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TThe Mpumalanga province is home to the beautiful Blyde River Canyon – one of the world's largest canyons, the Sudwala Caves – the world's oldest; and the Kruger National Park – arguably the world's most famous wildlife sanctuary.
Mpumalanga means 'the place where the sun rises', and while it may be among South Africa's smallest provinces, what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in spectacular natural diversity. Not only is Mpumalanga home to the world's most famous game park, the world's third-deepest canyon and the world's oldest cave system, the region is also dotted with numerous game reserves teeming with flora and fauna.
FFour billion years ago Antarctica and Madagascar separated from Mpumalanga's Blyde River Canyon, leaving behind a spectacular and beautiful landscape, which rises towards the north-eastern mountains, ending in a massive escarpment that drops steeply to the lowveld below.
HHistorical influence is evident in Mpumalanga, from the legendary King Solomon and Queen Sheba to the ancient floating villages of Chrissiesmeer. Rock art by Africa's early peoples, the San and Khoisan, abound while evidence of the gold rush of the 1870s, captured for posterity in the historical town of Pilgrim's Rest, can be found everywhere.
The region's twisting mountain passes, steep valleys, rivers and pristine forests have given rise to alluring natural phenomena, including the 3 000-million-year-old Sudwala Caves, Bourke's Luck Potholes, God's Window, Wonder View and the Three Rondavels. Fluff out your tail feathers with some magnificent bird watching, hiking, horse riding and trout fishing, or go wild with an elephant-back safari, white-water rafting trip or waterfall abseil.
Wildlife is on everyone's lips in Mpumalanga, with South Africa's flagship Kruger National Park – one of the world's largest wildlife reserves boasting an impressive and unsurpassed array of indigenous species – taking pride of place.