Three Rondavels View Point — Attraction in Thaba Chweu Local Municipality

Three Roundavels is one of the most popular viewpoints along the Panorama Route in the Mpumalanga Highlands of South Africa. It is around a 2 km drive off the R532 and around 15 km drive north of the Bourkes Luck Potholes.

Visitors turn off of R532 and immediately encounter the ticket station where you pay (R30 per adult) before driving to a car park. Opening hours are 7am to 5pm daily. At the car park, you'll find numerous curio stalls and public toilets.

The panoramic viewpoints around 80 metres from the carpark. From here you can see the river below as well as the three famous land structures on the other side of the canyon. These are referred to as the roundavels given their similar shape and form to the South African style house.

During our recent early October visit, the canyon was a bit dry and lacking in colour that we have enjoyed seeing during past visits which were earlier in the year. Further, views during midday can result in seeing somewhat diffused colour of the canyon walls. If you visit a during earlier or later times, the colours will be much richer and more impressive for taking photos. Clear skies also make a big different to the panoramic scenes a this stop as well.

In the end, if you are in a hurry, you can make a quick photo stop here in just 10 minutes. Or stay 20-25 if you are enjoying the views and simply want to stick...

Had a disappointing visit, view great as always, but I don't know what they do with the entrance fees.

Toilets were in shocking condition, no door handles on any of the men's facilities, nothing to dry hands with ,my wife had to flush her loo with a bucket.

Nothing of the infrastructure (besides the view) had any air of excellence that a tourist attraction should have.

On entry we were told there was a problem when I tried to pay cash, they said I could pay on exit. On exit I was told they don't accept cash at all, which they didn't say on entry. When I mentioned the toilet issues, I was told 'that's not our job'; no sense of 'thanks, I'll pass it on'

The tourism industry there doesn't provide the beautiful views, merely the facilities, and they are failing dismally in service. The place (and the other sights in the area have many staff, monitors etc sitting around looking bored. Surely they could show a little pride in their venues. With what the foreign visitors were paying, I was embarrassed to be a South African.

Left a sour taste , didn't enjoy...

Again, this is a bit of a drive but it will complement the view from below if you happened to take the boat ride. Granted, instead of spotting the occasional hippo or croc you'll find vendors offering the same goods you'll see at almost any town or road side, each saying how the items were individually made by them (the majority come from a large import shop in Johannesburg we discovered); still you're helping them out so why not? Okay forget all that for the time being and take ten minutes to walk the very short distance to the two viewpoints, one looking down at the boat path and the other looking in the opposite part of the canyon. Verdant native growth, crisp air, and a view high above it all as if this should have carried the name God's Window. It is indeed an appropriate name for...