Gravelotte, Valley of the Olifants, Limpopo
The tiny town of Gravelotte and the surrounding area, near Phalaborwa in the Limpopo Province, is best known for its situation in the middle of the Valley of the Olifants Big 5 game viewing area in the hot, lush Lowveld bush, and it is also one of the few places in Southern Africa where emeralds have been found.
There are many large game reserves to choose from in the immediate area, notably the Hans Merensky Nature Reserve north of the town, the Selati Game Reserve to the east on the R71, and the Kruger National Park to the east via Phalaborwa. Closer to Gravelotte, the 6000ha SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary offers superb bush camp accommodation in a reserve for wildlife, such as Lions, rescued from ‘canned hunting’ operations. Various other small private bush lodges and nature reserves offer an experience of quintessential Africa in a pristine natural environment, with activities such as mountain biking and horse riding in addition to excellent game viewing.
The Gravelotte emeralds have been mined at the ‘Cobra Pit’ from the ‘Murchisone Greenstone Belt’, though the emeralds are small and mostly of specimen value.
Getting there: Gravelotte is situated at the juncture of the R40 and the R71, between Phalaborwa and Tzaneen.
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