South Africa 2017

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24 BLUE ROUTE Take a meander Driving Route Three: Durban-Midlands-Drakensberg Mountains-Battlefields-Jozini Dam Hluhluwe-St Lucia Wetlands-North Coast Beaches Total distance: 1,200km; 12 days MIDLANDS: DAY 1 After picking up their rental car at Durban’s airport, clients can explore KwaZulu-Natal’s hinterland. Pietermaritzburg is the gateway to the Midlands, a scenic area of lakes and rivers in the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains dotted with small towns. The journey from Durban to Pietermaritzburg is about 75 minutes, so suggest a short detour through the picturesque Valley of 1000 Hills, rich in Zulu traditions. Places to visit and things to do include: Midlands Meander: This 80km network of routes features arts and crafts galleries, studios, shops and activities. midlandsmeander.co.za Karkloof Canopy Tour: Soar through the canopy of Southern Africa’s second-largest indigenous forest on 10 zip line slides. karkloofcanopytour.co.za Horse-riding: KwaZulu- Natal’s Midlands is horse country: BergTrails offers guided horse riding on Turtle season in the bays north of St Lucia lasts November- March. Take a day beach tour to see loggerhead and leatherback turtles lay their eggs and a night tour to see the hatchlings Appaloosa horses on trails, framed by the Drakensberg. bergtrails.co.za Nelson Mandela’s Capture Site: Mandela was captured in 1962 near Lions River in the Midlands. See a portrait sculpture made from 50 10-metre-high laser-cut steel poles. thecapturesite.co.za DRAKENSBERG MOUNTAINS: DAYS 2-3 The scenic Drakensberg Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are a highlight for adventure and outdoor activity lovers. Choose from the Southern Drakensberg region, around Underberg, the Central Drakensberg such as Giant’s Castle and areas such as Royal Natal National Park in the Northern Drakensberg (distances from Pietermaritzburg range from 1.2-2.5 hours). Suggest: Drakensberg Adventures: Hiking, pony trekking trips and 4x4 tours up the Sani Pass to the Roof of Africa, bordering Lesotho. sanilodge.co.za/da San rock art: The ancient San bushmen left rock paintings at hundreds of sites in the Drakensberg. View some and get an insight into their art and culture at the Didima San Rock Art Centre at Cathedral Peak. didima.info/ Accommodation/didima-camp-rock-art-center.html Giant’s Castle Nature Reserve: Popular with ramblers, hikers and mountain climbers, this reserve is home to majestic eland – large antelopes – and birds including rare-bearded vultures, which can be viewed from the restaurant at Giant’s Castle Camp. giantscastle.info Tugela Falls: The Tugela River drops 950 metres down from the top of the Amphitheatre plateau in Royal Natal National Park: see the world’s second-highest waterfall. royalnatal.info BATTLEFIELDS: DAY 4 The hills, valleys and plains around Ladysmith and Dundee (around 2.5-3 hours from the Drakensberg Mountains), north-west of the Drakensberg peaks, are sprinkled with names of places that still resonate today for bloody battles fought during the Zulu and Anglo- Boer Wars. Sites include: Spion Kop: The hill where this famous Boer War battle was fought (both Winston saspecialist.southafrica.net
25 5 6-8 4 9-10 2-3 1 11-12 Churchill and Mahatma Gandhi were involved) gave its name to Liverpool Football Club’s Kop for the many local soldiers who died there. Take a guided battlefield tour or a safari drive in the game reserve. spionkop.co.za Rorke’s Drift and Isandlwana: Depicted in the 1964 film, Zulu, Rorke’s Drift was where 140 British soldiers fought off thousands of Zulu warriors for 12 hours – the same day that the British suffered a humiliating defeat at nearby Isandlwana. Half-day tours take in both sites. Dundee: This coal-mining town was where the Second Anglo-Boer War began. Seethe Talana Museum and Heritage Park, where exhibits portray battles. talana.co.za JOZINI DAM: DAY 5 A three-hour drive north from Dundee this dam has created a lake amidst scenic mountains that is a haven for wildlife. Game reserves and lodges border its shores while activities on the lake include houseboat trips, canoeing and fishing. Tiger fishing: Jozini Dam is regarded as the best place in South Africa to pit your wits against tiger fish, the game fish of inland waters. jozinitigerfishing.org HLUHLUWE: DAYS 6-8 An hour from Jozini Dam, Hluhluwe–Umfolozi Park is South Africa’s oldest proclaimed nature reserve and one of its largest. Wildlife includes the Big Five, wild dogs, cheetahs, hippos, hyenas and giraffes, and more than 340 bird species. Accommodation ranges from rondavels (thatched huts) to luxury lodges. Game drives and walks: Look for big game or nocturnal species such as leopards and bushbabies. There are several private game reserves in the area. kznwildlife.com ST LUCIA WETLANDS: DAYS 9-10 An hour from Hluhluwe, St Lucia is the gateway to the St Lucia Wetlands (now the iSimangaliso Wetland Park), South Africa’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. This coastal wildlife paradise has lakes, swamps, forests and offshore reefs and offers activities galore. They include: Wildlife boat cruises: Clients can join pontoon boat tours on Lake St Lucia to see hippos, Nile crocodiles and birds. stluciasouthafrica.com Whale-watching tours: Beach- boat tours operate from St launched Lucia to see migrating humpback whales from June to the end of November. advantagetours.co.za NORTH BEACHES: DAYS 11-12 Before flying back from Durban, clients can relax by golden beaches in holiday towns such as Ballito on the Dolphin Coast (45 minutes north of Durban), and Umhlanga (20 minutes from the city) which has a huge choice of restaurants and shops. Both make a good base for exploring the area and visiting Durban. Among options are: Shaka Marine World: Durban’s water park and the Southern Hemisphere’s Mahatma Gandhi spent 21 years in South Africa, 20kms north of Durban, the cottage where Ghandi lived with his family and several other buildings related to his life are now a museum largest aquarium, it has a restaurant where sharks swimming past your table, separated only by the aquarium’s thick acrylic wall. ushakamarineworld.co.za saspecialist.southafrica.net
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South Africa 2017

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