Welcome to our next adventure, this time our destination will be Makumu Private Game Lodge in the Klaserie Private Game Reserve. Klaserie is one of the largest private game reserve in South Africa and borders on the Kruger National Park. Fences have been dropped allowing animals their freedom to roam the entire area. Hoedspruit is the nearest town, about 450 km northeast of Johannesburg. You can fly in on a 1-hour flight from Johannesburg or 2 hours from Cape Town. Alan, Makumu’s head ranger will meet you at the Eastgate Airport and drives you to Makumu, in an open game-viewing vehicle.
The bush in the Klaserie is unspoilt with only a few commercial lodges in the area. Lodges are restricted to their property, this means you will be enjoying the daily morning and evening game-drive in total privacy. The ultimate luxury in our busy and often crowded lives.
Makumu Luxury Private Lodge can accommodate 12 people in three luxury villas. The villas consist of two specious en-suit bedrooms with lovely traditional African decorations. A private deck allowing the guest to overlook the savanna, unwind and relax to the tranquil sound of the bushveld. Ideally one can book all three villas as a group and get the entire place, including staff, to yourself.
A hearty breakfast is served in the main house of the lodge. Light lunch can be enjoyed at the pool area. The pool at Makumu offers not only a welcoming splash after a game-drive but also a lovely view of the surrounds. Don’t be surprised by the visiting elephants that are known to quench their thirst during hot days.
After your return from the evening game-drive, dinner is served near the boma, under the African sky. Enjoy your dinner by candle-light, an open fire and with a bottle of Kyburg Boutique Wine while you listen to a roar of a lion or chatter of the African Hyena.
Shop Kyburg Boutique Wines https://kyburgwine.com/shop/
Makumu Luxury Game Lodge www.makumu.com/
Kyburg Boutique Wines are stocked up at Makumu and so we head to our next destination, the Head Quarter of the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve. Here we pay a visit to be informed about the Eco Children’s current educational program. “Eco Children” is a non-profit organization, initiated by the Klaserie. It focuses on hands-on environmental education, awareness of conservation, stimulating the children’s desire to learn and also improving their learning environment.
Read more http://www.ecochildren.co.za/who-we-are
We at Kyburg Boutique Wine support not only Graceland Nursery School in the Devon Valley but also the Eco Children program in the Klaserie. Proceeds from our personalised wine-tastings on the farm are doubled and split between the two organizations.
Kyburg Wine Tastings https://kyburgwine.com/tasting/
It is time to head back to Johannesburg, we chose the route via Graskop. Graskop is a centrally situated little town on the Mpumalanga Escarpment, the beginning of the Panorama Route. Waterfalls, streams and hiking trails are found in this pictures area. The Panorama Route is a circular drive with several detours. It starts from Graskop going northwards past Pinnacle and Driekop Gorge, Lisbon Falls and God’s Window. At God’s Window you can walk in the thick, indigenous mist forest that stands amongst the clouds some 800 m above Blyde River Canyon.
The Blyde River Canyon is the third largest canyon in the world after Grand Canyon USA and the Fish River Canyon in Namibia. It is more than 25km in length and situated along the Mpumalanga Drakensberg Escarpment and covers an area of 22.700 hectares. It is known primary for its natural beauty as well as the numerous endemic and endangered fauna and flora species. You can also enjoy a boat trip on the Blyde River.
Read more http://www.blydecanyon.co.za/
The Panorama Route continues through dense plantations to Vaalhoek, from here the traveller can go north to Bourke’s Luck Potholes. Then turn south along the Pilgrim’s Creek valley to the old mining town of Pilgrim’s Rest, the centre of the gold rush in 1870. From Pilgrim’s Rest it is a short drive over the mountain-divide back to Graskop. South of Graskop, off the road to Sabie, you will find the Mac-Mac waterfalls and further downstream the Mac-Mac Pools.
The Graskop Gorge Lift is a new attraction situated 1 km out of town. A glass lift transports you from the edge of the Graskop Gorge to the indigenous forest below. Wooden walkways through the forest take you past the base of the waterfall into a forest wonderland.
For the more adventurous the Big Swing is worth a try. It is one of the highest cable gorge swings in the world and has a free fall of 68 m into the Graskop Gorge. You then swing like a pendulum across the width of the gorge to enjoy the beautiful view.
Read more http://www.graskop.co.za/
Read more http://www.bigswing.co.za/
To do justice to this wonderful region you should plan a couple of days stay. You can book into the Graskop Hotel which has been renovated to become a quirky and interesting “boutique art hotel” offering luxurious accommodation in a homely and relaxing atmosphere. The 37 en-suit bedrooms have been decorated by different contemporary South African artists.
Read more http://www.graskophotel.co.za/acommodations/artist-rooms.html
It is time to head back towards Johannesburg for our Kyburg wine delivery to Esther’s Country Lodge. Please join us on our next journey to the lovely Hartebeestpoort Dam area, on the outskirts of greater Johannesburg.
See you then!
Cheers, Fred, Rosmarie and Tanja
