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Mountain Kingdom 8 Day Tour
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Tour Dates: 2009 2010 Tour Information : The Drakensberg Mountains and the Magic it holds, is virtually impossible to express into words. It is that something that must be experienced personally. In Keeping with this Philosophy, we have developed a new product to unveil the abundant floral wealth of the Drakensberg Mountains and the Lesotho Highlands. We will be presenting this tour annually during the months of October, November, December, January, February and March in order to showcase this areas magnificent and diverse blend of Fauna and Flora.
When the Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg was proclaimed a world Heritage site in 2000, a coveted status was bestowed on the abundance and rarity of our flower species, bird and animal life, breath-taking nature and the history of a region which is unique in the world. All of this and a lot more now lies within the reach of every interested person.
We will be visiting an area which was formed by nature over millennia. The Drakensberg of Natal is some 250 kilometers long with its Northern boundary at Sentinel peak just above the Royal National Park to the Xalanga in the South. The height of the mountain varies from 1500 meters above sea level at the base of the mountain to an average height of 3200 meters above sea level at the escarpment. The highest point is at Thaba Ntlenyana which lies 3482 meters above sea level.
Day 1: Underberg
Mid-morning departure from Durban International Airport.
Our route takes us past Pietermaritzburg, Howick, Boston, and Bulwer to our first over night accommodation at the Sani Pass Hotel.
At Howick we visit two of the five waterfalls in this area, the Howick-and Karkloof waterfalls. If time allows, we may visit the Reichenau Mission Church on the bank of the Pholelariver close to Underberg. (Weather & road condition permitting).
This church was built in 1886 by the first two missionaries and it is one of the best examples of Sandstone and granite buildings in Natal. The stained-glass windows of the church are also unique and the church is named after a monastery in Reichenau, Germany.
We continue our journey to our overnight accommodation in the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains.
Our overnight accommodation is a historic berg hotel with all facilities. On arrival, you can kick back and relax in the garden or join us on a relaxing hike along the river to the waterfall. We meet for sundowners in the lounge before enjoying dinner and a well deserved nights rest.
Day 2: Sani Pass
Flowering season for the mountain flowers in the Drakensberg begins in middle November and continues up to the end of March. Witnessing this annual wealth of flowers affords you the opportunity to experience peace and tranquility amongst rippling mountain streams, singing birds and crisp mountain breezes.
Early morning departure on a full day excursion in Sani Pass. Sani Pass is the only road access over the Drakensberg Mountains linking the mountain kingdom of Lesotho with KwaZulu-Natal.
The escarpment with its vertical cliffs averaging 3000 meter above sea level, forms an impenetrable barrier between KwaZulu Natal and Lesotho. The escarpment on the top of Sani Pass is a mere 22 km from Sani Pass Hotel but due to our slow ascend of the pass we should only reach the escarpment by noon. There will be enough time for everyone to disembark on a regular basis with the guide to spot and identify the various species of indigenous flowers. En-route we have to pass through the South African border post and for that you will require a valid passport. Light lunch will be enjoyed at Sani Top, the highest pub in Africa. After Lunch we continue our short journey along the escarpment to view the afro alpine flowers in this area. Please remember to keep a warm jacket at hand (It can get quite cold at these high altitudes.
After a full day we start our low decent of Sani Pass to reach the Hotel at around 17h00. Just in time to refresh before sundowners and Dinner.
Day 3: Lesotho
Early morning departure after breakfast we resume our tour over the Drakensberg to the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho. Once again we cross the Drakensberg Mountain via Sanipass, but due to the long journey ahead, we will not be stopping again on Sani Pass. It is our objective to reach our destination in Fouriesburg in good daylight and to achieve that; we would need to manage our time effectively on today’s journey. Less time spent on Sani Pass affords us the opportunity to spend more time on route in Lesotho.
Lesotho is one of the most inspiring landscapes on Earth. It is often referred to as the “Kingdom in the Sky” because of its elevated situation. - The altitude never drops below 1000 meter above sea-level.
Sculpted into the spectacular, mountainous terrain of the highlands are soaring peaks, deep valleys, gushing waterfalls and mighty rivers, source of Southern Africa’s watershed. Peace and tranquility of life on the highland is also remarkable.
It is virtually impossible to travel at speeds exceeding 30 kilometers per hour. The winding roads and steep mountain passes requires a great deal of caution. The Lesotho Highlands is the ultimate outdoor experience. The remote, rugged countryside is spectacular and virtually undeveloped, affording the visitor the feeling of discovering the unknown. The landscape here is strangely devoid of trees – except for clusters of mountain flowers in summer offering vivid splashes of multiple colors.
Few people can say that they have seen the hart of Lesotho unless they have been on this route.
On arrival at Oranje Guest Farm you should have enough time to unpack and refresh before enjoying a sundowner on the veranda overlooking the dam. Sunset and sunrise is an unforgettable experience in the southern Free State especially with the early morning mist over the mountains.
Day 4: Clarens & Royal National Park.
Early departure after breakfast for the Nationally Acclaimed Golden Gate National Park and Royal National Park. To get there we will continue along the valley of the little Caledon River through another wonderland of weirdly chiseled sandstone cliffs. ” We pass through Clarens “Jewel of the Free State” which was laid out in the foothills of the Rooi Berge in 1912 and named for the village in Switzerland where President Paul Kruger died in 1904 while in exile.
A massive layer of sandstone, stretching from the summit of the Drakensberg along the Eastern Free State Border with Lesotho, has been fashioned by the elements through the ages into unique, flat-topped formations. We travel through this unique and exquisite landscape of steep cliffs which glow with brilliant reds, orange and golden yellows in the sunlight. The Golden Gate Highlands National Park, proclaimed to conserve 4792ha of remarkable land, features magnificent sandstone formations and is home to many antelope and bird species.
We continue our journey to the top of the Amphitheatre. The flowers and view here is at its best. We return to the main road and past the Sterkfontein dam before we begin our decent along the Oliviershoek pass en-route to Drakensville. The Sterkfontein dam is the third largest dam in South-Africa and supplies 630 mil cubic meter water annually to the Vaaldam through the Nuwejaars River. The dam wall was build with soil and is 3,060 meters in length, 93 meters high and it took 17 mil cubic meter of soil to build. The water surface covers an area of 70 square kilometers.
Our overnight accommodation is situated at the foothills of the Northern Drakensberg. Dinner will be enjoyed in the Restaurant.
Day 5: Cathedral Peak
Early morning departure after breakfast for a full day excursion to Cathedral Peak. To get close to the mountain flowers we have to drive up Mikes Pass, a road best suited for 4 wheel drive vehicles.
Our guided drive up Mikes Pass to the top of the little Berg near the head of Didima gorge reveals awe-inspiring views of the main escarpment and surrounding lowlands and here we can observe a wide variety of flowers, plants, animals and birds in the grasslands and mountain forests. The show provides fascinating insights into the San art and culture and includes static displays and a variety of audio-visual presentations featuring a replica cave covered with accurate reproductions of actual San art sites.
We continue to Royal National Park, with its soaring peaks and lofty buttresses along KwaZulu-Natal’s Western Boundary with Lesotho, is one of the loveliest areas in the entire Drakensberg. The Drakensberg here, forms an enormous amphitheater, and is the highest peak in the escarpment at 3,299m. The fresh air and cool mountain streams make hiking in the Drakensberg relaxing and enjoyable.
We return to our overnight accommodation just in time for sundowners in the company of other guests who have come to this mountain resort to escape the bustle of city life, before enjoying dinner and a good nights rest.
Day 6: Giants Castle.
Departure after breakfast for Giants Castle, our last port of call on this tour of the Drakensberg Mountains. Our overnight accommodation will be at the main camp in Giants Castle which is situated in the foothills of Giants Castle in the central Drakensberg.
En-route we travel through Bergville and Winterton and through prime farming country, rolling hills, meandering rivers and small towns. Scattered across the landscape are Burial sites and monuments – reminders of the Historic Battlefields of the Zulu and Anglo Boer Wars.
Just outside of Winterton we will briefly be visiting “Kwazulu Weavers & Candles” were some of the finest local weavers and candle makers can be seen in action.
The proclamation of the smaller Giants Castle Game reserve in 1903, was the first formal effort to protect the Mountain treasures.
The part of the Drakensberg that lies above Giants Castle is indeed the most impressive of the entire chain of mountains. The escarpment, for a distance of 35 kilometers, is on average 3000 meters high and the towering mountain peaks that rises above the clouds are truly unforgettable.
The deep valleys below the sheer rock face of the High Drakensberg, offers glorious views and the superb rock art is high among its special attractions.
Out of South-Africa’s 43 endemic bird species, 41 are encountered in this area.
On arrival we just have enough time to refresh before departing on a relatively easy hike to the mains caves. This is probably the best route to follow for flowers and rock art alike. We return to the camp in the late afternoon in time to unpack, refresh and to relax in this pictures setting.
Day 7 : Giants Castle We spend the entire day in the Giants Castle area to try and see the best that there is I this park.
Giants Castle is probably the high light of this tour and worth the 2 night stay.
Day 8: Durban
Before breakfast, we enjoy a slide show of the pictures taken on the tour and we look back at our unforgettable experience. After breakfast -Mid- Morning departure for Durban International Airport.
We will be following a district road along the foothills of the Drakensberg that later joins the N3 at Howick. En-route and against the backdrop of the Drakensberg mountains and the adjoining midlands magnificent scenery, you will find an eclectic collection of artists and crafters, shopkeepers and restaurateurs who have united to form this country’s premier arts and crafts route. We should have enough time to stop at some of these fine exhibiters on route to Durban. The wild flowers in this region are also very good at times and should add to our enjoyment.
We should arrive back in Durban at around 15h30.
This may be the end of our tour but the magic of the Drakensberg Mountains and the Lesotho Highlands is sure to continue in the hart and mind of every tour member.
Tour ends. © J J Du Preez
Total tour price amounts to R 8,950 per person sharing. Single supplement of R 750 is payable for persons staying single and who are not willing to share accommodation.
The aforementioned price is inclusive of the following:
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