanga is packed with activities for the whole family. So to help come up with some fun family activities, Nelspruit Lodge has a list to make that planning a little bit easier.
Sudwala Caves
The Sudwala Caves is the oldest known caves in the world and is found right here in the lowveld. There are plenty of tours that can take visitors into the caves, from 150m deep to 600m deep. The Caves have a wonderful combination of Stalagtites, Stalagmites, fossils and flow stones. Kids will really enjoy the caves as they can explore the insides and let their imagination run wild. The caves are well lit and are very safe for guests to visit as they are not allowed to go deeper than 600m. All tours in the caves are led by an experienced guide.
Graskop Gorge Lift Co.
The Graskop Gorge Lift Co. is the latest instalment of tourism in the beautiful Blyde River Canyon, Part of the Famous Panorama Route. Guests will depart into the last untouched forest in the Lowveld using a state of the art 26 person viewing elevator. Guests will be lowered down the cliff face into the forest below where a network of elevated walkways can be found, providing guests with a wonderful and untamed feeling of nature. Kids and adults alike will love this adventure and is a time for people to let go of the stresses of everyday life.
Kruger National Park
One of the Post visited tourist attractions in Africa, The Kruger National Park is a wildlife conservancy that is home to hundreds of different plant, mammal and bird species. Pack a lunch, bring lots of water and sunscreen and have your camera ready as you depart on a safari through the wild Kruger Park. Plenty of animals can be found on your journey, from antelope, zebra, and giraffe to powerful and intimidating animals like the hippo, elephant, lion and Buffalo. The Kruger Park is also one of the few places where you can encounter a Black / White Rhino. Your first experience in the Kruger will usually stick with you all your life.
Ilanga Mall
Ilanga Mall is one of the most visited places in Nelspruit. The newest mall in Nelspruit comes equipped with plenty of things to do for both adult and child. People can go Ice Skating, watch a movie, or enjoy a delicious lunch/breakfast/dinner at one of the many eateries in the area, while the kiddies enjoy the indoor splash play area. You can enjoy a nice warm cup of coffee at Exclusive Books while reading a book while the kids tire themselves out at the arcade close by. Bowling, bumper cars and a trampoline park all provide fun activities for a family group.
Elephant Sanctuary
When visiting the Kruger National Park or un the area, a perfect stop would be the Elephant Sanctuary. The Sanctuary is home to 2 orphaned African Elephant Bulls named Kitso and Kasper. Guides take guests on guided tours through the sanctuary to give guests a hands on experience with the Elephants. Guests can also go on a private and personal safari of the Sanctuary if they so choose.
Apr 17, 2019 | Nelspruit Lodge, Uncategorized
In autumn you will find the Lowveld in bloom with colour. The many beautiful flowers will make your visit to this area abuzz with colour, and when staying at Nelspruit Lodge, you can spend your days in the gardens, enjoying the warm autumn air.
Our Nelspruit accommodation boasts a variety of beautiful flowers and when travelling around town, you can see these flowers and so many more.
- Kudu Lily
This succulent shrub will delight in autumn with its stunning white flowers that appear between the lush green leaves among the spines on the branches. Apart from its sheer beauty, this flower is toxic to humans and livestock. The Kudu Lily is a very slow growing plant and does not adapt readily to new environments making it almost extinct in certain areas.
- Wild Dagga (Lion’s Tail)
Wild Dagga flowers in Autumn and is a true delight as the sunbirds love their nectar. The shrub itself is sparse with 4 angled stems. The leaves of this shrub are hairy and grow in pairs. The flowers, however, are dense and about the size of a golf ball consisting of the tube-like orange flowers. Although the leaves of the Wild Dagga are smoked, they are not a substitute for Dagga. The plant is said to have medicinal qualities and traditionally used as a cure for pain, colds or flu. Certain properties of the plant are said to aid with Type 2 Diabetes, epilepsy or constipation.
- Bougainvillaea
These bushes of colour can be found in just about every garden in the Lowveld. When in bloom this is a truly spectacular spray of flowers. Bougainvillaea comes in a variety of colours, Pink, White, Magenta, Red, Orange or Yellow. These bushes need little water once established and fairly easy to grow. Many people bonsai them from tip cuttings.
- Pride of De Kaap
The main flowering time of the Pride of De Kaap is March and April when they come alive with a flower that ranges in colour from salmon to orange and yellow to white. The petals are oar-shaped and a length of 4cm. When looking at the name you would think it belongs in the Cape but in actual fact, the name comes from the De Kaap Valley in the Barberton area of Mpumalanga. These plants enjoy the bushveld climate.
- Red Hot Poker
Red hot pokers can be seen in bloom late summer to autumn. These flowers have stems of up to 1.5 meters in height before the slender tube-like flower. The flower heads start off a dull red but change in colour to yellow or green-yellow when they open.
- Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum’s bloom in autumn and are one of the prettiest variety of autumn flowers in the Lowveld. A single bush can have multiple flower heads and they come in a variety of colours. These flowers like the sun and require about six hours of sun each day. Once established in your garden these plants are hardy. Remember to cut the dead flowers off and you will be rewarded with double the amount of flowers when it flowers again.
Nelspruit Lodge is situated in one of the most beautiful parts of town, and our gardens are filled with all kinds of plants. Book your Nelspruit accommodation today.
Apr 7, 2019 | Nelspruit Lodge
Autumn in the Lowveld lasts from about April to May and during these months the town experiences a more pleasant temperature than the summer months with nighttime temperatures of about 12 degrees and days a warm and breezy 25 degrees.
The autumn foliage of the Lowveld is truly delightful and you can experience it when staying at Nelspruit Lodge.
- Jacket Plum
Pappea Capensis, otherwise known as the Jacket Plum or Indaba tree, has fruit in autumn and the unusual characteristic about this fruit is that sometimes they are amber and other times red in colour. The reason for this is unknown but the fruit is a tasty treat for both humans, animals and birds.
This tree is easy growing in the Lowveld while it does grow slower in cooler climates and can reach a height of 8 meters when fully grown. Oil is extracted from the roasted seeds, and the oil is used for oiling rifles or as a cure for ringworm while it can also be used for making soap. The leaves, bark and oil are also said to cure baldness, nosebleeds, eye infections or chest complaints.
- Toad Tree
The Toad Tree, or Tabernaemontana Eleganshas, has twin-lobed fruits with warty skins much like a toad. This tree grows easily to a height of 12 meters, so if you thinking of planting this tree in your garden make sure you give it enough space to grow. The fruit from this tree can be eaten. Once the fruit is ready for eating the pod breaks open to reveal a yellow pulp.
Zulu people add the pulp to milk. Traditional Healers have used various concoctions to treat patients. The milky sap from this tree is used as a styptic while root infusions can be used for chest ailments and stomach ache. The root is said to cure tuberculosis. As a cancer treatment the inner layer of the fruit wall is dried, pulverised and boiled. The water is then filtered and taken orally.
- Kiaat
Kiaat, also known as Bloodwood or Pterocarpus Angolensis, can be recognised in the autumn months by their broad pods. Under the right conditions, this tree can grow up to 18 meters tall with dark brown bark and sports a wide crowned canopy of leaves.
This tree can only be grown in warm to hot, frost-free areas. The seeds of this tree are not eaten by humans but are eaten by squirrels, baboons and monkeys despite the pods having sharp bristles on them. When you cut this tree down it has a red sap much like blood. This sap was used traditionally as a dye or mixed with animal fat to make cosmetics. The sap is said to cure problems concerning the blood mainly because of its resemblance to blood.
Book your stay at Nelspruit Lodge and explore a city close to nature. Browse our website to view our Nelspruit accommodation options.
Nov 25, 2018 | Nelspruit Lodge, Uncategorized
Summers in Nelspruit are truly something else. They provide the perfect beach weather, without the beach. We have the humidity, the blazing sunlit days and even the palm trees. The only thing we lack is the sea. But that aside, summer is without a doubt our favourite season and one that brings a lot of business to our city!
When the summer break comes, the best place to book your Nelspruit accommodation is at Nelspruit Lodge. We have air conditioned bedrooms and a swimming pool. Outdoor meals and cool evening breezes. We have everything you could need to stay cool and relaxed during your summer holiday in Nelspruit.
Temperatures
We have the pleasure of enjoying a far longer summer than most parts of South Africa. While many parts of the country have only 3 months out of the year that can be called summer, we have up to 6 months of delightful heat (delightful depending on who you ask).
The summer temperatures often soar to 35 degrees Celsius or more. And this is not your average kind of heat. Instead, it is accompanied by humidity that will make you want to spend each afternoon lazing in our pool. When the sun sets each evening, the temperature tends to stay toasty and you can expect the temperatures to remain in the high 20’s.
Rainfall
We live in a summer rainfall region. Summers in our part of the world also often end with quick and temperamental thundershowers. The clouds can be seen forming early in the afternoon and they are quite incredible to watch. On average our part of the world receives 780 mm of rain each year.
Into January, one of our hottest months, the local rivers will often flood. Seeing the roaring Crocodile River in flood is quite a sight. Guests to the town can visit the Lowveld Botanical Gardens to get the best sights of this raging river. A visit to the gardens is a must for anyone interested in seeing the indigenous plants in full bloom.
What to do during the summer
Once the days start slowing down and becoming longer than usual, getting out there and exploring is a must for every holiday maker. Apart from seeing all of the local historical towns or hitting the shops, you might want to soak up some of the precious sunlight and just relax.
There are two ways you can do this. Firstly, our town is surrounded by some of the most picturesque dams. You don’t have to pay a cent to visit certain dams and you can spend the whole day close to the waters edge, swimming, tanning and enjoying a braai. We recommend visiting Witklip dam, which you can easily find out on the Sabie Road.
The other option is to head to the Mafunyane Water Park at Riverside Mall. You can take a dip in the swimming pools or get your heart pumping on the water slides.
Summer is the best time to enjoy a holiday in Nelspruit and the best place to book your comfortable Nelspruit accommodation would be at our lodge. We’ll keep you cool in the heat!
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