The Lowveld National Botanical Garden in Nelspruit makes for a wonderful sightseeing outing for the deep gorge, carved by the Crocodile river, situated at its heart. The waterfall in the gorge is a great attraction in the garden, as is the sight of the Nels and Crocodile rivers converging at its base.
There are over six hundred plant species growing naturally in the garden, and a further two-thousand have been planted here. The garden is a true delight for tree lovers, with over six-hundred-and-fifty of South Africa’s roughly one-thousand tree and shrub species growing in the garden. The garden is home to what is said to be the best collection of African cycads in South Africa, as well as a tropical rain forest collection that represents the magnificent rain forests of West and Central Africa.
The vegetation in the garden is most attractive in Autumn and Spring when the garden bursts into full bloom. Birding in the garden can be very rewarding. Look out for the purple-crested turaco and the African green pigeon. Visitors can explore the garden on the Riverside trail, a 4-m high boardwalk built to allow the hippos in the garden to roam freely.
Getting there: from Johannesburg, take the N4 into Nelspruit. As you get into Nelspruit, the N4 becomes Samora Machel Drive. Turn left at Madiba Drive. At the split take the R2296 into the Lowveld National Botanical Gardens.
| More info on the town of Nelspruit | More info on the Lowveld area |
