Arum Lilea - Mpumalanga

Hello Journeyers and Happy Friday!
Tomorrow we are already entering the 3rd month of the year. I am extremely excited about today's post. This is a brand new series to my blog! I will have a Guest "Blogger" (won't necessarily always be a blogger) that will share a destination or travel experience with all of you, my loyal readers. When I first thought about this idea it was very easy for me to pick my opening blogger! I have been following Leanne over @ Arum Lilea since I've started blogging. And I've had the privilege of meeting her too, what a sweet person! She is beautiful with such a kind heart. And she is one of those all in one packages. Brains and beauty. So before I ramble on and you guys start losing interest....without further ado - here's Leanne!

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Hi everyone!  I’m so honoured to write the first Guest Travel Post for Our Journey to Everywhere.  When Johlet first asked me to do this post, I sat wondering where in the world I most enjoy travelling.  As someone who is completely infected with the travel bug, I love to explore internationally but I also appreciate the extraordinarily beautiful destinations we have in South Africa so today I’m bringing you a little bit of love from home:  Mpumalanga.

Mpumalanga?  People ask me all confused.  Yes, Mpumalanga.  It is one of my favourite places on this earth.  More specifically, Blyde River Canyon and the Panorama Route.  In this particular part of the world you can expect forests, waterfalls and views that your eyes might not believe.

The Panorama Route comprises of various stops including Bourke’s Potholes, Berlin falls, Lisbon falls, God’s Window and the Pinnacle.  On route there are also two sets of caves; the Sudwala caves and Echo caves that are also worth visiting. 

This route requires you drive the distance between each stop which means you’re doing a lot of driving around but the route is circular so it does bring you back to your starting point.  If you don’t feel like doing the driving yourself there are travel shuttles that you can organise through your hotel or information centre that will do the driving for you.  We were driving ourselves so we decided to divide the route into two day trips which worked out perfectly.

I’d recommend you take a packed lunch as there isn't very much in the way of restaurants once you’re out there.  We stopped at Spar in the morning and bought fresh rolls and cheeses and popped them in the cooler bag with a few bottles of water.  This is also so lovely to do because it means you end up picnicking surrounded by the most beautiful views.  On your way back to the hotel, Harrie’s Pancakes is not to be missed!  It is right outside Graskop Hotel and it has pancakes like you've never tasted them before.  My favourite is the milk tart filled pancake – nom nom nom.

The first time I ventured out here, I stayed at Graskop Hotel which is a very sweet hotel very close to the start of the Panorama Route.  If you don’t mind staying a little further away, I've also stayed Casa do Sol, a four star hotel in Hazyview.  This is a very romantic hotel with lovely spacious rooms (the double villas).  Our room rate included breakfast and dinner which were both delicious.  I also enjoyed staying at this hotel because the drive from Hazyview to Graskop takes you through Sappi’s forests which are beautiful.  The hotel also had a wonderful spa and lovely pool area which are both worth visiting on the days you've chosen to relax all day.

If you’re planning on road-tripping out here, have a look for specials for Casa do Sol.  I found ours on mtbeds.co.za which was R5000 for 3 nights including breakfast and dinner.   Graskop Hotel was about R700 a night including breakfast.  Other costs involve small entrance fees into the viewpoints, majority of which are R10. 

Don’t forget sunscreen and lots of water and I can guarantee you will have an incredible time and make memories for a lifetime.

You can find her here:

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Did you love this as much as I did? Then please leave your love at the bottom of the page and go share your love with Arum Lilea! After reading this I must admit I am even more confused on where to go for our mid year holiday break. As Mpumalanga is on our shortlist. And Leanne's photos just made me really jealous. 

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! Share your love. Even it's just with a smile! Brighten someone's day!