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The spacious house is situated near the road to Swaziland (40 km), 60 km from the Kruger Park and 45 km from Nelspruit (KMI Airport).
Barberton, offers many attractions: hiking trails, scenic drives, visiting a gold mine, an Heritage Walk (starts at museum) and many more.
Dinner by prior arrangement.
BARBERTON
The scenic town of Barberton is nestled at the foot of some of the oldest and most spectacular mountain ranges in the world. Barberton affords the traveller and nature lover an ideal opportunity to travel back to the dawn of time more than 3.500 million years ago! The geological and biological base of the Barberton Mountainland is unique on the planet and the scenery compliments this spectacular and wonderful area.
Apart from being home to some of the oldest rocks and first life forms on the planet, Barberton has a rich cultural background with gold pioneering history and Swazi pastoralists playing a major part. The richest gold discoveries ever have been made at places like Eureka City and the Golden Quarry. The Victorian heritage is omnipresent in the town with several architectural examples of the lifestyle of the 19th century open to the public.
Adventurers are equally catered for with 4x4 trails, hiking trails, day tours, microlight flying, hot air ballooning and scenic drives to mention but a few.
Why not come and explore off the beaten track: visit Barberton, the Gem of the Lowfeld!
MPUMALANGA
Barberton is situated in the east of Mpumalanga (formerly Eastern Transvaal), which is Swazi for "Where the sun rises".
The province of Mpumalanga is located in the north eastern part of South Africa, and is bordered by Mozambique to the east and the Kingdom of Swaziland to the south and east.
Mpumalanga also shares common borders with the Northern Province to the north, Gauteng to the west, the Free State to the south west and KwaZulu-Natal to the south east.
In the mountains above Barberton scientists have found traces of "Stromatolites", the remnants of blue-green algae formed 3.500 million years ago when oxygen was added to the earth's atmosphere in significant quantities to create the first evolutionary step towards life forms.
Throughout the Mpumalanga hills and mountains exist hundreds of examples of San (bushman) art. This art serves as a window looking into the lives of the San hunters and gatherers who inhabited the area centuries before the arrival of the Nguni people from the north.
The region abounded with all types of game, plants, birds and insects. The rivers ran full, providing for the needs of these early inhabitants. Later came the first of the Nguni people who arrived with herds of cattle, and mined red ochre in the hills south of Malelane. Early smelters, which pre-date the main Nguni influx, have been excavated, indicating that the use of iron and copper was well advanced during these years.
Similarly, early pottery fragments and sculptural artifacts unearthed in the hills on the Long Tom Pass, notably the "Lydenburg heads" have been described as a major art find.
Around 1.400 AD the second Nguni migration arrived from the north with their vast herds of cattle. These people had advanced the art of iron smelting, and built stone-walled houses for their settlements.
The creation of the Swazi nation as we know it today commenced at the time of King Ngwane. The area, which was then demarcated by tribal boundaries, was referred to as KaNgwane, a name that still stands. Clans forged friendships with other clans through marriage and for safety of numbers, while frequent raids against neighbouring clans served to replenish cattle herds and to extend tribal lands.
The movements of tribal chiefs through the region had a profound effect on the formation and bonding of nations. Most notable was the influence of Zulu king Shaka, whose empire stretched southwards from the Swaziland border to the Tugela River. Shoshangane, who escaped from Zululand and settled in the Gaza Province of Mozambique, was the founder of the Shangane people, while Mzilikazi, after being forced to flee Zululand to escape the wrath of Shaka, travelled through the region on his way north to establish an empire in southern Zimbabwe. His passage was marked by death and destruction as he sought to subjugate the Ndebele people.
For centuries, Mpumalanga was populated by warrior clans who roamed the hills and plains in search of grazing for their cattle and safety for their people. Theirs was a life of war and survival as the centres of power moved from one clan to another. The oral tradition passed down in the folklore of the people is today an important record of the lives and tribal history of the inhabitants.
SWAZILAND
Before the white settlers came, the De Kaap valley was virtually uninhabited in the summer months due to various diseases, such as malaria. The Swazi lived on the surrounding mountains.
The Swazi is part of the Nguni group and consists of three groups: viz the beSuthu sibbes, which is called emaKhandzambili and the Mdzabuko (original group).
The name Swazi has been derived from a former Paramount Chief, called Mswati or Mswazi.
When visitors arrive in Swaziland, endless questions arise concerning the culture and royal family structure.
In Swaziland no king can appoint his successor. Only the royal family decides which of the wives shall be "Great wife" and "Indlovukazi" (She-Elephant/ Queen Mother). The son of this "Great Wife" will automatically become the next king.
However, there are conditions to be fulfilled…The "Great Wife" must only have one son, be of good character and come from a 'good' family. She must not bear the maiden name of Nkhosi-Dlamini and she must not be a ritual wife (i.e. the eldest son is never the heir).
The crown prince can only be installed as king after the late kings wives have gone through a mourning period of at least two years.
A Swazi king's first two wives are chosen for him by the national councillors. These two have special functions in rituals and their sons can never claim kingship. The first wife must be a member of the Matsebula clan, the second of the Motsa clan.
After that a king is free to take as many wives as he likes. Tourist literature often states: 'The king takes a new wife every year at the reed dance". He is not obliged to do so, but indeed, watching girls at the reed dance might lead to a (discreet) meeting to find out if a girl is suitable…
The Incwala
Incwala is often called in English as 'first fruits ceremony'. It is the most sacred of all Swazi ceremonies and takes place once a year in mid-summer. During this occasion special songs are sung, exclusively reserved for this event. Fetching and dropping the "lusekwane" (sickle bush/dichrostachys Cinera), day of the bull, day of abstinence, are some high points of this spectacular ceremony.
Umhlanga/Reed Dance
This annual event takes place in late August or early September. Maidens, mostly teens, from every part of the kingdom with a homogenous population of around one million, gather to pay homage to the 'The Great She Elephant', the Queen Mother or "ladlovukazi".
The maidens who belong to the female 'imbali' (flower) regiment, are assigned to gather reeds from specially selected areas. Older girls travel a long distance leaving the young ones to choose reeds close to their homes. The day of dancing begins with bathing and grooming prior to displaying their intricate dancing skills before the 'Great Lion' (the king) and the'Great She Elephant'.
Marriage
The man's family gives cattle (usually 15) as marriage dowry/ 'lobola' to the bride's family.
The number of cattle is negotiable. Mostly the traditional wedding takes place from June to August.
The bride and her relatives go to the groom's homestead on Friday evening. On Saturday morning the bridal party sits by a nearby river and slaughter either a goat or a cow, offered by the grooms family.
It's only then on Sunday morning that the final preparations are made: the bride with her female relatives stabs the ground with a spear in the groom's cattle kraal; later she is smeared with red ochre.
The smearing is the high point of marriage, NO woman can be smeared twice!
Finally the bride presents gifts to her newly- wed husband and his relatives. These gifts are presented according to the order of birth.
Wildlife
Game parks as Hlane, Nisela, and Mliwane with nature reserves such as Malolotja and Mlawula, will impress everyone.
Swaziland's parks are uncrowded and suited to self-discovery. Witness the remarkable bio-diversity from the Motshane heights to the Piggs Peak range of mountains down to the lowfeld planes of Mlawula and Mbuluzi.
Barberton Manor Guest House is near the road to Swaziland: the Bulembu road starts at Sheba Road and is about 45 km. It is a dirtroad, so in the rainy season a 4 * 4 vehicle is no luxury. Also, ask your car rental company about their (insurance) policies, as you are crossing an international border (Havelock). In case the Bulembu road is not accessible for luxury cars, we advise the Oshoek borderpost, via Badplaas, which is about 70 km from Barberton.
Notes on price:
We offer three unique and luxurious rooms:
* King of Bafuri room
Luxury Double Room, two single beds, bathroom en-suite,satellite television (DSTV & M-Net), ceiling fan, sleeps 2 max.
R 325,00 single
R 225,00 per person sharing
* King Salomon room
Superior Double Room, two single beds as a double and a double bed, bathroom en-suite, satellite television (DSTV & M-Net), ceiling fan, sleeps 4 max.
R 360,00 single
R 275,00 per person sharing
* Queen of Sheba room
Exclusive Double Room, two double beds, bathroom en-suite, satellite television (DSTV & M-Net), ceiling fan, sleeps 4 max.
R 475,00 single
R 325,00 per person sharing
All rooms have a bathroom en-suite, satellite television (DSTV & M-Net), ceiling fan.
Rates include breakfast à la carte.
