Its Travel Tuesday and this post is to encourage us to take more road trip.
When I was growing up, I recall how my parents loved taking road trips. Their philosophy was, if you have a good working car, money for petrol and can afford a decent hotel, there’s really no excuse to take a road trip.
Fast-forward to my adult life, I’m fortunate that my +1 had a similar childhood and his family went on road trips.
When I think about it, the foundation of our relationship and getting to know each other came from the road trips we took. We are that couple that chose to drive 18h24 min (1773,5 km) – Johannesburg to Namibia for one of our travel adventures. That’s one of the the many remarkable, breath-taking adventures we took.
So when he suggested a road trip to Mpumalanga, I loved the idea. Road trips are not about the destination, they are about the company and most importantly the things you do and get to see along the way.
Our check list for road trip:-
- Good working Car, Tyres in good condition, iPod, Camera, Snacks, Books and Sunnies.
The day we left, the weather was perfect – cloudy with spots of rain in certain areas.
What we did?
When we arrived in Mbobela (Nelspruit) the weather was not great, it was raining. Fortunately for us, it was not our 1st visit to Mpumalanga, we had previously visited most of the scenic landmarks.
We did still manage to do a self-drive past Sabie – Pilgrims Rest – Graskop – The Pinnacle – Gods Window – Wonder view. When the rain eased in some areas, we managed to stop at Mac Mac Falls, visited Pilgrim Rest and had pancakes in Graskop.
Anyone travelling to Mpumalanga for the 1st time, I highly recommend you spend at least 1 full day exploring the Panorama route, and do visit God’s Window, Wonder view, the Three Rondavels and Bourke’s Luck Potholes.
Where we at?
When I travel with my +1, we really do keep it simple from a food perspective, he is not a big fan of dining, he does it for me.
We had lunch at Kuzuri, a gorgeous restaurant surrounded by the natural beauty of the Lowveld bush in a tranquil setting at the Botanical Gardens. The inside dining area is quite formal and the outside is perfect for a relaxed breakfast, lunch, supper or sundowner.
The staff were warm, welcoming and friendly. The service was good but not very attentive, I ordered a vegetarian spring rolls and was given chicken spring rolls, my +1 ordered a cola tonic and lemonade and he was given a passion fruit and lemonade.
The menu has something for everyone and great to see a selection for vegetarians. I created a vegetarian tapas which was great except the halloumi was extra salty. My +1 enjoyed his vegetarian wrap.
2. Harrie’s Pancakes Pannekoek
While in Graskop, we decided to have dessert at Harrie’s Pancakes Pannekoek. As the name suggest, this place is all about pancakes – savoury and sweet but they do have other food items on the menu.
The place is pumping with tourist coming in and out. Timing at this place is everything, we arrived just after a big group of tourist had left and managed to get a table.
The pancakes are fresh and taste really good. The service was ok, and the pricing of the food is decent. This is one of those places that you have to stop at when in Graskop.
Where we stayed?
We were based in a lovely Tuscan style hotel in Nelspruit, La Villa Vita.
Nestled in a in a quiet residential area in picturesque setting, the hotel is ideal for guests travelling for leisure and business. The hotel has meeting facilities, wedding venues and comfortable accommodation.
Accommodation
La Villa Vita has 21 rooms all offer a flat-screen TV with selected DSTV channels, air-conditioning, minibar, tea-and-coffee facilities and private bathrooms.
Facilities
Free Wi-Fi, a gorgeous pool, gym, spa, restaurant, Bar/Lounge, private Jacuzzi.
The hotel is surrounded by nature reserve and it’s extremely peaceful. We enjoyed our walks in the garden and just lounging by the pool with a pool. A perfect place for some R&R.
TS!
SPLENDID EXPERIENCES 