Hoedspruit, Northern Province

Are you tired of the daily grind of life A refreshing trip amongst the natural reserves of South Africa is sure to drive away the blues of your daily stress. Hoedspruit, Northern Province is a perfect place to enjoy some quiet time in the lap of nature.

The name Hoedspruit means "hat creek" in Afrikaans. There is an interesting story connected with the naming of this place. The story goes that one of the pioneers of the town, took off his hat after a tiring trek. The hat was thrown into the Sandpruit River and it is after this that he suddenly decided to settle down in that place. The hat that resulted in an impulsive decision lead to the naming of the city.

A visit to Hoedspruit, Northern Province involves a tour of various game reserves. This region of Limpopo (formerly known as the Northern Province) is conveniently located, with some of the major game reserves just a stones throw away. The town itself is agriculturally rich. The popularity of the town can be attributed to the proximity to the major game reserves. In fact Hoedspruit is one of the top five tourist spots of South Africa.

Despite the encroachment of modern ways, Hoedspruit, Northern Province retains much of its natural charm. Eco tourism too is practiced in these parts. Assisting in this global venture is the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Center. The latter is a non profitable organization that breeds endangered wildlife species.

Cheetahs, African wild dogs, blue cranes and black footed cats are some of the endangered species that have been conserved by this organization. You can take a look at the various rare animal species and even take a hike across the trails, provided especially for this purpose.

The Timbavati Game Resreve, Krugar National Park and Klaserie Game Reserves are popular hikes from Hoedspruit, Northern Province. The Krugar National Park was the first of the national parks that eventually mushroomed across South Africa. The attractions of the park include different types of trees, fishes and wildlife species. There are about 147 types of mamals, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 30 fishes and 507 varieties of birds. The Big Five - Lion, Buffalo, Rhinoceros, Leopard and Elephant are among the wildlife animals present in the park.

The Timbavati Game Reserve is almost part of the Krugar National Park. There is a common border between the two reserves, which is unfenced. Thus together the two opens up a world of diverse wildlife species, roaming over an area completely unrestricted. The Klaserie Game Reserve, which borders both the other two reserves and is an obvious visit on this trip.

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