From Kirkman’s Kamp in the Sabi Sands Reserve we entered The Kruger National Park through the Kruger Gate and drove at 50km/hr for two hours through the park, spotting a massive herd of elephant spread out as far as the eye could see.
Through the gate at Malelane, we exited The Kruger National Park and drove to Barberton for padkos and refuelling.
South-east of Barberton, we chugged along the ever steep and winding tarred Saddleback Pass with sweeping views of the surrounding mountains and Sappi’s forestry. Over 10.5 kilometres, we climbed 609 meters in altitude.
Beyond the summit and Lomati Dam, the Saddleback Pass becomes the Bulembu Pass, which connects South Africa to Swaziland.
Warning
Bulembo Border post closes at 4:00pm. We arrived with two minutes to spare and fortunately, made it to the Swaziland side. It would have been a very time-consuming mistake otherwise…
From here onwards, through the derelict mining town previously known as Havelock Mine, now owned by Bulembu Ministries, a Canadian evangelical Christian charity, a 4×4 is a must. The road was incredibly exciting and in the heavy downpour that cloaked over us proved a challenge I never wanted to end.
Traversing through an even more dramatic landscape and a deluge or two passing through Piggs Peak, we reached the Royal Swazi Spa Hotel, our final destination early evening.
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