Coral Tree FlowersPolokwane, previously known as Pietersburg, is the Capital City of
Limpopo Province and the cultural center of a region that stretches between
Pretoria and the Zimbabwean border. It is a city graced by wide streets, green
open spaces and in summer is a colorful mix of orange flowered coral trees and
purple flowered jacarandas.
The City is graced by the forty-six thousand seater Peter Mokoba
Stadium that was developed for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and is still the only
world class sports venue in the province. It is named after a controversial
anti-apartheid activist born in the area.
Sites of interest in and around Polokwane include:
Bakone Malapa Museum
The Bakone Malapa Museum is a reconstructed village built in the same
style the indigenous peoples used 200 years ago, and where visitors are
enlightened by traditional practices. Two homesteads display and explain maize
grinding, beer making and fire lighting, and there are ongoing demonstrations
of beadwork, pottery making and basketwork.
Vervet MonkeyMakapansgat Valley
The Makapansgat Valley is an area of
outstanding beauty that is home to caves containing the remains of fossils
dating back to over 3 million years when the area was a green tropical
paradise. It still abounds with baboons and
vervet monkeys, and at night,
galagos and bush babies come out to play among the varied plants and flying
insects that are their diet.
Modjadji Cycad Reserve
The Modjadji Cycad Reserve in the Bolobedu
District of Lebowa is near the sacred home of the fabled
Rain Queen and boasts
some of the oldest, largest, and rarest cycads on the planet. It contains a
fascinating population of other plants that form a unique natural forest in
pristine condition thanks to the attention of the Rain Queens who are the
traditional rulers of the area.
Wolkberg Wilderness Area
The Wolkberg Wilderness Area is
a hiker's paradise. A dramatic twenty two thousand hectare area, it presents an
unending series of opportunities to challenge nature armed only with boots and walking
stick. It can also be a daunting place and is really only recommended for the
strong and brave who are prepared to challenge the cliffs and deep forested
ravines to be rewarded by some of the most stupendous views South Africa has to
offer.
White RhinoPolokwane Game Reserve
The Polokwane Game Reserve includes a
twenty kilometer long hiking trail with overnight accommodation through an area
populated by 21 species of game including the rare
white rhino.
Zion City
Zion City in Moria near Polokwane is the headquarters of
the indigenous Zion Christian Church that hosts two festivals a year when
several million of its followers converge from the four corners of
South
Africa. It is the only church in South Africa not established by evangelists
from abroad.
Polokwane is a stunning place of great natural beauty that has
remained largely unspoiled on account of its remoteness from the great
industrial hubs of South Africa. It offers a number of superb attractions that
make it a must-see, yet it is still often overlooked as a tourist destination.
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