Bambi - Mpumalanga   -25.48773,30.30438

25° 29.613'S  30° 18.001'E 

NOAA weather  http://www.arl.noaa.gov/ready2-bin/main.pl?Lat=-25.50&Lon=30.30

 


Before you go there ,  check out http://www.flybambi.co.za/ and SiteInfo.doc and comply

Landing Area

Do not land next to the house ( old landing area)

Do not drive to the owners house.

http://www.flybambi.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=34&Itemid=53 

   DO NOT DRIVE ON THE ROAD TO THE HOUSE AT LANDING. ALL PILOTS MUST WALK TO THE MAIN ROAD TO REACH THEIR VEHICLES (EXCEPTION TO HANG GLIDERS ONLY)

By default land in the big long green field behind the house and walk out.

By landowner concession we are allowed at the moment to drive to the landing field behind the house.


 

Earth Google  sample Track flight   and Take off  kmz  file 

 

 

Bambi Site Details

Site fee and a training fee payable for students.

Schools have to book before arrival.

Easy beginner site facing NW-N-E-SE.
About 250 m high.
15 minute recovery on a worn out dirt road from bottom to top. Or walk back up.

Mainly ridge soaring mixed with thermals.

Renowned for late afternoon ( 16.00 onwards)  "valley release magic lift ".
Which provides easy smooth soaring conditions.
Caused by a seabreeze which works it way inland from the ocean during the day. 

How to get there

 From Edenvale it is 265km to take-off.

From JHB take the N4 through 2 toll gates direction Nelspruit. 


After Machadodorp toll gate follow the Bambi/Lydenburg/Schomanskloof N4 up the hill.
On top is a Goedewill dirt road turnoff to the left.
Follow this dirt road for 10 km and you are at take off

To avoid the toll roads

  Middleburg, -  use the Witbank Dam road , which joins  the casino offramp at Witbank via the power station, over the Witbank dam to T junction and back to N4

  Machadodorp  - either take the Dullstrom-Farrefontein 18km drive around on a very corrugated road.  Or via Belfast towards Dullstrom and follow the Elandsfontein 35km dirt road that joins the Bambi dirt road. If you have the time and the right vehicle.
 
 When it rains the access roads become very muddy and difficult for low ground clearance vehicles.

Access road to turkeypatch landing after some rain....

Where to stay

See Accommodation.doc 

Waterval Boven Elandskraal

A holiday resort with chalets or camping facilities. Rock climbing, pools, rock pools

or at the Rock+Rope backpackers hangout for rockclimbers.

Kiepersol

Google Earth link of Kiepersol, which is approx 1.6 km after the tunnel past Waterval-Boven.

 www.kiepersolb-b.com

email kiepersolbb@gmail.com. Telephone 013-257-7063 or 082-674-1343

 R150 per person per night
R50 per person per meal (breakfast or supper)(has to be booked)
 
Solves the problem of having to find a restaurant in the area that won't take 2 hours to serve, or cooking oneself. It is not a la carte - one tells them up front what one would like to eat. One can cook or braai - there is a kitchen with fridge and stove and kettle, etc. Nice braai facilities as well.
 
They also have a small pub on the premises.
 
Telephone Engela & Andre Boshoff on 013-257-7063.

 At Bambi

 Basic camping and dam to swim, check first with owners.

 

Or  Www.stonechat. co.za

A lodge and caravan / camping site opposite the Bambi Hotel

FlyBambi club members:
CAMPING: R100 per tent per night, max 2 per tent. New bathrooms with
underfloor heating, kitchen facilities and open fire place.

LODGE fully furnished: between R150 - R300 p/p/pn depending on season



To book please call Wayne (manager on site) 083 265 9901

 Where to eat and drink

Braai. Or at Waterval Boven the Shamrock Inn, Tropicana, or the local Disco for steak egg and chips.
 The Trout+Whistle restaurant has become very posh, if you like that type of restaurant.
 

  What else to do

Rockclimbing around Elandskarns.

Hike the gorge behind Elandskrans.

Rockpools at 5 archers bridge and Kiepersol.

Walk up the old railway access road behing Kieprsol to the old railway tunnel.

Or do a 30 minute walk up the hill to the look out point to the waterfall

s

 

Ask landowner permission to swim in the pond at Bambi opposite of turkey patch road.
Visit the ice cold rock pool in the time share resort Verlorenklof down the road from Bambi and hike up to the waterfall to take a short shower.
 Sudwala caves about 1 hour away near  Mt Carmel.
Bird of prey place in Dullstrom,  and the Dullstrom pubs+ food tourist traps
 Long Tom pass - Sabi - Mac Mac pools - Gods window day drive
 
 Find out more about the stone circle ruins  http://www.stonecircles.co.za/happening.htm 

 Oldest man made ruins? (75.000 old?) http://www.adamscalendar.com/Welcome.html ( older than pyramids or stonehenge)

 http://architectafrica.com/Johan_Heine 

http://www.watervalboven.com/news.html 

 

Wild horses in Kaapshe Hoop  http://www.kaapsehoopinfo.co.za/ and rockpool across the road

Alternative Sites

If Bambi is not flyable, try Mt Carmel, Nogodwana or Vaalkop. Maybe Sabie.  Or Gods Window.
 

Emergency

try 082 911, and ask for the Belfast paramedics. Lydenburg is useless.

Nelspruit Mediclinic, is probably the best closest  hospital, 2 hours drive.

 Waterval Boven got a clinic.


 

DIRECTIONS TO BAMBI

Take the N4 towards Witbank/Nelspruit.

There are two tollgates. The one between Witbank and Middelburg can be
avoided by going through Witbank to Middelburg.

The one just past Machadodorp turnoff can be avoided by turning left to
"Dullstroom". The turn off is close to the Machadodorp turn-off. It is a
dirt road, and after a kilometer or two, three perhaps, one comes to a cross
road, where one turns right. This takes one back to the highway on the other
side of the tollgate. Bypass is about 12 km long, and at times the road is
good, and other times it is very worn. If you have a fancy car, you might
not want to chance it. (On the return route the board reads "Farrefontein".
The road was not very good, when we went that way last time.)

Just a kilometer or two, three after the tollgate at Machadodorp, is the
Lydenburg turn-off. Take that. One drives up a long hill and on the top of
the hill is a sign saying "Goedewil". You go straight along that road (a
dirt road). After about 10 km a sign board on the right gives the site rules
for Bambi. You will be able to see the shade contraption on the hill or even
pilots flying, or just lots of cars with people waiting. Go through the gate
to the site and park on the roadside of the shade hut.

In total the toll fees cost approx ... far too much ... and ever increasing ....  one way.

TRANSPORT
------------------
Lift club to bring down the costs

ACCOMMODATION
-----------------------------
BAMBI:

Camping is available at R10 per person per night. The house at the bottom is
no longer available.

Call David James or Adele James to book: (013) 256-9117, or John Nicholas on
(013) 256-9194.

ELANDSKRANS

This accommodation are chalets or camping, with all the modern facilities.
There are things like a warm swimming pool, cold swimming pool, playground
for the kids, trampolines, etc. One has to stay both the Friday and Saturday
nights. It is possible to take a walk down to the river, and so on. Really
nice. Restaurants in the town.

Camping sites 1-2 people R55 per night, R25 per additional person per night.

Book at (011) 825-4304, or ask me to book - we do it happily!

OTHER

For alternative accommodation you can also stay in B&B's in Waterval-Boven.
One of them is Rock & Rope, tel: 0132-57-0363. Cost R40 per person per
night. Backpacker type accommodation with fully equipped kitchen (make your
own food).

Other alternatives:
Watervalboven Toerisme 013-257 0444
Boven Trout Lodge 013-257 0252
Bergwater Lodge 013-257 7081 or 082 807 1065
Shamrock B&B (rooms) 0132-57 0888
Cottage holiday house (or is it Frauwink?) in Waterval Boven at R85 per person per night

Website with more info: www.lowveldinfo.com or
http://linx.co.za/accommo/provinces/mp73acom.html#Waterval%20Boven 
 
 How to create a Bambi Event  Create-Event.html