Pan for Gold
What was the gold rush like 100 years ago in South Africa? Visitors can enjoy a hands-on experience at Pilgrim’s Rest and pan for gold the traditional way. Pilgrims Rest is a rewarding and interesting historical town, which offers you a unique glimpse into the past.
The old town has a museum, pub and shops that capture a bygone era. Be sure to visit the amazing art and crafts stalls along the way where you can find numerous stalls selling wares made from locals in Sabie.
Go Caving
Go cave exploring at the Echo Caves, near the Abel Erasmus Pass, and discover the Crystal Chambers that lie deep within. The cave has many impressive stalagmites and stalactites, lite by electric lights and easily viewed from paved walkways. The Crystal Palace chamber has a beautiful sparkle and is well worth the strenuous walk.
Sudwala Caves, at 3000 million years one of the oldest known cavern systems in the world, tunnel deeply within the Pre-Cambrian dolomite bedrock of the Drakensberg ranges. Many fossils, including that of the first oxygen-producing plants on earth (Collenia), may be found inside the caves. For the more adventurous, there is the Lone Creek Caving by Candlelight.
Here instead of headlamps, candles are used to illuminate portions of the cave system, little by little, revealing only a glimpse of the manganese crystals and stalactites before plunging you into darkness once more. The cave is easy to walk through, with plenty of headroom and the tour is a 1 km loop. For the more daring there is an alternative route, but this route is not for the faint-hearted, as it entails crawling through mud on your hands and knees.
Other Activities
Sabie is undoubtedly a birder’s paradise. New birding sites are constantly being discovered nearby. Important bird watching areas are Blyde River Canyon, Graskop Grasslands, Mac Mac Escarpment and Blue Swallow Heritage Site.
The Sabie Country Club has one of the best 9-hole courses surrounded by amazing views of the great Drakensberg Mountains. There are many biking routes throughout the town and there are group rides for those wanting to socialise while riding through the trails. Horse riding, motorcycling and helicopter rides are also available.