Sabie Trip

[Desertbob]

So I'm taking the newly acquired girlfriend to Sabie for a dirty weekend away (get your mind out of the gutter, I'm talking mountain biking here!)

Any recomendations on nice places to stay, not too far from the mountain biking? Also, how do I find the mountain biking? I've done a race there, but doubt I'd find the trails.

You may now return your minds to the gutter, thank you

[AndreZA]

Ha, you used new girlfriend and mountainbiking in the same sentence. YOU'RE TALKING BULL!!!

 

 

[Flippa]

For budget accommodation you can't beat Merry Pebbles. Has camping and chalets and right on the mountain biking doorstep.

[Velouria]

There are some trails that start at the Castle Rock Camp site, and I think you can get permits from Merry Pebbles...

 

There is also a bike shop in town - up the hill - they will be able to sort you out.

 

[Johan Bornman]

You may want to contact Marco Michaelides. I use him as a guide for my weekenders in Sabie. Him and his brother are the local MTB gurus in town and know every route to all the waterfalls, nearby towns and the like. You may also want to ask them about the state of the place, they've had huge fires there and it sounds like scorched earth there, which is the reason I've cancelled any forthcoming break-aways to Sabie.

Don't rely on the local signage for MTB routes. They're virtually non-existent. Komatiland Forests are supposed to maintain them but most of the signs are missing in strategic places and the trails are overgrown (perhaps now exposed) and impossible to follow. For a few rands Marco and his boet will show you around.

Phone Marco on: 082 689 8899

Someone suggested you stay at Merry Pebbles. This is an excellent choice. The owner, also a serious cyclist, is vehemently anti-motorbike.

I once used one of the other campsites there (Riversomething?) and they were pro-motorbike. We had a not-so-lekker weekend there with a gang of drunk quad drivers who believed loud music, lots of alcohol and midnight quad races round and around the campsite was cool.

The owner seemed to think I'm just grumpy when I complained. At Merry Pebbles you'll have peace and quiet, a choice of accommodation ranging from camping to chalets to complete houses. There are security gaurds that patrol the place and you're very safe there. During the Sabie Experience last year and the year before many bikes were stolen from the cars parked in chalets all over town. Merry Pebbles made sure there was no such trouble.

Good luck finding Merry Pebbles in the web. They're disguised as www.sabie.co.za, if I remember correctly.

[Tumbleweed]

a coupla years ago me and a mate were heading up to do the sabie race. we had planned to stay at merry pebbles, then about 25kays outside town we saw a sign "hops hollow", which i'd heard was a the collest b&b&b: bed&breakfast&brewery!!!