Things to Do in Barberton

This legendary bushveld concert and party venue is nestled in the hills just 10km south of Nelspruit in Mpumalanga. Blue Moon is a unique, custom-built, multi-purpose function venue with stunning views of the surrounding countryside.As a music venue, Blue Moon is not genre specific. Local and international highlights include Seether, Dana Winner, Freshly Ground, Prime Circle, The Parlotones, Malaika, Mafikizolo and Steve Hofmeyr.As a functions venue, Blue Moon is unique and versatile, suitable for hosting corporate end-of-year functions, launches, award dinners, weddings and birthday parties. Blue Moon's multiple stages, decks, bars, kitchen, amphitheatre, chalets, bunkhouse, trees and creative lighting can be adapted to suit just about every need. The small team of three owner-operators is always keen to accommodate exciting and challenging ideas.

The Mbombela Stadium is one of the new stadiums constructed for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The elevated stadium can comfortably seat 40,000 people and has excellent views from all positions. Situated eight kilometres north of Nelspruit, it is the closest venue to the hugely popular Kruger National Park. The bustling boom town of Nelspruit is the gateway to Kruger National Park. This busy commercial centre has excellent facilities, shopping malls and air links with Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Maputo. Nelspruit is also a major stopover for motorists travelling on the N4 en route to Kruger National Park, Swaziland and Mozambique. It is situated really close to Malelane Gate and Crocodile Bridge Gate, entrances to the Kruger National Park.

Glide through the forest canopy in one of Swaziland’s mountain wildernesses. Close to the famous Malolotja Falls and set within the forested Sihlotswane gorge, the Malolotja Canopy Tour offers a three-hour thrilling adventure. The tour takes guests zipping across ten slides and a 50m long suspension bridge that crosses the Majolomba River. Eleven elevated forest platforms provide stopping points to enjoy the view and spot birds and forest animals. The Malolotja Nature Reserve is home to a numerous mammals and birdlife including the rare Forest Canary and Ground Woodpecker. The tour starts with a long drive in an open game vehicle blesbuck, eland, impala and zebra can frequently be seen. Don’t forget to bring your camera!

Alkmaar Raceway is a world class Motocross venue hosting national and international events. The 2008 World Motocross Grand Prix took place here.

Visit Matsamo Cultural Village for the day or spend the night in a traditional Swazi custom-built 'hive'. In this traditional Swazi village the colourful Matsamo people tend their cattle, cultivate their crops and produce beautiful crafts. You'll be entertained to rousing dance and song performances and traditional cuisine, and allowed to wander where you will. Matsamo is named after Chief Matsamo, a prominent Shongwe chief and contemporary of King Mswati II. He was the first Swazi Chief to reside permanently in the area, and as a reward for his loyalty in defending the territory against invaders from the north, Mswati II allowed Chief Matsamo to remain in charge of the region as an eminent member of Swazi royalty. Today the region is still under the control of the Matsamo Tribal Authority. Visitors to Matsamo Cultural Village are treated to age-old folk songs, rhythmic dance performances, including the famous ‘Rain Dance', and music using authentic African instruments, as well as traditional Swazi cuisine. They can also wander on a tour through the village with its many huts and seclusions, interacting with the villagers as they go about their daily activities, cultivating their crops, preparing traditional food and fashioning beautiful craft works. Also at Matsamo is a well stocked curio shop with local crafts, and a spacious restaurant with a stunning panoramic view. Matsamo cultural village near Kruger Park first opened its doors in 2001 and enjoys great support from the broader community. Each staffer has shares in the owning company and it provides an income to more than 100 people, making it an award-winning responsible tourism project (Imvelo Responsible Tourism Award).

White River Country Estate is a scenic golf course situated on the outskirts of White River and not far from Kruger National Park. The 18-hole course offers a good mental and physical challenge for golfers of all skill levels. With Gary Player behind the design of the course, White River Country Estate is considered a world-class facility. The estate also offers a swimming pool, tennis courts, squash courts, and plenty of entertainment for the whole family.

Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre is perfect for the whole family to enjoy a day out. The variety of shops range from galleries housing African art to boutique clothing stores. Entertainment is on offer at The Barnyard Theatre, cinema and live music at Magnolia Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge. Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 09:00 - 16:30 Sunday 09:00 - 16:00 www.casterbridge.co.za

Duck 'n Dive is a great pub with friendly locals, attentive staff, great service and effective air conditioning. Grab an ice-cold draught with a steak, snails or pizza – reputedly they are the best in the Onderberg! Pizzas are freshly prepared and baked in a wood-burning oven. Poker, pool and dart competitions take place every second Tuesday and Wednesday. The pub has Big Screen TV and Wi-Fi. Open from 11:00 until late. The kitchen closes at 22:00.

The Sudwala Caves are an incredibly deep system of caverns lying in the Mpumalanga region of the Drakensberg escarpment. Considered the oldest known caves in the world, this astonishing unplumbed complex of passages and giant chambers extend into the mysterious Mankelexele massif. The caves are situated in the Precambrian dolomite rocks of the Malmani Group, formed over a period of some 3 000 million years, capturing in stone an era when this place was a shallow inland sea. The very earliest known life forms are preserved in fossil form in these rocks. In the cave are fossils of the first oxygen producing plants on the earth called collenia – fossilised bacterial colonies that date back 2.2 billion years! And there's a Dinosaur Park too. Kids will love the life-size monsters guarding the cave entrance. Keen for adventure? Time your visit on the last Saturday of the month and join one of the popular Crystal Tours inside the deeper chambers. You will be required to crawl through some sections be prepared to get wet. It lasts for six hours and bookings are essential. +27 (0) 13 733 4152 www.sudwalacaves.co.za

The spectacular Num-Num Hiking Trail offers seasoned hikers a self-guided three to five day hiking trail in Mpumalanga. The route takes walkers through a spectacular variety of Highveld Escarpment terrain including indigenous forest, sandstone labyrinths, grasslands and waterfalls. The scenic route delivers panoramic views of the Komati Gorge and the Skurweberg stretching all the way to Swaziland. There are plenty of opportunities to spot game and birds. Five comfy and unique overnight camps provide equipped kitchens and hot showers. A slackpacking service is available – organizers transport your luggage to the camp so that you only need to walk with your daypack. The climate is suitable all year around. Winter months are cold in the evenings but glorious and dry during the day. The summer months are warmer but there is a high chance of rain in the afternoons. Public holidays are popular so it is advisable to book well in advance. Hikers need to be reasonably fit and agile; the trail is rated by Green Flag as moderate to difficult. Footpaths take visitors through landscapes that cannot be accessed by vehicles. Be prepared for plenty of swing bridges and ladders, steep hills and descents into stunning gorges. There are also sandstone formations that you clamber through and over. View three Num-Num Hiking Trail camps: Pongola Express Candlewood Camp Aloe Kaya

The Elands River Falls is one of the highest waterfalls in Mpumalanga and is situated at one of South Africa's top rock climbing destinations. With a unique split and a plummet of 70 m, Elands River Falls is just as dramatic and scenic as South Africa's highest waterfall, the 90 m Lisbon Falls. Access to the observation platform is through the old ZAZM tunnel built in the late 1800s for the rail track between the towns Waterval Onder and Waterval Boven (meaning 'above the waterfall'), now named Emgwenya (Zulu for 'place of the crocodile').

Meet the Elephant Sanctuary’s gentle giants. During the “Trunk in Hand” programme, an experienced guide introduces visitors to the elephants. Guests are able to touch, feel, feed, interact and walk trunk-in-hand with the elephants. After the interaction visitors can opt for a short elephant ride – a privilege historically reserved for kings! It is a truly awesome experience to ride these magnificent animals. This amazing sanctuary provides a halfway house for young African elephants in need of a temporary home. The sanctuary’s vision is to release all their elephants into an environment where they can be more independent when they are mature. The Elephant Sanctuary is conveniently situated 5 km from Hazyview and 10 km from Kruger National Park’s Phobeni Gate. Facilities include elevated wooden walkways, beautifully constructed decks overlooking the river and a curio shop. View www.elephantsanctuary.co.za for bookings and details of various experiences.

Situated in the centre of Hazyview, the Rendezvous Tourist Centre is a small shopping centre with a convenient mix of amenities ranging from arts and crafts, to restaurants and pubs.

The modern Blue Haze Mall is the biggest shopping centre in Mpumalanga and Limpopo, offering 186 shops. Key tenants include SuperSpar, Standard Bank, FNB, Pep Stores, Ackermans, Jet, Ellerines, Boxer, Pick n Pay, Edgars, Woolworths, Mr. Price, Foschini, Clicks, ABSA, Nedbank, Truworthsa and KFC. Need to know? +27 (0) 82 883 3305 edwaleni@mweb.co.za www.twincity.co.za

Gliding above one of the last natural forested valleys along the Sabie River. Neighboring the Kruger National Park, the aerial cable trail takes visitors on a thrilling ride down into the valley basin. Skyway is the longest cable trail in Africa with a length of 1,2 km and a total of 10 platform stops. The platforms allow visitors an opportunity to check out the views of the forest floor and birdlife. Qualified guides lead groups along the trail. Skyway Trail has been designed and built to South African civil engineering standards and all the equipment has been tried and tested worldwide.

Designed by Gary Player in 1992, the Kruger Park Lodge Golf Course offers 9 holes (18 tees), Par 72, 6100 m (5152 m ladies) and has a difficulty rating of 3 out of 5. The attractive course has numerous water features that regularly attract hippo and abundant birdlife. Impala antelope are able to roam freely. Golfing in this wilderness environment is an unforgettable experience. Golf carts and golf clubs can be hired from the Pro Shop.

The Sabie River golf course near Nelspruit and White River is one of only four 18-hole golf courses Mpumalanga. Water hazards are plentiful so it is wise to bring plenty of balls. Numerous hippos and crocodiles are permanent residents in the course's main dam (next to the 14th and 15th holes). The course is very popular during winter and spring from July to October. Bring your binoculars if you’re a keen birder.

When the summer heat of the Lowveld gets intense, Perry's Bridge Brewery is an awesome spot to visit to quench your thirst. With their own selection of beers on tap as well as a good selection of imports, it is the ideal place to relax with friends. For non-beer drinkers there is a range of wines and also a mouth-watering menu.

Be fascinated by the mysterious world of reptiles at Perry's Bridge Reptile Park. ‘From inspiration springs conservation’ is the mantra of dedicated workers at the park and their passion is contagious. Knowledgeable guides unlock the secrets of these often misunderstood creatures and reveal their elegance, magnificence, specialisation, and adaptability. Do you ever wonder what the largest serpent in the world is? Or want to find out how and what they eat? Here you will find these answers and a whole lot more intriguing discoveries. Perry's Bridge Reptile Park is home to a variety of venomous snakes, large constrictor lizards, crocodiles, tortoises and frogs in surroundings simulating their natural environments as closely as possible. Check out anacondas, reticulated pythons, deadly black mambas, green mambas, rattlesnakes, boomslang, gaboon adders, cobras, iguanas, ancient leopard tortoises, poison dart frogs, and enormous Nile crocodiles. Small visitors will love Pum Pum, Peaches and Pumpkin, the potbellied pigs; Daisy and Gandalf the goats; Letitia and Lancelot, the peacocks; and an assortment of ducks and geese. Perry's Bridge Reptile Park is open daily 10:00 – 17:00 and offers demonstrations at 11:00 and 15:00. Crocodile feeding is on Sundays at 14:00. Where? Perry's Bridge Tourist Centre, corner of R40 and R536, Hazyview – 14 km from Phabeni and Numbi gates of the Kruger National Park. +27 (0) 13 737 7680.

Get up close and personal with six magnificent elephants on the banks of the Sabie River. The Elephant Whispers experience allows you to touch, exchange trunk greetings and offer tasty treats to tame and trained elephants varying in ages from nine to twenty six years. Visitors can also enjoy a thrilling elephant ride meandering down shady paths and enjoying the view. Several excursions are available – view http://elephantwhispers.co.za for more details.