MZANZI ISSUE 16

Discover
In August Mzanzitravel’s Zainab Achmat was invited
along with other members of the tourism media to
come and explore the many delightful experiences
in and around the beautiful Drakensberg Mountains
in KwaZulu-Natal. Her visit was part of the media
launch of Tourism Month (September) by South
Africa’s tourism minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi-
Ngubane. Here Zainab tells us what she discovered.
(You can also read this online in our Hidden Gems
travel blog at https://mzanzitravel.co.za/exploringdrakensberg-kzn/
where links will take you directly
to all the different places and experiences.)
Discovering the gems of
the Drakensberg
By Zainab Achmat
It’s amazing how many times we can travel to the same province
and each time come away with a completely different, new
experience. During this visit in August, I fell completely in love
with KwaZulu-Natal all over again, this time specifically with what
I found in and around the Drakensberg Mountains.
Google it and you’ll see that the Drakensberg is a mountain range
that stretches over 1,000km from the Eastern Cape almost all the
way to the Zimbabwean and Mozambican borders in the northeast.
It is also the highest mountain range in the country, its highest
peak, Mafadi, reaching an impressive 3,482 meters above sea level.
The range passes through the Eastern Cape, Free State, Lesotho,
KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
The name Drakensberg is derived from the Afrikaans for ‘dragon
mountain’. The Zulu name ‘uKhahlamba’ refers to ‘the barrier of
up-pointed spears’. Every turn every corner, every elevation of the
mountain offers a different scenic experience that will take your
breath away. Of course this makes it any photographer’s absolute
delight, whether you are a novice with a selfie phone or a pro with
all the latest equipment. There’s always something different to
snap and write home about.
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