• Barberton

    Once a gold mining town, Barberton has a colourful past.
  • The Kruger National Park

    It’s world famous. Maybe even more famous than Mr Mandela. Spend some time in the bush with animals. Get up at sunrise, drive slowly and discover nature the way God meant it to be. Whether it’s a gecko sunbathing on a rock or a lion sleeping belly-up in the sun, there is an infinite world of moments to savour…
  • Ermelo

    A good stopover between Zululand and the interior.
  • Nelspruit

    This is the capital of Mpumalanga and the centre of an extremely fertile and beautiful agricultural region.
  • Komatipoort

    This town marks the border between Mozambique and South Africa.
  • Hazyview

    Lying on the banks of the Sabie River, Hazyview is only 16km from the Numbi Gate to the Kruger National Park, so it makes an ideal base from which to explore the surrounding area.
  • Sabie Mpumalanga

    Sabie is close to the Sudwala and Echo Caves, God's Window, Graskop, Borkes Luck Potholes, Kruger National Park, a reptile park, forest museum and Pilgrim's Rest.
  • Graskop

    This scenic little town lies in the heart of Mpumalanga's natural wonders and makes a good base from which to explore the area.
  • White River

    This is one of the entry towns for the Kruger National Park.
  • Waterval Boven

    This town marks one of the points where the mountains of the escarpment descend into the Lowveld. The Eland River Falls drop 228m into the valley below – hence the name Waterval Onder, which means ”under the waterfall.”

You are here: | All regions | Mpumalanga | Pilgrim's Rest

Pilgrim's Rest

Don’t leave the area without dropping into Pilgrim's Rest. There are no backpackers here though.

A national monument.
Gold was discovered here in 1873 and brought people from far and wide. In 1881 the big operators arrived, bought the small guys out, and it became a company town. The last bits of gold were found in 1971 and it was then sold to the government as a ready made historical town. Notable buildings in the village are the Miner’s House Museum, Shop Museum, Alanglade House Museum, the Royal Hotel, the Old Print House, the post office and the town hall. There are guided tours of the diggings daily. Among the nuggets found in the early years were “Lilley”, which weighed 119 ounces and “Brenda” (214 ounces). The Mt Sheba Nature reserve is nearby.
 Feeling lucky?
(randomly selected service providers from all regions)

Magic Bus Safaris
S 23° 00” 000’ E 016° 52” 500’ is where it all starts.
(Windhoek,Namibia)

Mainliner bus services
These are usually air-conditioned “luxury buses” which have on-board toilets and a hostess who occasionally offers you a sugary drink or blanket. “Chicken (pack ‘em and stack ‘em) busses” are cheaper, less spacious, more crowded, more likely to be fun (if you have a sense of humour) and more likely to break down. In some areas they may be the only bus service and are unlikely to have a strict timetable.
(Not Set / NA,Not set / NA)

Shonalanga Lodge
Shonalanga lodge in St Lucia is in the centre of town and more of a lodge than a backpackers.
(St Lucia,Zululand)

Getting wicked at the Wild Spirit
These guys offer great adventure on the Garden Route.
(Nature's Valley,Garden Route)

Wicked Campers
An international company specializing in Campervan Hire
(Johannesburg,Johannesburg)

Chilli Tree Backpackers
Check out of the rat Race and cill-out in Parys
(Parys,Free State)

Sheri's Backpacker Lodge
Join hot Rod - for the ride of your life!
(Graskop,Mpumalanga)

Skydive Port Elizabeth
Hey Backpackers, get a thrill of a lifetime with the real Pros in Tandem Skydiving.
(Port Elizabeth,Sunshine Coast)

Orange Elephant Backpackers
This Addo backpackers is situated outside Port Elizabeth and close to the Addo National Park.
(Addo Elephant Park,Eastern Cape Inland and the Karoo)

Sundays River Backpackers
This backpackers on the border of Addo is found on the lower banks of the Sundays River.
(Sundays River,Sunshine Coast)