Hoedspruit is a small tourism and agriculturally orientated town in the central Lowveld, just outside the famous Kruger National Park, half way between the Orpen and Phalaborwa gates. This small bush-town is well-situated in the midst of the region’s attractions like activities as birding, hikes, horse riding and exclusive “getaways”, the Cheetah Breeding Project, a micro light Flying School, Blyde River Canyon, the Panorama route, Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre, Balule Nature Reserve and more. Hoedspruit offers accommodation to suit all pockets, from the world’s leading five star safari luxury to budget backpackers retreats.
The town has a beautiful setting- the towering cliffs of the Escarpment and endless expanses of bushveld with plains of marula, acacia, and mopane woodlands stretching as far as the eye can see.
Hoedspruit is well supplied with a variety of shops and restaurants, and is growing rapidly. It is a town full of character and friendly people. Hoedspruit acquired its name when, after a long trek over the mountains into the heat of the Lowveld, one of the pioneers removed his hat and threw it into the cool waters of the Sandspruit River and decided to stay, the river is now largely dry. There is a heat-repelling plastic statue of a hat, to celebrate this, outside the train station
The yearly average maximum temperature is 28.6°C, and the yearly average minimum is 15.4°C. The hottest months of the year are usually December, January and February, with an average monthly maximum temperature of over 31°C, and a minimum of 20°C. The coolest month of the year, July, registers an average maximum of 24.7°C, and an average minimum of 9°C. The area is free of Malaria, but it is advisable to take precautionary measures and use insect repellent to prevent mosquito bites during the rainy season, which is between October and March, peaking in December and January. Hoedspruit ’s average yearly rainfall is just 513mm There are around 25 thunderstorms in a the year, with brief periods of heavy rain accompanied by spectacular lightening. After the rain, the sun will come quickly and the weather is fine again. During the summer the surroundings are colored brown en yellow, but when the rains fall it transforms in a lush green paradise.
In Hoedspruit you find the Kamogelo Tourism Centre’s which has a unique East African architecture. The centre has over twenty eight shops and restaurants, whit various activities and a wide variety of products. There is a store whit beautiful African silks, a Summer spa, a hairdresser, a gift shop, a jeweler, a car wash, a photographer, a pub, diners and more.
A must-visit is Alex Zamoumis’ new Tribal Art Gallery in the Kamogelo Centre, this gallery exhibits collections of tribal art collected in southern Africa during the last 30 years. The gallery, has monthly exhibitions concentrating on a wide range of different aspects of indigenous culture ranging from beadwork, basketry, pottery, weapons, medical and spiritual devices, ritual and cultural objects. Alex and his associates are involved with many ‘self-help’ projects where they have encouraged rural people to maintain their tradition skills and art as a source of sustainable income.
Ngena deli is led by the Dutch owner. It has a bakery, whit delicious fresh bread. They also have imported food and cheese. It is an open air restaurant, a deli and a coffee shop, whit a nice view from the terrace. In Hoedspruit banks are open from 09h00 to 15h30 during the week and from 08h30 to 11h00 on Saturdays. Automatic teller machines are found in Kamagelo shopping centre and the Engen garage. There is a hospital on the Drakensig Military Base and doctors, pharmacies and a dentist in town.
In Hoedspruit is a railway. In 2009 a shiny new Premier Class train service between Johannesburg and Hoedspruit has been launched, providing an added attraction to Limpopo’s big-five reserves. This train offers visitors a five-star service, including private cabins, five-course meals and spa facilities. The service operates once a week, leaving Park Station on a Thursday evening and arriving mid-morning on Friday in Hoedspruit. It returns on the Sunday evening, arriving back in Johannesburg on the Monday morning. There is an airport just outside Hoedspruit, used for civilian domestic flights.
Eastgate Airport service daily scheduled flights from and towards Johannesburg, according as Cape town, by South African Airways. There are also other domestic carriers who have regular flights to this airport. And Eastgate Airport is even ideally suited to the handling of private charter flights.
Car hire is available in Hoedspruit, with Avis at the airport. And Budget at the offices of McFarlanes Safaris next to Lebamba, they deliver your car if you require it at the airport, because the airport is around 10km out of town.
From Johannesburg it’s a beautiful drive to Hoedspruit, you take the N12 towards Witbank, here it becomes the N4, follow this road until Belfast. At Belfast you take the R540 towards Dulstroom and Lydenburg. In Lydenburg follow the R36 leading to Ohrigstad then take the R527 to Hoedspruit. It is possible to rent the car in Johannesburg to leave in Hoedspruit or the other way around. So you can take the train or airplane for one of the rides.
