Soutpansberg, Limpopo
Lying in the northern part of the Limpopo, bordering on both Botswana and Zimbabwe, the Vhembe Region is nothing short of spectacular - the baobab, a familiar symbol that stands resolute among the magnificence of vast expanses of indigenous bush in a land characterised by the myth and legend of the vhaVenda people and awash with the vivid colour of blue skies, a prolific wildlife and seemingly endless opportunities for exploration.
In the west of the Vhembe Region lie the craggy peaks that form the jagged spine of the Soutpansberg or ‘salt pan mountain’, which attributes its name to the giant salt pan on the west side of this range that has been a source of salt for centuries. Cross the mountain range and one falls into the all-encompassing plains of the Limpopo Valley, which stretches across the north of the country, characterised by further glimpses of the giant baobab and recurrent mopane trees. Through this natural basin flows the Limpopo River, the country’s third most important river and a life source for the essentially hot, dry land through which it winds, giving life to more than 500 tree species, a series of farming villages and one of the world’s highest concentrations of leopard. Another important river to the region is the Nzhelele, which flows from its source on the eastern slopes of the Soutpansberg to slice its way into the Limpopo just east of Musina.
To the east lie the Lowveld and Kruger National Park, most of which falls into the Limpopo whilst to the south is the ‘land of legend’, a region that lays claim to a sacred lake, holy forest where ancient ways are still revered by traditional vhaVenda culture. The Mapungubwe and the Makapane Valley are both national heritage sites, and a feast of lion, leopard, white and black rhino, elephant, cheetah and spotted hyena - most of the continent’s big game - roam here. It is rich in cultural heritage and boasts an incredible diversity of plant and animal life, but what draws visitors time and time again are the incredible unspoilt wilderness areas that seamlessly contrast with sophisticated resorts to provide warm hospitality in a destination without equal.
Destinations / Towns of the Soutpansberg Region
Alldays
Where to Stay: Accommodation in Alldays
The distinctly rural town of Alldays, about 120 kilometres from Musina, lies within view of the effortless Soutpansberg Mountains, providing a constant purple hue in the land of huge baobabs, incredible sunsets, soaring ... Alldays information
Elim
Where to Stay: Accommodation in Elim
Elim in the Limpopo, although not to be confused with Elim in the Cape Agulhas region of the Western Cape, is nonetheless also a mission station, which explains why there is often some uncertainty when the name of the ... Elim information
Louis Trichardt
Where to Stay: Accommodation in Louis Trichardt
Lying at the foot of the densely forested Soutpansberg mountain range, Louis Trichardt and the surrounding area is the land of litchis, bananas, mangoes, nuts, tea and coffee - a rugged hot terrain famous for the giant ... Louis Trichardt information
Makhado
Where to Stay: Accommodation in Makhado
Louis Trichardt (briefly known as Makhado): Lying at the foot of the densely forested Soutpansberg mountain range, Louis Trichardt and the surrounding area is the land of litchis, bananas, mangoes, nuts, tea and coffee ... Makhado information
Mapungubwe
Where to Stay: Accommodation in Mapungubwe
Mapungubwe National Park: The discovery of a lost civilisation: Set right up against the northern border of South Africa, uniting Botswana and Zimbabwe, lies Mapungubwe - an extensive savannah landscape situated at the ... Mapungubwe information
Musina
Where to Stay: Accommodation in Musina
In the land of the baobab lies a town in the northernmost section of the country, called Musina. Just 15 kilometres north of the little town that used to be known as Messina is the Beitbridge Border Post that serves the ... Musina information
Soutpansberg Conservancy
Where to Stay: Accommodation in Soutpansberg Conservancy
The Soutpansberg Conservancy, consisting of 90 000 hectares, was formed to protect an incredibly sensitive and beautiful part of the world. Drive across the arid, flat vastness of the northern Limpopo ... Soutpansberg Conservancy information
Thohoyandou
Where to Stay: Accommodation in Thohoyandou
The former capital of the independent homeland, Thohoyandou, meaning ‘head of the elephant’ in tshiVenda, lies south of Venda on the main road between Louis Trichardt and the Kruger National Park. Today the ... Thohoyandou information
Vivo
Where to Stay: Accommodation in Vivo
The Soutpansberg Mountains rise seemingly out of nowhere virtually on the doorstep of the little village of Vivo. From there they stretch east in a series of dips and troughs, petering out as one reaches the Kruger ... Vivo information
Soutpansberg Region
"Must See" Attractions in Soutpansberg Region
Ben Lavin Nature Reserve
Where: Louis Trichardt
Ben Lavin Game reserve is well stocked with game, including a variety of large mammals. Some 238 species have been recorded. Facilities included 40 km of roads for game viewing, four walking trails, hides ... more information
Blouberg Nature Reserve
Situated west of Makhado, just off route 521, the Blouberg Nature Reserve lies in relative obscurity in the midst of rural village and farming communities at the foot of the eastern foothills of the Blouberg Mountain, for its part an inselberg of the greater Soutpansberg chain of mountains, even if it is separated from it by ... more information
Lake Fundudzi
Where: Soutpansberg Region
Lake Fundudzi, surrounded by mountains, is venerated by the Venda people, as the area was originally settled by powerful medicine men. The Venda believe that the spirits of the medicine men still inhabit the region ... more information
Langjan Nature Reserve
Lying just north east of Blouberg Nature Reserve, on the R521 to Alldays, west of Makhado, the Langjan Nature Reserve is typified by gorgeous red sand dunes and scrub-acacia bushveld vegetation - lush during the summer rainfalls and equally dry during the months that languish without rain. Langjan ... more information
Mapungubwe National Park
Set right up against the northern border of South Africa, uniting Botswana and Zimbabwe, lies Mapungubwe National Park - an extensive savannah landscape situated at the meeting place of the Limpopo and Shashe rivers. This is the land of sandstone formations, mopane woodlands, brooding baobabs... more information
Nwanedi Game Reserve
Lying west of the northern reaches of the Kruger National Park, Nwanedi Game Reserve is particularly scenic situated as it is in the foothills of the Venda Mountains. Nwanedi is home to a rich supply of animals who take advantage of the effortless landscape dominated by umbrella thorn savannah ... more information
The Baobabs
Where: Soutpansberg Region
The baobab tree (Adansonia digitata) is one of the trees in Africa with the longest life span. The average age of the Baobabs found in the northern parts of Limpopo are between 300 and 500 years old. Near Sagole, a ... more information
Soutpansberg Region
Holiday Accommodation in Soutpansberg Region
For accommodation in Soutpansberg Region see:
• Alldays Accommodation
• Elim Accommodation
• Makhado Accommodation
• Musina Accommodation
• Mapungubwe Accommodation
• Louis Trichardt Accommodation
• Soutpansberg Conservancy Accommodation
Or to see all accommodation in the region at once, visit Soutpansberg Accommodation.
Limpopo offers a mosaic of superb scenic landscape, a fascinating cultural heritage, an abundance of wildlife species and many nature based tourism opportunities.
- Introduction to Limpopo
- Destination Guide
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- Limpopo Search by Map
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Urlaub in Limpopo
destinations / attractions in the limpopo province
