Nature Reserves
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Vivo Home to 500 breeding pairs of endangered Cape Vultures, the far flung Blouberg Nature Reserve is a dream destination for twitchers and nature lovers.
Catch all the action from a hide at the ‘Vulture Restaurant’. Best visited during winter months, you will be able to see Lappet-faced Vulture, Hooded Vulture, White-headed Vulture and White-backed Vulture. An exciting rare visitor to southern Africa, Ruppell’s Vulture, is breeding in the Blouberg Colony.
Other raptors you might spot are the melanistic Gabar Goshawk, Eagle-Owl, brown snake-eagle, tawny eagle and a variety of owls. With a bird list of well over 225 recorded species it’s easy to tick off over 100 birds in a day.
Best loved are the resident flock of comical Crested Guineafowl. Other birds to look out for are Southern White-faced Scops-Owl, Greater Painted Snipe, Grey Tit-Flycacther, Red-backed Shrike, Crimson-Breasted Shrike and Kalahari Scrub-Robin.
The scenic landscape of Blouberg Nature Reserve covers a variety of habitats. Dry bushveld savannah interspersed with giant baobabs and mashatu trees, wetland and a small Sycamore fig forest. There are some wonderful hiking trails and opportunities to sight giraffe, zebra and various antelope on the plains.
Opening hours are 06:00 – 19:00
+27 (0)15 563 0702 or 083 251 9071
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Things to do near
Vivo
*Distances are shown as the crow flies and not necessarily the actual travelling
distance.
Popular Attractions
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Soutpansberg (66.4 km from Vivo) Mashovhela, also traditionally known as “the place where the drums can be heard”, is the second most sacred place in Venda folklore. This sacred site is still used occasionally by sangomas in rain-making ceremonies. A few years ago the sangomas beat their drums - shortly after which Venda had the heaviest rains and most devastating floods in living memory.!According to Venda lore, the legendary and powerful King Thohoiyanda had a mystical drum, Ngoma Lungundo ('drum of the dead'). As his enemies approached this drum was beaten and his foes just dropped dead.One night, King Thohoiyanda and the sacred drum mysteriously disappeared from his royal kraal. Neither were ever seen again. It is believed he disappeared into the Western Soutpansberg, where Mashovhela Lodge is situated.Tradition has it that it is this sacred drum that can sometimes be heard in the echoes from the rock cliffs of Mashovhela Pool.Come and listen for the drum beating at Mashovhela.
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Nature Reserves
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Musina(Messina) (89.2 km from Vivo) Home to the elusive wild dog and four of the Big Five, Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve is an exciting addition to Mapungubwe National Park, the site of southern Africa’s first kingdom.
Here you can experience quintessential Africa in this World Heritage Site, just 80km from Musina in the Limpopo Valley.
Best loved for its wildlife, Venetia is known for amazing wildlife encounters including lion, elephant, black and white rhino and of course rare wild dogs. Radio tracking trips for wild dogs and lion are on offer and greatly increase the likelihood of seeing these favourite animals.
Characterised by ancient baobabs and rugged sandstone cliffs, the reserve harbours over 400 bird species. Trained guides point out the specials which include the elusive Pel’s Fishing Owl, Pennant-winged Nightjar, Meyer’s Parrot, Thick-billed Cuckoo, Three-banded courser, Meves’s Starling, Tropical Boubou and Senegal Coucal.
Besides radio tracking of wild dog or lion and bird watching trips with experts, the reserve offers a 4x4 eco route and guided walks to view Bushman paintings and fascinating archaeological sites. And a visit to Mapungubwe wouldn’t be complete without sundowners overlooking the confluence of the Shashe and Limpopo rivers!
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Galleries and Museums
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Makhado (Louis Trichardt) (98 km from Vivo) Can you hear the drum beat; can you feel the earth spin?
Venture off the beaten track 50km north-east of Louis Trichardt on the R523 between Thohoyandou and Makhado and you’ll find the Museum of the Drum and Dzata ruins.
The rural peacefulness of the place makes it hard to believe that this was once a thriving community. This significant archaeological site is the remains of the royal kraal of the Venda kings and dates back six thousand years to 1400.
Here you can learn about the rich art culture of the Venda and their famous domba dance at the Museum of the Drum. The building houses a replica of the enormous holy drum, reputed to have magical powers that incapacitate enemies.
Entrance to the Museum of the Drum and Dzata ruins is free.
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Galleries and Museums
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Polokwane (Pietersburg) (98.4 km from Vivo) Conveniently situated across the road from the Hugh Exton Photographic Museum and Civic Centre, Polokwane Museum is an excellent spot to while away a few hours.
Occupying a lovely late Victorian shop built in 1906; the building was beautifully restored in 1986 and is now a National Monument.
Here you can discover the secrets of this city and surrounding region as well as Stone Age and Iron Age artefacts. A highlight of the museum is a display depicting the colourful traditional cultures of Limpopo people.
Complete your trip back in time and stroll across the street to the Hugh Exton Photographic Museum for an insight into the gold rush days of Polokwane's beginnings.
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Galleries and Museums
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Polokwane (Pietersburg) (98.6 km from Vivo) Take a trip back in time and catch glimpses of yesteryear at the Hugh Exton Photographic Museum.
Boasting a 23 000-strong cultural and historical photo collection taken between 1892 and 1945, the museum is well worth a visit.
Valuable original glass negatives capture the fascinating first few years of the town’s history on celluloid taken by photographer, Hugh Exton. The collection unlocks the mysteries of Polokwane’s bygone era with of images of architecture, industry, clothing, trade and famous town residents.
The museum is housed in the beautiful 1890s Dutch Reformed church. Bookings are essential. +27 (0)15 290 2186
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