Reserves:

Wildlife Reserves within an easy drive from Barberton are:

• Thorncroft Nature Reserve, 11 km south west, protecting Aloe thorncroftii

• Tinie Louw Nature Reserve , 3 km south east, protecting Aloe albida, the smallest of the aloes, and A.chortolirioides

• Cythna Letty Nature Reserve, 12 km south west, protecting A. vryheidensis

• Ida Doyer Nature Reserve, 12 km south, protecting the Barberton cycad, Enchephalatos paucidentata

• The original Barberton Municipal Reserve, which included the Fortuna walking trail and tunnel, and Rose’s Creek trail, is within the municipal area.

• Songimvelo Nature Reserve, managed by Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) is the largest in the area. It is the only reserve with any tourism infrastructure, though somewhat neglected. About an hour by car, it has two camps, only one of which was functional at the time of writing: wooden chalet-type bungalows, and camping sites are available.

• The Barberton Nature Reserve, on the road to Nelspruit, about 25 km out of Barberton is also managed by MTPA. There is a picnic and day visitor area but no overnight accommodation.

• Mountainlands Nature Reserve lies just east of Barberton, 10 minutes out. This joint venture reserve is in the process of development and was not easily accessible to the public at time of writing.

• Malolotja Nature Reserve just across the Swazi border from Songimvelo, in grassy hill country, has self catering accommodation and nature trails.

Several private game ranches and conservancies are scattered around the district and are normally accessible by private arrangement.

For more information, contact Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency on Tel: (013) 759 5300 or Barberton Tourism Information Centre.