Drakensberg Tour Guide to accommodation, walking trails, hiking guides and hotels
 
Top 10 "MUST DO" Drakensberg attractions
Game Pass Shelter - Kamberg Rock Art Worlds View Hiking Trail - Giants Castle Central Drakensberg Drakensberg Boys Choir - Central Drakensberg Drakensberg Horse trails Drakensberg hot air ballooning
Game Pass Shelter - The top bushman rock art site situated in Kamberg World View Hiking Trail - An easy and awsome Drakensberg walk at Giants Castle Drakensberg Boys Choir concerts - Most wednesdays the choir inspires the public Drakensberg horse trails in a panoramic vista unsurpassed Hot air ballooning over the Drakensberg region
Sani Pass - A 4x4 experince to to roof of Africa Midlands Meander arts and Crafts Route Tugela Falls Weenen Game Reserve Drakensberg adventure activities
Sani Pass - A 4x4 experience to the roof of Africa Midlands Meander - Arts and Craft route that is the best in South Africa The Tugela Falls - The second hightest waterfall in the World Game Viewing in Weenen Game Reserve where rhino sightings are almost garenteed The Drakensberg offers exciting adventure activities including white water rafting, microlight flights, canopy tours and abseiling experiences.
Top 5 "ACCOMMODATION" recommendations for the Drakensberg
Sani Pass - A 4x4 experince to to roof of Africa Worlds View Hiking Trail - Giants Castle Central Drakensberg Drakensberg Boys Choir - Central Drakensberg Game Pass Shelter - Kamberg Rock Art White Water Rafting - The drakensberg also offers quad biking, canopy tours and nicrolighting
Antbear Guest House - Best situated to experience all the top Drakensberg attractions Ardmore Guest Farm - A beautiful location in the Champagne Valley specialses in family accommodation Drakensberg Mountain Retreat - Northen Drakensberg with the best view anywhere Drakensberg Cave Lodge - Romantic and intimate this luxury cave that includes a jacuzzi bath, fire place and deck with hammock chairs Zingela River Lodge - A paradise on the banks of the Tugela River. Lots of activities and unique accommodation

Drakensberg Nature Reserves
- Royal Natal
- Cathedral Peak
- Mnweni
- Monks Cowl
- Injasuti
- Giants Castle
- Highmoor
- Kamberg
- Lotheni
- Vergelegen
- Sani Pass
- Cobham
- Bushmans Nek

Drakensberg Attractions
- Bushman Rock Art
- Hiking Trails
- Hot air ballooning
- Horse trails
- Helicopter & Microlight flights
- Restaurants
- Arts & Crafts
- Drakensberg Boys Choir
- Canopy Tours
- Midlands Meander
- Fly Fishing
- Game Viewing
- Golf
- White Water rafting
- Birding
- Quad Biking
- 4x4 Offroad trails
- Battlefield Tours
- Wine Tasting
- Museums
- Bicycle tours
- Abseiling
- Wellness & Spas

Drakensberg Towns
- Bergville
- Ladysmith
- Winterton
- Estcourt
- Mooi River
- Weenen
- Underberg
- Himeville
- Rosetta
- Nottingham Road
- Balgowan
- Howick
- Lidgetton
- Currys Post
- Karkloof
- Lions River
- Fort Nottingham
- Hilton
- Dargle

Drakensberg Accommodation

Drakensberg Links

Drakensberg

 

 

 

 

Royal Natal National Park - Northern Drakensberg

Royal Natal National Park is renowned for its spectacular scenery and fabulous mountain trails which explore the heart of this KwaZulu-Natal nature reserve in South Africa.

Royal Natal National Park is a leading KwaZulu-Natal nature reserve that offers wonderfully scenic views, lofty mountains and waterfalls in a prime location within the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park. Royal Natal is situated in the Northern Drakensberg. Royal Natal National Park offers many trails to explore on foot and on horseback. Walkers and hikers can enjoy short journeys which take about an hour, or longer excursions over a half or full day. The Mont-aux-Sources hike takes two days to complete.

The main feature of Royal Natal National Park is the world famous Drakensberg Amphitheatre, a rock wall 5km (3 miles) long and 500 metres (546 yards) high. Standing above the rock face is Mont-aux-Sources peak where the Orange River starts its incredible journey west across South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean.The Tugela Falls cascades down the face of the Amphitheatre, forming one of the highest waterfalls in the world as it travels east to the Indian Ocean.

Royal Natal National Park attractions

  • Tugela Falls
  • The top of the Drakensberg Escarpment
  • SterkfonteinDam
  • All Out Adventures for Flying / trapeze / Foofy slide / Bungee Bounce and the Gorge Swing (036 4386242).
  • DIDIMA Rock Art Centre
  • Cape Vulture restaurant
  • Bushman Rock Art It takes about 30-40 minutes to walk up to the Bushman paintings in Sigubudu Valley, a round trip of an hour or a little over without counting the time taken to look at the paintings (6km). Royal Natal has trained people from the local village who act as guides and can explain the origin of the paintings and also point out some fossils embedded in the rock. There are paintings of eland, and many people, as well as hand prints - all very interesting, and reasonably well preserved.

Royal Natal National Park hiking trails

  • Amphitheatre to Cathedral
    4 to 5 days (62kms) The route passes parts of the Drakensberg including the Amphitheatre, Mbundini, Mnweni and The Rockeries, The Saddle and The Cathedral range.

  • Devil's Hoek Valley
    A fairly easy hike of 1hr(3km) The path gets progressively steeper and the views more spectacular. Royal Natal National Park. The route takes you from the Tugela River Carpark along the the Tugela Valley and then up the Devil's Hoek tributary

  • Mckinley's Pool, Gudu Falls, The Grotto
    Moderate distances, the route is well marked and fairly easy to hike and explore. There are many clear rock pools where you could enjoy a swim. Royal Natal National Park, numerous trails leading off from the Mahai Campsite up the river valley to Mckinley's Pool.

  • Mont-Aux-Sources via Basutho Gate and The Chain Ladder
    10hrs (20kms) The hike starts from the Mahai River Campsite, follows the Mahai River Valley, passes the Witsieshoek Mountain Resort, to the Sentinel carpark and up the Chain Ladder to the escarpment.

  • Otto's Walk & Bushman Paintings
    An easy walk of 1hr (2kms) The path leads up the Sigubudu Valley to some fine examples San rock paintings. Royal Natal National Park, begin at the visitor's centre and takes you along the Tugela River and continues towards the park gate.

  • Rugged Glen to Mahai
    5-6hrs (14kms) Rugged Glen is a nature reserve connected by road to the Mahai Campsite.

  • Sigubudu Ridge and Valley
    A moderate hike of 4-5 hrs (12km) The path takes you through Protea Veld, past Sunday Falls to Fairy Glen. Royal Natal National Park. This is a round trip from Mahai Campsite via Sigubudu Valley.

  • Tugela Gorge
    A moderate hike of + 2 hrs (7km) The route goes through alternative stretches of protea veld and forest, and the scenery beyond the gorge is rivaled only by the view from the top of the Tugela Falls.

  • Vemaan Valley
    A fairly easy hike of 1hr. 45mins (4.3km) A rare species of protea, known as protea nubigena has been found here. Royal Natal National Park. Follow the same route as for Devil's Hoek Valley, but 1 km after turning right at the junction leading up to Devil's Hoek, the Vemaan Path leads off to the left over the Devil's Hoek River.

Restaurants and Coffee Sops near to Royal Natal

  • Coyote Café
  • Tower of Pizza
  • Catapillar Catfish Cookhouse
  • Little Switzerland

Accommodation in Royal Natal National Park

The Royal Natal National Park offers accommodation at Thendele Lodge and cottage or chalets at Thendele Camp. Camping and caravanning can be enjoyed at two popular sites, one has a riverside setting and the other has stables for horse riding activities. From horse back, visitors can cover plenty of ground and travel into the mountains for stirring views and sightings of resident wildlife. Another popular activity at Royal Natal National park in is hiking in the Northern Drakensberg Mountains.

How To Get to Royal Natal National Park

From the north, turn off just south of Ladysmith and follow the Bergville road for 55km. The road from Bergville is clearly signposted, and the park is 46km further along the Bergville/Harrismith road. From the south, turn off the main national road (N3) at the Winterton/Berg Resorts turn-off, and pass through Winterton and Bergville. Turn left at the Drakensberg North signboard. It is approximately 16km from there to the Royal Natal National Park entrance gate. Both these routes are tarred. The park is also accessible from Harrismith (72km) via the Oliviershoek Pass. From Harrismith take the Bethlehem Road for 6km, and turn onto the Witsieshoek / QwaQwa road. Follow the signs to Oliviershoek Pass, Royal Natal National Park and Bergville. The road is tarred all the way.