Phalaborwa

Description

Phalaborwa, known as “The Central Gate to the Kruger National Park”, is the perfect safari destination in the Limpopo Province. Phalaborwa is a hub of wildlife tourism and an ideal base to explore the Kruger and the myriad of natural, historical, and cultural attractions nearby. Enjoy an exciting safari experience by booking your Phalaborwa accommodation today.

Phalaborwa lies near the confluence of the Ga-Selati and Olifants Rivers in the Lowveld, along the eastern border of the Kruger National Park - South Africa’s top tourist destination. Around 180,000 visitors enter the 20,000 km² Kruger National Park via the Phalaborwa Gate every year to experience Big 5 safari country at its finest. Enjoy guided bushwalks, night and day game drives, 4X4 overland trails, and bush braais. Facilities such as the Skukuza 9-hole golf course, conference venues, picnic sites, swimming pools, restaurants, and accommodation are available. Choose from an exciting range of safaris including horseback, fishing, golf, river, balloon, and elephant back safaris.

There is something for everyone here. Visit orphaned animals at Tshukudu, see tribal dancing on Lekagape Cultural Tours, and play golf at the championship Hans Merensky Golf Course where players give way to the animals. Other activities include astronomony shows, PMC Mine tours, microlight flights, skydiving, wilderness hiking trails, Olifants River sunset cruises, and kloofing.

There is no shortage of historical sites. Learn about Phalaborwa’s mining history and ancestral living at Foskor Museum; marvel at the “Big Hole” (Africa's widest man-made hole); and visit the African Elephant Museum. Although no written records exist of the early history of the Phalaborwa district, archaeologists and geologists agree that it was once an area of intense volcanic activity; resulting in rich iron deposits. The name "baPhalaborwa", given by the Sotho tribes who moved here from the south, means “better than the south”. The Sotho mined and smelted copper and iron ore here as far back as 400AD. You can learn more about the volcanic activity at Loolekop, and visit a reconstructed Ba-Phalaborwa village at Masorini.

Also known as the Valley of the Olifants, the area boasts the highest winter temperatures in South Africa (11°C - 25°C). Summer temperatures vary from 20°C - 47 °C with occasional heavy rainfall, so be prepared for days of scorching heat if you visit during the Christmas holidays.

A number of exciting day trips can be taken. Cross the Mpumalanga border to see incredible natural attractions like Blyde River Canyon, God's Window, and Bourke Luck’s Potholes. Visit the Hoedspruit vicinity and enjoy daily tours to the working Bombyx Mori Silk Farm, the Cheetah Breeding Project, Moholoholo Wildlife and Birdlife Rehabilitation Centre, and the Mokwalo White Lions Breeding Project. Attractions in the Tzaneen vicinity include the world’s largest Baobab tree at Leydsdorp; walking trails and picnic spots at Debegeni Falls and Cheerio Gardens in Magoebaskloof; the Heanertsburg Mountain Meander; Magoebaskloof Natural Forest; Modjadji Rain Queen; Modjadji Cycad Nature Reserve; and Swandini Reptile Park.

Start your safari adventure by booking a stay at one of our exciting Phalaborwa accommodations.