Fodor's Expert Review Lowveld National Botanical Gardens

The gorgeous Lowveld National Botanical Gardens, just outside Mbombela, is the only one in the province. It's a must-see if you are at all interested in plant life. Apart from its collection of more than 2,000 species of plants, it has the largest collection of cycads in Africa. Take great photos from the wooden suspension bridge over a tumbling waterfall where the Crocodile and Nel rivers (which flow through the gardens) join together. In spring and summer, when many of the indigenous plants are flowering, you'll see lots of iridescent sunbirds feasting on the blossoms. But at any time of year, don't miss the lush man-made African rain forest that gives the gardens its "evergreen" moniker. The gardens are wheelchair-friendly.