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We offer holidays to the four corners of the globe. If you want specialist advise please phone our travel team and we will be happy to help.
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- Destinations
- Africa
- South Africa
- Mpumalanga
- Pilgrim's Rest
Pilgrim's Rest
Had it not been for its picturesque setting, Pilgrim's Rest
would probably be a ghost town. It is, however, a popular tourist
destination, existing today for little other purpose than to
entertain and inform visitors about its colourful heyday. It all
began in 1873 when a Scots miner, Alex 'Wheelbarrow' Patterson,
shouted 'Eureka', having discovered gold at Pilgrim's Creek. Before
long fortune seekers had clogged the little valley, and the town of
Pilgrim's Rest was born. Mining continued for decades, but started
to dry up in the 1940s and the final mine closed in 1972. The town
has now been declared a national monument and many of its
corrugated iron buildings have been restored. These now exist as
living museums, and some as souvenir shops. There is an Information
Centre on the Main Road where visitors can learn the history of the
town before exploring it. Pilgrim's Rest is part of the scenic
'Panorama Route' north of Nelspruit.
Information & Facts
Language
South Africa has 11 official languages, including
Afrikaans, English, Xhosa, Zulu and Sotho. English is widely
spoken.
Money
South Africa's currency is the Rand (ZAR), which is divided into
100 cents. Money can be exchanged at banks, bureaux de change and
the larger hotels. ATMs are widely available (there is a daily
limit for cash withdrawals) and major international credit cards
are widely accepted, except in petrol stations where cash is
required. Visitors should be vigilant when drawing cash from ATMs,
as con artists are known to operate there. Travellers cheques and
some foreign currencies are accepted at larger hotels and shops,
but commission is charged, otherwise all commercial banks will
exchange them.
Time