Lowveld Botanical Garden

The garden sits where the Crocodile and Nels rivers meet on the edge of Mbombela, and the confluence does the work: both rivers drop over rock as they arrive, so there are waterfalls inside the garden, with viewing decks and a suspension bridge over the Crocodile gorge. About 159 hectares are divided between cultivated collections and natural riverine bush. The cycad collection is the notable one - reportedly the largest in Africa, holding threatened Encephalartos species from across the continent, some of them extinct or nearly so in the wild, and grown here partly as insurance. There is a small rainforest section watered artificially, a baobab, and a African rainforest walk. Birds are strong along the river. It is a working scientific collection as much as a park, and it is one of the few gardens in the country with genuine waterfalls in the middle of it.

What you actually see

• The two-river confluence - waterfalls where the Crocodile and Nels rivers meet.
• The cycad collection - reportedly Africa's largest, holding species nearly gone in the wild.
• The gorge bridge - a suspension crossing over the Crocodile below the falls.
• The rainforest section - an artificially watered patch of forest planting.

When to go

April to September for comfort; waterfalls are strongest after summer rain. Two to three hours.

Honest expectations

Summer in the Lowveld is hot and humid. River levels vary and the falls can be thin in a dry winter. Paths near the gorge are slippery. It is on the edge of a city, so traffic noise carries in places.

Nearby

Mbombela is adjacent; Kruger's southern gates are east.