The charming town of Waterval Onder lies at the edge of the great escarpment that separates the mountainous regions with the low lying areas in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa and where exotic fruits, vegetables and nuts grow in profusion and waterfalls abound.

Waterval Onder (below the waterfall) is named after the Elands River waterfall. The small town is located near its base and is best known for the railway line that passes here along the route between Pretoria and Maputo. The line was built in the 1890s and was called the Line of Death for the high cost of human life. Workers died mainly of fever.

Vast farmland on undulating hills are interspersed with evergreen savannah and running rivers, Waterval Onder is just bursting with natural beauty.

Top 6 reasons to visit Waterval Onder

1. Waterval Onder has 3 national heritage sites to visit; a 200m tunnel built in the late 1800s and abandoned in 1908, the Krugerhof house where the Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek President Paul Kruger last lived before leaving the country and the beautiful 5-arch bridge over the Elands River.

2. Join the Waterval Boven village council on the Elandskrans Hiking Trail through a private nature reserve and via stunning waterfalls. The area is rich in birdlife and has magnificent scenery. This overnight trail includes a return train ride from Waterval Onder.

3. Take the 1 hour guided tour through the Sudwala Caves, formed 240 million years ago and lined with impressive limestone and dolostone formations such as the screaming monster. The 37m high amphitheatre is occasionally used as a venue for musical events.

4. Hire the necessary gear for a fishing excursion along the Elands River. The river is stocked with yellowfish, bass and carp.

5. Travel the area around Waterval Onder to sample the wares of the various farm stalls dotted along the road. Expect to be treated to farm-fresh mangos, litchis, avocados and nuts, along with dried fruit, smoked trout and homemade preserves. Waterval Onder has the correct microclimate for the slow growing macadamia nut.

6. Rock climbers flock to Waterval Onder to climb the challenging routes around the town. Abseiling (rappelling) is also popular here. Ask your host for more details.

Transport

Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport in Mbombela is 106km from Waterval Onder. An alternate airport is OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, 245km away. A vehicle can be hired from the airports and most large towns in Mpumalanga otherwise order a rental online. Most major towns have metered taxi and shuttle services for trips to Waterval Onder.

Did you know?

Stalagmites are a great indicator to scientists of determining climate changes, rain levels and plant growth that has occurred in and around caves over thousands of years.

The Sudwala Caves was often used as a refuge by warring tribes and the area is the scene of many past bloody battles. The caves are also believed by some to be where the Kruger Millions are hidden. In 1900, during the South African War, a shipment of gold bullion disappeared off a cargo train somewhere between Waterval Onder and Mbombela. Fortune hunters are still searching…

Due to the 220m elevation difference between nearby Waterval Boven and Waterval Onder, the railway service required a complex rack system to carry the train up the steep incline. A rack railway uses a 2nd motion device to drive the cogwheels.