By Jan de Beer
With the chill of autumn already with us in, there is no better winter holiday haven - if you live in Gauteng - than warm and accessible Mpumalanga, the province of contrasts.
Gauteng travellers, who pack their warm tracksuits and thick woollen sweaters so necessary against the icy winter winds of Gauteng, often regret not packing more summer clothing - even swimming costumes, would you believe it - for mid-year holidays in the Lowveld. You could leave an 18°C Johannesburg and, five hours later, park your car in a 36°C-plus Skukuza.
However, in winter there's still a nip in the air on the escarpment of Mpumalanga, with its scenic pine plantations and spectacular scenery - the ideal setting for sipping wine in front of an open fireplace on a cool evening.
Whatever your destination in Mpumalanga this winter, not only will you find more temperate weather (some travellers find the Lowveld's summer heat somewhat oppressive) but also tempting mid-year special accommodation rates from hotels, guest houses, lodges and self-catering establishments, both old and new.
While Mpumalanga's Kruger National Park is justifiably at the top of the list for tourists from all over the world, there is also a host of delightful offbeat venues to explore.
Take Graskop, for example, these days better known as South Africa's Pancake Palace.
Most of the credit for the name must surely go to Harrie's Pancake Place where just about every traveller stops to sample those tasty crepes with their awesome fillings. But other eating places in the town also threaten the waistline.
That decadent black forest cake I savoured at the nearby Lonely Tree still lingers. There are some interesting craft shops in town and all sorts of daredevil adventures now on offer on the outskirts of Graskop for the brave who like nothing better than sliding from lofty clifftop to clifftop on a lazy afternoon.
Sabie, too, is an unexpectedly delightful Mpumalanga stopover with a variety of coffee shops, craft outlets and top-class eating places where, inevitably again, pancakes end up on the menu. And it must be one of the few towns in South Africa with a resident waterfall. The picturesque Sabie Falls greets new arrivals at one of the entrances to Sabie.
Generally, there are enough waterfalls to keep the most avid photographer busy in Mpumalanga. Mac Mac, Lisbon, Lone Creek, Bridal Veil and Lisbon Falls are but five, while the spectacular potholes of Bourke's Luck, another major tourist attraction, also owes its existence to the eroding effects of moving water.
In the rivers below Mpumalanga's spectacular waterfalls, optimists still pan for gold - gold that put Pilgrim's Rest, that quaint but important South African heritage settlement, on the map.
This colourful relic of a once-bustling mining town must rank among the top tourist attractions of South Africa. Wandering through the two streets of Pilgrim's Rest is like a voyage in a time machine. From Johnny's Bar at one end to the Royal Hotel at the other, from curio shop to craft outlet, the place absolutely explodes with history. Just a look at the tombstones in its lofty cemetery evokes memories of the tumultuous gold rush.
Mpumalanga has its fair share of history. Take the story of Jock of the Bushveld, for example, immortalised by author Sir Percy Fitzpatrick. The tale of the little Staffordshire bull terrier so graphically recalls the early days of the Lowveld and there are scores of historical sites and villages, old ox wagon routes and monuments that mark the development of the province.
For those who prefer gold digging on the roulette tables, Mpumalanga these days has three casinos: at Nelspruit, Witbank and Secunda.
Sports facilities also abound and include adventure pursuits such as paragliding, abseiling, river rafting, hot air ballooning, canoeing, microlighting, rock climbing, mountain biking as well as 4x4 trails and trout fishing at places like Dullstroom.
To attract visitors to Mpumalanga this mid-year, several top-class resorts have introduced tempting "winter specials".
Included are Old Joe's Kaia, that renowned icon of South African guest houses with its striking decor and wining-dining fare; the Ngala-Zumbini Lodge at Marloth Park on the banks of the Crocodile River - where unforgettable wildlife experiences could include feeding lettuce to a visiting kudu and her family; Riverside Cottages - a new exclusive and relaxing self-catering resort set under fever trees on the banks of the Sabie River near the Matumi Hiking Trail; and Thanda Nani Game Lodge, which among many unusual game attractions offers the "Rare Five" - the black rhino, roan and sable antelope, tssessebe and red hartebeest.
Many timeshare owners regard Crystal Springs Mountain Lodge as one of the finest in the country. The resort is also offering special winter promotional visits.
Finally, Mpumalanga spells culture and wildlife. The traditions of centuries can be experienced at places such as the Shangana Cultural Village while the unmatched variety and numbers of beasts and birds at Kruger National Park are augmented by the opulent luxury of Kruger's neighbouring private game lodges.
Experience winter warmth this year at Mpumalanga - the "place of the rising sun".