Nelspruit Snapshot
Serving as the hub of the Lowveld, Nelspruit might be fairly large, yet it manages to retain an element of country charm that is helped along by a wider setting of mountains, lush vegetation and the sluggish Crocodile River.
The town has a distinct safari vibe about it, with a number of private reserves and the nearby Kruger Park using it as a springboard into their wilder hearts.
Well laid out and tidy, and the local attractions within easy reach, Nelspruit is a pleasant experience. As a fuel stop en route to Kruger - the Malelane gate is only 45-minutes drive away - and other game parks, the town has a good range of shops, restaurants, and even a few malls to satisfy the buying itch.
Stepping outside the town, there are picturesque drives, hikes, waterfalls and natural splendour.
Things To Do
- Pay a visit to the Lowveld National Botanical Gardens, where the Crocodile and Nels River surges through a riparian forest. The Garden boasts over 600 indigenous plant species, timber walkways and a tropical rain forest.
- Lying jsut out of town, Chimpanzee Eden is a rescue centre for primates run by the Jane Goodall Institute. Guided tours are offered, which will bring you in close contact with the chimps.
- For shopping, Riverside Mall is a firm favourite, with a good range of outlets, restaurants and coffee shops.
- Hiking trails are in no short supply. The nearby Kaapsehoop Escarpment Walk is a moderate trail weaving through unusual rock formations. The views into the Barberton Valley a 1000m below are breathtaking.
- Cool off at Battery Creek Falls, a short drive from town. Fed by a waterfall above, the natural pools are deep enough for swimming.
- Visit the Sudwala Caves, a spectacular deep cave system lying within the Drakensberg escarpment, and considered to be the oldest known caves in the world.
Where You'll Also Find Us
Arniston (Waenhuiskrans) • Barrydale • Beaufort West • Betty's Bay • Bonnievale • Bot River • Bredasdorp • Caledon • Calitzdorp • Cape Agulhas and Struisbaai • Cape Town area • Ceres • Citrusdal • Clanwilliam & Cederberg • Darling • De Rust • Franschhoek • Gansbaai • George • Grabouw & Elgin Valley • Greyton • Heidelberg • Hermanus • Knysna • Ladismith • Laingsburg • Lamberts Bay • Langebaan • Malgas • Matjiesfontein • McGregor • Montagu • Mossel Bay • Napier • Oudtshoorn • Paarl • Paternoster • Plettenberg Bay • Porterville • Prince Albert • Pringle Bay • Pringle Bay, Betty's Bay and Kleinmond • Riebeek West and Riebeek-Kasteel • Riversdale • Riviersonderend • Robertson • St Helena Bay • Stanford • Stilbaai • Strand, Gordon's Bay and Somerset West • Swellendam • Tulbagh • Uniondale • Velddrif • Vermaaklikheid • Wellington • Wilderness • Witsand • Worcester & Hex Valley • Yzerfontein • Baviaanskloof • Cape St Francis • Cape St Francis & St Francis Bay • East London • Graaff-Reinet • Hogsback • Jeffreys Bay • Makhanda (Grahamstown) • Middelburg • Nieu-Bethesda • Rhodes • Sutherland