5 Of
The Best Things To Do In South Africa’s Drakensberg
The Zulus
called this place Ukahlamba – meaning the barrier of spears – while the
Voortrekkers named the area Drakensberg, or Dragon Mountain. This beautiful
area of KwaZulu-Natal lies inland from the Indian Ocean coast, with spectacular
crags of sandstone and basalt, amidst beautiful grasslands and has now
been dubbed the Ukahlamba-Drakensberg National Park. The scenery is quite
simply stunning with excellent accommodation options of all types and plenty
to do.
While
visiting the area, there are many attractions to experience and tour. Whether
enjoying a tailor-made holiday from Wayfairer
Travel, or under your steam, experience some of the exciting and adventurous
activities on offer.
1. Sani Spoors
mountain biking adventure
Situated
just outside the village of Underberg in the Southern Drakensberg, Sani
Spoors offers a series of fun mountain biking trails. The trails run through
farmlands, pine plantations, past the Mzimkulu River and through open countryside.
The mountain biking trails vary from 3 km to 15 km, depending on your stamina.
2. Flying Trapeze in the Northern
Drakensberg
For a more unusual experience,
All Out Adventures in the Northern Drakensberg gives the chance to try
out a genuine circus trapeze. Instructors guide you through the process
of taking off from the board, ending up landing in the net below. Those
more acrobatically inclined can learn how to do a knee hang or a back flip
dismount. They also offer several other kinds of adventure activities,
which can be viewed in the video below. The Flying Trapeze can be seen
in action at around 1:10 minutes.
3. Kamberg
Rock Art
The Kamberg
Rock Art in Central Drakensberg was created by the original San Bushmen
in the region hundreds of years ago. These beautiful paintings tell the
stories of their mythology and beliefs in shades of red, black, orange
and white using pigments, taken from their natural surrounds. The intricate
images depict the everyday life of the San people, including their hunting
trips, with the eland making a regular appearance, as the people’s main
source of food and animal skins. They also feature lions, elephants and
giraffe. Guided tours involve a 2-3 hour walk through some truly beautiful
scenery.
Photo
San painting of an eland via Wikimedia
by Lukas Kaffer/CC BY-SA 3.0
4. Kamberg
Valley Horse Riding Trail
Nestled
in the foothills of the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park and in the same area
as the San paintings, the Kamberg Valley Horse Riding Trail takes riders
through farmlands and beautiful forests with plenty of bird life and wildlife
on view. The trail is suitable for both beginners and expert riders, taking
around two hours to complete, heading out from Sans
Souci Farm on one of their 30 beautiful Appaloosas.
Photo
horse riding in the Drakensberg via Wikimedia
by Aurobindo Ogra/CC BY-SA 3.0
5. Hot Air
Balloon rides over the Drakensberg
Another
way to see the sights of the Drakensberg is from the air, with wonderful,
scenic hot air balloon flights over Giants Castle in the Southern Drakensberg
right across to the Ampitheatre in the Northern Drakensberg. Offered by
Drakensberg
Ballooning, the hot air balloon rides can accommodate two to 10 passengers
and leave at sunrise.
Enjoy
the spectacular scenery, wonderful accommodation options and many more
exciting and adventurous activities in the Drakensberg.
