Near-By Places

Near enough to matter, far enough to feel like away.

Seven places worth the drive, in roughly the order you’d reach them — from the reserve gate down to the mall.

Kruger National Park

45 min to Orpen Gate

The reserve’s closest gate to Tsonga. Self-drive game viewing, or arrange a guided drive through the property.

40 min drive

An open, unfenced private reserve bordering Kruger, known for close leopard sightings. Guided drives only, booked through a registered lodge.

1 hr 30 min drive

A glass-sided lift descends into an indigenous forest gorge on the Panorama Route, with a zipline and a boardwalk through the canopy.

1 hr 45 min drive

Cylindrical rock formations carved where the Treur and Blyde rivers meet, marking the start of Blyde River Canyon. An easy walk on marked bridges.

1 hr 40 min drive

A sheer escarpment viewpoint over the Lowveld, on the same Panorama Route stretch as the Potholes. Best visited in the morning, before cloud builds.

50 min drive

A reptile park in Hazyview with regular handling and feeding displays. A good detour on a day away from the bush.

5 min drive

The closest shops — supermarket, pharmacy, fuel. Useful for anything forgotten on the way in.