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EXPERIENCING THE 22
Since it’s all about the drive,
it’s worth taking a closer look
at the 22. It starts in Hazyview,
towards Graskop and on to
Sabie before returning to
Hazyview. Its unofficial name
was given to it by bikers, who
drive the first 22km out of Sabie
in the direction of Hazyview,
turn around and then do it
again. It’s a beautiful and twisty
drive, best enjoyed from behind
the wheel of a car tuned for
dynamic activities.
We drove this route six times,
testing each of the vehicles.Main image: Beautiful roads
and stunning vistas is what
Mpumalanga is all about.
Far left: The convoy of Havals,
big and small, ready to explore.SEPTEMBER 2019 37
The Haval range certainly
impressed. Sure, they’re not
sporty vehicles but each vehicle
provided a safe, comfortable
journey, sure to entertain
average drivers.
When driving the route, give
yourself time to stop at the
Forest Falls, Maria Shire Falls
and Mac Mac Falls. Being able
to combine great driving with
beautiful scenery is always
a plus.
The roads weren’t always in
pristine condition but since
we were in a fleet of SUVs, it
didn’t matter. In fact, if you’restill not convinced SUVs are the
way forward, try enjoying that
particular stretch of road in
a platkar...SNAP AWAY
The Panorama route is
something of a vehicle
photographer’s dream. Winding
roads, beautiful vistas and lots
of little side roads to capture the
forest feeling. The forests are
owned by private companies
so keep an eye out for no entry
signs. You probably won’t get
shot but we’ve experienced
angry foremen in bakkies manytimes before and they’re not
the kind to politely ask you to
turn around.
On our third day in
Mpumalanga, after an early
wake-up call for photos, we
headed back for breakfast,
packed up and went off to enjoy
more sightseeing.
Once again, we drove from
Hazyview to Graskop. This
time, instead of heading to
Sabie, we went straight through
Graskop on to the edge of the
escarpment to experience the
Pinnacle, God’s Window, and
Lisbon Falls.
Annoyingly, the above-
mentioned viewpoints are way
behind the times as they’re
cash-only operations.
That’s the only criticism one
can level at them, however.
As anyone who has ever been
there will tell you, the views
are astonishing. The Pinnacle is
impressive but God’s Window
is certainly worthy of its biblical
title. If the big man could
choose any view in existence,
we’re fairly sure this would be
close to the top of the list.
After another day of gazing
at the best Mpumalanga has to
offer, we headed for the Blyde
Canyon Forever Resort, which
is a treat.
Unlike most accommodation
spots which only offer a place
to sleep, this resort offers two
impressive tourist attractions
within its grounds.
The first is an amazing view of
the Blyde Canyon. Blyde means
‘glad’ or ‘happy’ in Dutch. It was
named by the Voortrekkers in
1844 when Hendrik Potgieter
and others returned safely
from Delagoa Bay. Blyde River
Canyon is the largest Green
Canyon in the world, stretching
over 26km and over 800m deep.