One of the most impressive mountain ranges I have ever seen in South Africa is the wonderful Drakensberg. This area is truly focused on tourism and therefore you will find a wide variety of excellent hiking trails, hotels, and resorts to choose from, which makes a visit to Drakensberg SA more than worth your while.
The Drakensberg is one of South Africa’s most rewarding places to visit, with dramatic mountain peaks, wide-open valleys, fresh mountain air, and some of the best walking trails in the country. You get cooler summer temperatures, peaceful landscapes, and endless photo opportunities. The region is easy to explore by car and offers everything from luxury lodges to simple farm stays. Visitors come for the scenery, the waterfalls, and the feeling of space that makes every day here calm and memorable.
Austria’s highest mountain – Grossglockner is higher by only 316 meters (3,798 m vs 3,482 m).
Thabana Ntlenyana is the highest point in the Drakensberg of South Africa.
The Drakensberg is part of the Great Escarpment and reaches from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, through Lesotho to the Eastern Cape province.
Thabana Ntlenyana (Lesotho / Drakensberg):
Height: 3,482 metres (11,424 feet)
Location: Lesotho, near the South Africa border
Mountain style: Broad plateau, rolling slopes, dramatic escarpments
Snow: Occasional winter snowfall
Grossglockner (Austria):
Safe, wide-open spaces for children to run and play
Easy walking trails that are flat and well-marked
Picnic spots with mountain views
Small streams and waterfalls that feel like natural playgrounds
Horse rides and gentle pony rides available at many resorts
Farm-style lodges with play areas, pools, and lawns
The Kamberg area is the heart of the historic San rock paintings of Ukhahlamba. Remember to arrange for day tours with a tour guide to visit these sites.
“There are numerous caves in the easily eroded sandstone of Clarens Formation, the layer below the thick, hard basalt layer on the KwaZulu Natal-Lesotho border. Many of these caves have paintings by the San (Bushmen). This portion of the Drakensberg has between 35,000 and 40,000 works of San rock art and is the largest collection of such parietal work in the world.” (Wikipedia)
Yes, most definitely: The Blyde River Canyon, Mpumalanga
Game reserves and the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park, which is a World Heritage site, offer you the best nature experience and hiking trails. Further to the amazing nature, you will find more than 300 bird species. This makes the area a bird watcher’s dream, but how do you take your eyes off those spectacular mountains? Remember to pack a good camera as you simply cannot go to the Drakensberg without taking thousands of photos.
During wintertime (June, July, and August) the Drakensberg is South Africa’s best snow location and it offers the best ski slopes in Africa.
Tiffindell Ski Resort – in the south of the Drakensberg and at an altitude of 2720m, nestling snugly on the slope of Ben McDhui (3001m), it also is the highest peak in the whole of the Cape Province.
Afriski Mountain Resort – Just 5 hours from Johannesburg has everything you’d expect from a ski resort. This includes ‘epic slopes, ski lifts and the opportunity for you (and your kids) to practice (or gain) some serious snow skills.’ – Afriski Resort.
Cathedral Peak Hotel features a 9-hole golf course, a swimming pool, and gym facilities. When staying at Cathedral Peak you will think you are in Switzerland with the beautiful mountains surrounding you and the stunning vistas.
Address: Cathedral Peak Drive, Winterton (250 km from Durban)
Durban’s King Shaka International Airport is 145 km from Granny Mouse Country House & Spa. They do offer Airport Transfers.
If you’re looking for the perfect Wedding Venue in the Drakensberg, this is the most romantic venue ever with excellent photo opportunities.
Address: R103, Old Main Road, Balgowan (30 km from Durban)
“The Drakensberg” is not a small specific area, but rather a huge escarpment that stretches for more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles).
‘Starting in the Eastern Cape Province in the South, then successively forms, in order from south to north, the border between Lesotho and the Eastern Cape and the border between Lesotho and KwaZulu-Natal Province. Thereafter it forms the border between KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State, and next as the border between KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga Province. It then extends farther north to Hoedspruit in southeastern Limpopo where it is known as ‘Klein Drankensberg’. From Hoedspruit, it extends west to Tzaneen, also in Limpopo Province, where it is known as the Wolkberg Mountains and Iron Crown Mountain. The escarpment extends west again and at Mokopane it is known as the Strydpoort Mountains.’ – Wikipedia
I think that is a huge description, but the map below should help as well.
King Shaka International Airport (DUR), abbreviated KSIA, is the primary airport serving Durban, South Africa. Located in La Mercy, KwaZulu-Natal, approximately 35 km north of the city center of Durban.
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