GRAVELOTTE Attractions

Limpopo Destinations

Gravelotte, Valley of the Olifants

Gravelotte, Limpopo

The little town of Gravelotte, in the Bushveld region of the Limpopo, lies roughly half way between Tzaneen and Phalaborwa, west of the Kruger National Park and around five hours’ drive from Johannesburg.

It is no surprise that very few people know of Gravelotte’s existence, situated as it is in the nether reaches of the Limpopo province on the lesser travelled R526. But the town’s main claim to fame should entice more than a few visitors - a liquor bar in the trunk of a giant Baobab tree, just 4 kilometres from town, is hard to pass up! Gravelotte is more than likely named after the little village in Lorraine, France of the same name. Its namesake was the scene of the famous battle between the Germans and the French in 1870, known as the battle of Gravelotte. The French saying ‘ça tombe comme à Gravelotte’, which directly translates into ‘they’re falling like at Gravelotte’ but actually means something along the lines of ‘it’s raining cats and dogs’, obviously doesn’t apply to the South African village set in one of the hottest climes in the country! Here the distinction between summer and winter is hardly discernable, making it a great destination all year round.

Gravelotte lies in the country’s northernmost province, which may have something to do with its anonymity, but this part of the world is exceptionally beautiful and is largely given over to bushveld plains, the mighty northern Drakensberg visible in the distance. The Kruger National Park, two-thirds of which lies in the Limpopo, lies just west of the little town, one of the country’s major draw cards.

Featured Attractions in (or near) Gravelotte

Balule Game Reserve

The vast Balule Game Reserve is adjacent to the Kruger National Park, home to the Big Five and world famous for its abundance of wildlife and birdlife. In the Balule Game Reserve you will find the Big Five roaming freely between the Balule Game Reserve and Kruger National Park, including Lion, Elephant, Leopard... more information

Blyde-Olifants Conservancy

The Blyde-Olifants Conservancy consolidates a group of privately owned game farms in the central Lowveld region into an official nature reserve. Lying roughly between Hoedspruit and Phalaborwa, the conservancy also happens to lie within the Kruger to Canyons (K2C) Biosphere Reserve, which straddles the ... more information

Hans Merensky Nature Reserve

On the banks of the Great Letaba River lies the Hans Merensky Nature Reserve, just west of the Kruger National Park and not far from Tzaneen. The main draw card to this beautiful reserve is the fact that you can walk most of it on foot, and despite its apparent flatness, there is the welcome relief of... more information

Kapama Game Reserve

Kapama Game Reserve is situated in the Limpopo Province, South Africa and was proclaimed a private nature reserve in December 1993. Covering approximately 13 000 hectares of prime big game territory, Kapama Game Reserve has succeeded in combining the wilderness of the bush with... more information

Kruger National Park

The largest game reserve in South Africa, the Kruger National Park is larger than Israel. Nearly 2 million hectares of land that stretch for 352 kilometres (20 000 square kilometres) from north to south along the Mozambique border, is given over to an almost indescribable wildlife experience. Certainly it ranks with the ... more information

Letaba Ranch Game Reserve

Letaba Ranch Game Reserve, part of the Greater Kruger National Park conservation area, is particularly well known for sightings of elephant and buffaloes, and the mighty Letaba River that flows through the reserve provides a shelter to any number of hippos and crocodiles. Letaba, which means ‘river of sand’ in Sotho ... more information

Makalali Conservancy

Also known as the Greater Makalali Private Game Reserve and one of the country’s major privately owned conservation areas, Makalali Conservancy is over 22 000 hectares set in the Lowveld region of Limpopo, an hour west of the Phalaborwa gate of the Kruger National Park and roughly 80 kilometres from Hoedspruit ... more information

Selati Game Reserve

Selati Game Reserve lies on roughly 30 000 hectares of land west of the Kruger National Park, between the towns of Gravelotte and Mica, north of Nelspruit. Proclaimed as a conservancy in 2003, Selati is a partnership between neighbouring families who have pooled former farm land to preserve and ... more information

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Things To Do in Gravelotte

Hug the big Baobab

Where: Between Gravelotte / Tzaneen
How much (per person): R1 to R100

If you wish to be safe from a crocodile attack; drink water that this tree's seeds have been soaked in but beware just dare pick a single fl ... more information

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