Sabie is big mountain-biking country, but visiting this town on Mpumalanga’s Panorama Route, I was amazed at how many options there are for outdoor adventurers of all ages.
Of course, the super-fit still come for the Sabie Experience, a four-day mountain biking stage race in December each year, but you have to be tough to complete this 270-kilometre race with some 4000 metres of climbs in the humidity levels prevalent at that time of year.
There are far less gruelling routes in the network of roads in the pine and bluegum plantations suitable for families year round, as well as challenging single-track options for those who have the legs and are game for hills.
A popular route open to all is a badly maintained provincial gravel road that starts on Long Tom Pass opposite Misty Mountain Hotel, winds down through pine plantations and into a valley past Horseshoe Falls to emerge on the edge of town at the old Lydenburg road about 15 kilometres later. You can also drive it in a bakkie or SUV.
There are many other fish to fry in Sabie. I came across a bunch of teenagers from Reunion on a school trip trying to catch their lunch at Horseshoe Trout & About, a hatchery and adventure centre near Horseshoe Falls. Those that didn’t hook a rainbow faced the prospect of unaccompanied salad for lunch, which upped the stakes somewhat at this fun venue where anyone can learn the fine art of fly-fishing, or just make do with an ordinary rod and bait for tackle. Learners are restricted to the well-stocked training dam, where genial manager/coach Paul Rose-Nel assured me it was almost impossible not to succeed in hooking scaly prey.
The more advanced can graduate to another dam where catch-and-release and other fly-fishing etiquette rules apply. “˜Closed on Tuesdays, unless open,’ is the rather Irish sign outside this fun family venue.
More things to do in Sabie
Waterfall spotting – there are a few in the area, but the best is the 68-metre Lone Creek Falls nine kilometres outside town off the old Lydenburg road. From the picnic and braai area, you walk about 200 metres through natural forest and cross a footbridge to reach the pool at the base of the falls. Entrance is R5 a person and the paved trail is wheelchair friendly. Komatiland Eco-tourism tel 013-754-2724, www.komatiecotourism.co.za.
Sabie River Falls are right in town and very accessible. However, the drama of two chutes of water scouring the cliff face is somewhat spoiled by a big fat bridge carrying the R532 to Graskop which, for some inexplicable reason, the roads department was allowed to build almost right over the top of the falls. A friendly volunteer guide will direct you under the bridge to the view point. There’s no entrance fee but do tip the guide as he keeps the place safe for visitors. Also beware the gaps in the fences on the edge of the cliffs; repairs are apparently still on the municipality’s to-do list.
At least the bridge is good for bridge swings. Sabie Backpackers & Adventure Centre also do abseiling in the Sabie Falls gorge. Tel 013-764-2118, www.sabiextreme.co.za.
Tubing is a fun, free family activity on a two-kilometre stretch higher up the Sabie River where it’s normally no more than a metre deep. Jump in at the low bridge on the road to Bridal Veil Falls and exit at the low causeway just outside Merry Pebbles Resort, where you can also buy tubes at their shop (R30 – R50 each, depending on size).
Hiking – the most popular day trail is the Loerie which is a 14-kilometre circular route from Castle Rock Municipal Caravan Park, along the Sabie River to join the road to Bridal Veil Falls, continuing up past Glynis and Elna Falls to a ridge with a panoramic view of the Sabie Valley and returning on a forestry track. Or you can just do the 6,5-kilometre version from the car park at Bridal Veil Falls. Permits cost R20 a person and are available from Big Sky in Main Road, Sabie. Tel 013-764-2682.
The Fanie Botha Hiking Trail is a classic that takes you along the edge of the escarpment from Sabie to God’s Window if you do the full five-night route. There are shorter options and the hut at Ceylon plantation on way to Bridal Veil Falls is one of the starting points. R105 a person a night. Tel 013-754-2724, www.komatiecotourism.co.za.
Birding in the remnant patches of indigenous forest is rewarding, with some 220 species having been identified, including African olive-pigeon (rameron), red-chested and diderick cuckoos and Knysa turaco.
Fishing – trout are no strangers to this part of the Lowveld and catch-and-release fly-fishing is practised year round. Permits are required to cast your line and can be obtained from Big Sky Flyfishing & Outdoor in Main Road, which acts for Sabie Trout Club. They sell tackle and most other things related to angling and camping, and do bookings for Horseshoe Trout & About, a pond fishing venue for beginners, where entrance costs R50 an adult and R20 a child, plus R80 a kilo for whatever you hook and R30 if you rent a rod. Tel 013-764-2682, www.bigskyoutdoor.co.za.
Horse riding – guided outrides from Sabie Horse Trails’ stables off the old Lydenburg road go along the banks of the Sabie River and to Bridal Veils Falls. Choose from one/two/three hour routes costing R150/R250/R350 a person. Tel Sherae Jardine 076-894-9889.
Mountain biking ground zero in Sabie is Cycle Junkies. If you’ve got the legs, they have the routes. Permits for a network of single track routes cost R30 a person a day and bike hire R60 an hour/R300 a day. Get yourself a guide for R100 an hour, or hire a GPS programmed with a custom route for R200. Tel 013-764-1149, www.cyclejunkies.co.za.
Golf – the Sabie Country Club offers a very pleasant setting at its nine-hole course on the edge of town, surrounded by mountains. Affiliated visitor fees: R80 for nine holes; R120 for 18. Tel 013-764-2287, www.sabiegolf.com.
Scenic drives – Long Tom Pass is one of the most impressive in the country as you drop steeply down the edge of the Drakensberg escarpment between Mashishing (formerly Lydenburg) and Sabie. It still follows much the same route as in the days of ox wagon travel. Stop in to see a realistic replica of the Long Tom cannon used by the Boer forces against the British during the Anglo Boer War. It had a range of nine kilometres and some of the damage done by its cannon balls is still visible higher up the pass. There are a number of view points and picnic sites on the pass; it’s best to drive from Mashishing to Sabie, as the best ones are then on the left shoulder and easy to stop at. You’re also facing the most panoramic views.
Long distance runners do the 56-kilometre Long Tom Ultra and Half Marathons over the pass in March each year. The “˜Everest’ of ultra marathons is a popular qualifier for Comrades as the tough route starts in Sabie at 1000 metres above sea level, climbs through the most amazing scenery to 2150 metres at Mauchsberg and then descends to Mashishing (1380 metres). Tel 012-346-2400, www.longtominfo.co.za.
Visit Sudwala Caves for a peep into the bowels of the Earth, see remarkable rock formations and experience ancient air conditioning. Follow the R37 from Sabie to Mbombela (Nelspruit), turning off onto the R539 for another 15 kilometres. Guided one-hour tours cost R65 an adult and R35 a child. More adventurous Crystal tours costing R220 a person must be booked in advance. Tel 013-733-4152, www.sudwalacaves.co.za.
The Sudwala Dinosaur Park next door has a good variety of life-size plaster sculptures of these prehistoric monsters in realistic settings among cycads, themselves living fossils which have survived for over 200 million years. Children are fascinated by them, so be prepared for lots of questions! Entrance is R40 an adult and R25 a child. Tel 013-733-5268
Bookcase is bibliophile and collectors’ heaven; browsing this bookshop’s shelves for anything from first edition bird guides and fly-fishing handbooks to bush classics or Winston Churchill’s musings will banish any rainy-day blues. They even have trashy novels. Tel 013-764-3342.
Where to stay
Merry Pebbles Holiday Resort‘s caravan park in Sabie has the cleanest ablution blocks I’ve come across; they literally sparkle. All 180 sites have power points and the best are right on the bank of the Sabie River. There are also 35 chalets and two lodges. This is a very affordable family option as there are no extra charges for facilities on site, such as the swimming pools (the large one has water slides), a jungle gym, trampolines, outdoor chess and fishing. There’s a convenience shop, laundry, restaurant and liquor outlet at the entrance. Camping prices range from R85 to R150 an adult a night, depending on season. Cabanas start at R265 a person a night sharing. In high season, an eight-sleeper lodge goes for R2050 a night. Tel 013-764-2266, email [email protected], www.merrypebbles.co.za. Book now.
Bananien Lodge is just outside Sabie next to the R536 to Hazyview. Six thatched timber chalets are surrounded by lawns dotted with cycads and azaleas. Guests can cycle or hike 10 kilometres to Students Waterfall. Simply furnished and kitted, the open-plan log cabins have bunk beds for kiddies, plus a double bed. From R610 a night for for two in a log cabin in low season to R2290 a night for eight people in the guesthouse in the Christmas holidays. Tel 082-552-8356, email [email protected], www.bananienlodge.co.za. Book now.
Misty Mountain Hotel is on Long Tom Pass and the view from their deck is superlative, as is the food. The staff at this three-star owner-run establishment take a genuine interest in their guests’ comfort. A playground, swimming pool, games room, TV lounge and cosy pub keep all ages happy. Birding, fishing, mountain biking routes and day walks on the large property are reserved for guests’ use. Comfortable accommodation ranges from double bedrooms to family suites and a self-catering farmhouse which can sleep 10. B&B costs from R535 a person a night sharing. Tel 013-764-3377, email [email protected], www.mistymountain.co.za. Book now.
Top eateries
The Wild Fig Tree restaurant serves the usual fare and then some. Try their Cape Malay crocodile curry & rice with sambals (R90), warthog potjie (R110) or South African meze of ostrich medallions, crocodile kebab, smoked trout fillet and biltong (R120). Corner of Louis Trichardt and Main Road, Sabie. Tel 013-764-2239.
Misty Mountain Hotel‘s chef, Cletos Chiteza, is a star who serves up exceptional dishes, from beef wellington to Asian fusion, at average prices. His Sunday lunches are renowned and definitely worth the drive up Long Tom Pass. For dinner I had a trout done to perfection. Tel 013-764-3377
Useful contacts
The two info centres in Sabie are Trips ZA in Main Road (tel 013-764-1177), which also runs the municipal office in the Spar Centre (tel 013-764-3599). www.sabie.co.za.
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