Destinations / Escarpment >>

Driving east from Johannesburg or Pretoria you’d be forgiven for wondering what the attraction is. The N4/N12 highway makes its way through featureless farmland interspersed with the occasional coal mine.

But after a few hours, things begin to change. Flat expanses begin to develop into hills. Then you are on the escarpment, where the Highveld plunges 1,000 metres to meet the humid Lowveld. This is part of the same geological formation that runs all the way from Egypt through the Rift Valley in East Africa.

If you stick to the highway you will not get the full sense of the drama of the escarpment, so rather take the turnoff at Belfast and start one of our top drives in the whole of South Africa.

Well worthy of a stop, or even a couple of nights is Dullstroom, with its almost Scottish Highland climate, great restaurants and the best fly fishing in SA. The most dramatic view of the escarpment is to be had at the appropriately-named God’s Window. If you’re on your way to mid-Kruger, Sabie is the best place to break the long journey.

There are a plethora of activities to be done on and around the escarpment, in addition to the spectacular views and drives. If you want to try your luck rafting, Blyde River Canyon further north is an excellent option, there are great golf courses at White River, Nelspruit and Sabie and there are some challenging day hikes along the top of the escarpment.

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