Experience the best of Nelspruit

Nelspruit is the capital of Mpumalanga province in the Lowveld of north-eastern South Africa, on the Crocodile River. The municipality has been renamed Mbombela, though many people still use the old name. Citrus orchards, mango and avocado farms, macadamia nuts and sugar cane cover the subtropical valley around it, and the Lowveld National Botanical Garden, on the river, has waterfalls, riverside forest and a collection of cycads.

Kruger National Park is the main draw, with the Malelane Gate about an hour's drive east, and Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport serves the area. Sudwala Caves, a dolomite cave system, lie north-west of the city, and the old gold town of Barberton to the south-east is surrounded by the Makhonjwa Mountains, among the oldest rocks on Earth. The Panorama Route, with Blyde River Canyon, God's Window and Bourke's Luck Potholes, runs along the escarpment to the north.

Tropical fruit is sold at roadside stalls, and the braai, a barbecue of boerewors sausage and grilled meat, is the social centre of any weekend, served with pap, a maize porridge, and chakalaka relish. Summer brings heat and afternoon thunderstorms, and the winters are dry and mild.