Dullstroom
Close to the ground.
GPS: S 25 24.924 E 030 06.328 pop. 6,000 | elevation 2,016 m/6,614 ft
At 2,012 m/6,601 ft Dullstroom is the highest town on the Drakensburg Escarpment in Mpumalanga with warm sunny days and freezing overnight temperatures in the winter. The town dates back to the late 1800s when Wolterus Dull collected money in Holland for the Boers during the Anglo-Boer War and today is a stress-free town with the main tourist attractions being trout fishing and happy hour. It is frequently busy on the weekends with urbanites from neighboring Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Trout fishing is the main activity that draws people to Dullstroom.
Mavungana Flyfishing Center
Mavungana Flyfishing Center is the largest fishing shop in town and can outfit you with everything you need. They sell all sorts of fishing gear and permits, and can give advice on local fishing spots. They also hire rods and offer fishing lessons and guided fishing tours to nearby well-stocked dams.
Cycle Hire
Electric Bikes and Mountain Bikes can be rented from Cycle Hire to tour around the town.
Owl & Oak Center/Dullstroom Riding Center
Head to the Owl & Oak Center for horse riding at the Dullstroom Riding Center. Owners Dave and Rhoda will take you horseback riding wherever you want to go. They even do a happy hour horseback pub crawl to the bars in town.
Dullstroom Bird of Prey Rehabilitation Center
Dullstroom Bird of Prey Rehabilitation Center receives hundreds of injured birds every year and works to rehabilitate them. They have daily shows where the birds show off their agility as they swoop down and fly close to the visitors. The center also has other animals in their petting zoo and a restaurant.
There is no central shopping area in Dullstroom, but there are many shops catering to the tourist crowd that line the downtown section of Naledi Drive.
Old Transvaal Inn
Old Transvaal Inn has 18 large en-suite rooms with heaters and old brick bathrooms that open up onto a courtyard behind the main lodge that has a café, restaurant (mains R50-70), bookstore, toy shop and handmade chocolate and fudge shop.
The Poacher
The Poacher has four plain but decent-sized en-suite rooms with space heaters and heated blankets. The four rooms are conveniently located behind the restaurant and bar.
Dullstroom Inn
Dullstroom Inn is a historic Dullstroom building built in the early 1900s and intentionally unrenovated to keep the "old feeling."Unfortunately this goes for the rooms as well. There is a warm reading lounge and active pub and restaurant with a fireplace that has been burning nonstop for the past 26 years.
Critchley Hackle
Critchley Hackle has courtyard entrance parking with the main lodge and 24 rooms surrounding a private dam-built lake stocked with trout for guests to fish. The main lodge has cattle-hide rugs, with a restaurant overlooking the lake and a swell cocktail lounge with pleasant music. The opulent rooms have four-post bed frames and large bathrooms.
Mrs. Simpsons
Mrs. Simpsons is one of the more upscale restaurants in town and is frequently packed with patrons. A carefully selected menu offers quail stuffed with lemon and sage and fresh Dullstroom deboned trout.
Duck & Trout
Duck & Trout has a true restaurant and pub atmosphere with a large stone fireplace next to the bar. The restaurant serves up its special duck & cherry pie or grilled stuffed trout as well as a good selection of wood-fired pizzas.
Harrie's Pancakes
Harrie's Pancakes is a modern-interior pancake house. There is a large variety of sweet and savory pancakes from butter and syrup to escargot with creamy garlic sauce.
Pickle & Things Bistro
Pickle & Things Bistro has a specialty deli next to the restaurant serving up daily specials in addition to the numerous fresh trout and burger selections. There is shaded outdoor seating for the warm days and six burning fi replaces inside for the cooler nights.
Canimambo Restaurant
Canimambo Restaurant is a Portuguese and Mozambique style restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating.
The Poacher
The Poacher is a pub and restaurant with hearty meals ranging from slow-cooked oxtail to beef curry and pot pies. The restaurant sources much of its produce from local farmers.
Happy hour is a celebrated event in Dullstroom with many bars participating in this tradition, which is popular with both tourist and locals.
Canimambo
Canimambo starts out early with happy hour from 1-2pm on Mon-Fri.
The Poacher
The Poacher has happy hour from 5-7pm on Tues.
Dullstroom Inn
Dullstroom Inn has happy hour from 5-6pm on Mon-Wed & Fri.
Duck & Trout
Thurdays you can catch happy hour at Duck & Trout from 5-6pm.