South Africas Top Attractions – Drakensberg Mountains

• Posted by: Editor
• On: 01/08/2008 08:52:30
• In: South Africa Car Hire

Drakensberg Mountains
These mountains are the tallest in southern Africa, with the highest being Thabana Ntlenyana at 3,482 metres and they well earn their name Drakensberg which is Afrikaans for Dragons Mountains. The mountains are located to the east of South Africa in the Kwazulu-Natal Province and the northern end of the range forms part of the north-eastern border with Lesotho.

The mountains, especially those in the northern reaches, are very popular with hikers and mountain climbers. In particular there is the area around the Royal Natal National Park offers accommodation and some excellent hiking facilities. These hikes include the Tugela Falls Gorge Walk, a 22 km walk on reasonably flat terrain; or the Amphitheatre, a mountain feature that overlooks the whole park and find the start of the world’s second highest waterfall Tugela Falls (947m).

Even if you aren’t into that kind of thing, the majestic beauty of these giants is well worth the drive out to see them, and you can even drive up to quite close the top of the Amphitheatre.

If you have a car that is capable of going off-road then you could try driving the Sani Pass. This is an 8km mountain pass that is only accessible by 4WD vehicles. The 8kms are a no-mans-land as the South African border ends at the base of the pass and the Lesotho border starts at the top! If you don’t have a 4WD then there are 4WD minibus taxis but the demand for these is considerable so you may have to wait some time.

That’s the end of our quick overview of what you can expect in the Drakensberg Mountains area. If you think you will want to get around by car while in South Africa have a look at our South Africa Car Hire page and have a look at our competitive rates. For some more information have a look at our other South Africa Blogs.

If you have any tips about driving in and around the Drakensberg Mountains feel free to let us know. Just leave your message in the comment box below.