Things to Do in Polokwane (Pietersburg)

Rich in biodiversity, the scenically stunning Makapansgat Valley and Caves play a significant role in the Cradle of Humankind. The numerous cave system draw palaeontologists from around the globe to view fossils that date back over three million years, revealing the stories of this once tropical paradise. Our early ancestor, the ‘ape-man’ Austalopithecus africanus, is one of the fascinating finds. See the oldest site at Makapansgat Limeworks. The Cave of Hearths has evidence of human occupation from the Early Stone Age and the Hyena Cave has remains of early hyenas. Today vervet monkeys, baboons and bush babies clamber in the treetops, searching for the same edible fruits and plants that early man gathered. Contact the Arend Dieperink Museum in Mokopane for guided tours of the Makapansgat Caves starting at the museum. +27 015 491 9735

Situated in the Magoebaskloof between Haenertsburg and Tzaneen, the picturesque George's Valley is renowned for its beauty and friendly inhabitants. It’s a perfect stop over en-route to the Kruger Park or for family holidays and weekend getaways. Known as the adventure hub of the Limpopo, George's Valley Gorge is a magnet for adrenaline junkies with a variety of thrills ranging from mild to wild. Try the magnificent Magoebaskloof Canopy Tour and experience the exhilaration of sliding through the forest on a two-hour Tarzan and Jane adventure! Magoebaskloof Canopy Tours will take you into an inaccessible realm, moving you between platforms built high within the upper reaches of indigenous forests and mountain cliffs. Platforms are linked by an impressive foefie slide cable high above the river, waterfalls and forest floor. Thaba-Metsi Adventures also offers awesome kloofing, abseiling, quad biking, fly-fishing, tubing, horse riding, a 4x4 course and mountain biking.

Grab the whole family and soak up the countrified charms of this quaint little dairy farm. Winners of the Eat In 'Best Organic Producer' 2008 award for their organic produce, Wegraakbosch Organic Cheese Dairy is well worth a visit. Take a tour, taste and watch cheese being made in the traditional way – it’s so good! Cows are milked by hand and curds are stirred in a big copper cauldron over a fire. Kids will love checking out the chickens, ducks and geese while the older folk are stocking up on organic cheese and dairy products. You’ll find a tempting array of yoghurt, feta, ricotta, cottage and other hard and soft cheeses. Tours are an hour long and cost R50 for adults. Afterwards take a stroll around the farm and find a good picnic spot.

Definitely worth a stop, the Arend Dieperink Museum houses a valuable cultural and historical collection of Sotho and Voortrekker artefacts. Inhabiting an elegant old stone school building, the museum tells the story of the region from early humankind at Makapan’s Cave, the Anglo Boer War and recent times. Vintage farm implements, tractors and wagons are showcased outdoors. Inside are a few of the incredible archaeological finds discovered at Makapan’s Cave including the three-million-year-old human predecessor, Australothipicus africanus. Do try the mampoer, a locally brewed ‘moonshine’ along with freshly baked bread – available on request. Tours to Makapan’s Cave depart from the museum by prior arrangement +27 (0)15 491 9735.

Situated near the dense forests of the Magoebaskloof, the roaring Debengeni Falls is a magical spot for picnicking or swimming in the crystal pool. Named for the deeply carved pool, Debengi means ‘place of the big pot'. Right in the middle of hiking country, it’s also renowned for some rare species of birds. One of these is the colourful Grey Wagtail, a regular summer visitor to this pool. An endemic bird that will get twitchers excited is the Bush Strike – only found here and in the Woodbush Forest nearby. Other beautiful birds to tick off are the Chorister Robin and green Narina Trogon.

Serenely situated on the scenic Hans Merensky Dam, Tzaneen Country Club is an undiscovered challenge for the serious golfer. The course is alleged to be one of the fairest tests of golf around and should have the high and low handicapper alike urging to book the next round. Rolling fairways and punishing but fair roughs merge to present a ‘shot makers’ ideal challenge. A well stocked bar with a cosy fireplace creates a friendly setting for socialising after many rounds. Tzaneen Country Club hosts some of the major tournaments on the PGA Winter Tour. Local and visiting golfers gather here every May for a weekend of golfing and good times at the annual Koraalboom Tournament.

Cuddle a baby crocodile and count all 68 teeth If you’re feeling brave you could even feed the big toothy predators. Situated on a scenic avocado farm outside Tzaneen, Agatha Crocodile Ranch is a definitely worth a visit. On offer are adventurous daily tours, an opportunity to touch a baby crocodile and also to feed the enormous adults. Tours include a fascinating talk about the behaviour, conservation and breeding of the Nile crocodile, followed by a feeding show and guided tour of the breeding dam and enclosures. Who’s your daddy? Of all the 220 Nile crocodiles on the ranch, Rufus is the biggest at 4.2 meters long and is probably 49 years old. Daily tours and feeding shows are between 09:00 – 16:00, Monday to Sunday. Tours last one and a half hours and promise lots of thrills. Agatha Crocodile Ranch also features a local art gallery and curio shop. +27 (0)15 307 4398

Enjoy delicious cocktails and sun-downers when taking some time out in the bushveld of the Tzaneen area. The themed Le Toues le Treq bar with its Rosa le Rouge painting is situated at Tzaneen Country Lodge.

Drink a pint inside the widest tree in the world! The legendary Sunland Baobab in Modjadjiskloof is internationally celebrated for being the widest of its species in the world. These magnificent trees evoke impressions of quintessential Africa, and if they could speak - many a fascinating tale could be told.Locals believe this baobab could be as old as 6000 years. Feasibly, it is most likely 1000 years old. Carbon dating from samples taken inside the hollows of the tree indicates that the tree was scorched by fires in 1650, 1750-1780, 1900, 1955 and 1990.Old baobabs eventually become hollow inside, and the Sunland Baobab has wonderful caverns within its incredibly wide girth. In 1993, the owners of Sunland Farm cleaned out the hollows and found artefacts of Bushmen and first white settlers.The spacious caverns were then turned into a pub and wine cellar - the famous Baobab Tree Bar and Wine Cellar! The ‘Baobar’ can accommodate up to 60 people. This unusual landmark has since become a popular tourist destination in the Limpopo Province. In spring, the Sunland Baobab produces beautiful, large flowers and attracts a variety of birds - including two pairs of owls.

Popular for weekend getaways, Doorndraai Nature Reserve’s offers decent fishing, birding, hiking, game drives, boating and picnicking. The Doorndraai Dam is part of this 7 000-hectare nature reserve situated on the Sterk River and in the foothills of the Waterberg. The dam is a popular largemouth bass angling site with a camping site, chalets and a conference centre. It’s also home to a wide variety of wildlife and 300 species of birds. Twenty-three species of raptor have been recorded in the reserve. Look out for Osprey, resident African Fish Eagle, Martial Eagle, Verreauxs' Eagle and Tawny Eagle. Many waders, herons, ducks and Common Whimbrel can be seen on the open shoreline.

Visit South Africa's own natural  Jurassic Park, the Modjadji Cycad Forest, which has the largest concentration of a single cycad species in the world. This stunning 530 hectare reserve is home to some of the oldest and largest cycads in the world - some up to 13 metres high and bearing cones weighing in to up to 34 kilograms.Mysteriously situated near the home of the fabled Modjadji Rain Queen in the misty Lobedu Mountains, it's an awesome place to go walking or to chill out with a picnic basket. Between December and February these living fossil plants are in seed. When the mist lifts there are sweeping views over the cycad forest to the Lowveld and the Kruger National Park. Well constructed walks meander from the cycad forest to the acacia and grass lands below. Here you can spot large game such as blue wildebeest, waterbuck, nyala, impala and bushbuck. There's a good chance of seeing monkeys, dassies and bushpigs too. The birding is fantastic with over 170 species recorded.

Bordering the Wolkberg Wilderness, this incredibly scenic mountain reserve features crystal clear rivers, countless butterflies, waterfalls and lovely pools. Swarms of colourful butterflies, intricate spider webs and awesome bird life make it a popular destination for hiking and birding. Part of its appeal is the awesome natural beauty characterised by rolling grassy hills, lush kloofs and indigenous forests. An amazing variety of butterflies can be seen in the forests during late summer. Look out for the elusive Narina Trogon and Samango monkeys clambering in the treetops. Other forest-dwelling birds to spot are the Cape Parrot, Chorister Robin-Chat, Orange Ground-Thrush, Green Twinspot, Black-fronted Bush-Shrike and Barratt's Warbler. Spectacular flaming acacias dot the grassy hills, some covered in thousands of white blossoms or stunning purple-red pods.

Meet, touch and feed the friendly animals at Mangela Animal Touch Farm Jacob the donkey and the miniature ponies Maya, Misty, Pepe and Inca are waiting for small visitors with crunchy apples and carrots. Mangela Animal Touch Farm also has ostriches, emus, pot-bellied pigs, goats, ducks, chickens, rabbits and more!Pony rides are available with supervision by friendly and helpful staff. The crew at Mangela pride themselves on their management of the animals and the environment. There is no better way for children to safely learn about them. Mangela also specialise in children's parties with different themes, birthday cakes and kiddies gift boxes available together with a jumping castle, jungle gym, self-drive toy cars and other fun activities. Mangela Animal Touch Farm, Tea Garden & Curio Shop offers activities and fun for kids and adults alike.Need to know? Mondays to Fridays 9:00am to 5:30pm Saturdays & Sundays 9:00am to 5:30pm.

Tzaneen Convention Centre combines outstanding conference facilities with state of the art equipment and luxury accommodation.The venue caters for the special needs of business, incentive groups and corporate meetings. The management and staff are specialists in this field and will consult and assist in the planning of conferences and packages. Five different venues can accommodate up to 500 people, making Tzaneen Country Lodge and Tzaneen Convention Centre an axcellent choice to conference. Whether you’re holding a sales convention, board meeting or informal get-together with associates, your comfort and success are paramount. We pride ourselves in our professionalism, quality of service and enthusiasm and arrange every detail including accommodation, decor and dining. Tzaneen Convention Centre guarantees our clients exclusivity and a high level of personal service.Tzaneen Convention Centre hosts many functions, events and themed parties filled with excitement, fun and satisfaction. We offer a personalised and professional service for all events and flexible packages to suit both your budget and personal style.All our staff, most of whom have been with us from the inception of the Tzaneen Country Lodge and the new Tzaneen Convention Centre are warm and friendly and will do everything possible to ensure that your function runs smoothly – giving you the opportunity to relax and enjoy the surroundings. With your dedicated events co-ordinator you can be assured of the best service possible.Since each and every function is tailor-made to your requirements - arrangements for special dietary requirements, specialized liquor requests, children’s entertainment and supervision – are our pleasure.Live entertainment, DJ’s, flower arrangements and a chocolate fountain are, to name but a few, some of the services catered for by Tzaneen Convention Centre. With exquisite food, funky décor, fabulous service and lovely lodgings – this is the place to be.

Legend Golf and Safari Resort promises an exceptional golf and safari experience featuring a high vantage point upon which visitors may tee off! This golf and safari resort offers a 19-hole course amidst wildlife, malaria-free bushveld surroundings, and stunning panoramic views particularly of the Hangklip Mountain. Eighteen of the world’s top golfers were selected to add their design expertise to the signature course, contributing to the allure and spirit of golf in Limpopo. Situated in the Waterberg region of the Limpopo Province of South Africa, Legend Golf sets new standards for golfing and wildlife viewing. The championship golf course includes a golf academy with driving range, recreational facilities, wellness centre, sports complex and conference centre.

Lying in the heart of the Waterberg UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the privately owned Entabeni Game Reserve promises an exciting wilderness experience for discerning travellers. Here you can take a scenic helicopter flip, gaze at the stars in the observatory, go on guided horse trails, visit the local Pedi village, enjoy sunset lake cruises and a variety of wildlife viewing activities. Known as ‘The Place of the Mountain’, this malaria-free safari conservancy has an astonishing five ecosystems. Knowledgeable and friendly guides take visitors on fascinating excursions identifying a diverse array of interesting birds and animals – so much more than the usual Big Five sightings! Explore the grasslands and stunning craggy escarpment, drive down between the cliffs past bubbling streams and down to the balmy sand wetlands – you definitely won’t get bored. And at less than a three-hour drive from Johannesburg, the reserve’s proximity and lack of the nasty anopheles mosquito makes it an alluring destination.