Drakensberg Mountains

Drakensberg Accommodation

The Mountains of the Dragon (Drakensberg) area, known as Ukhahlamba or Barrier of Spears to the Zulu people provides a wonderful natural semi circular border between KwaZulu-Natal and Lesotho. Rising to over 3,000 metres in height the Drakensberg escarpment can frequently be seen covered in snow in the winter providing wonderful photo opportunities.

The Central Drakensberg region comprises the spectacular Cathedral Peak and Monks Cowl. Cathedral Peak is wonderfully dramatic with soaring peaks and sheltered valleys. Within the valleys you can discover cave painting sites and a guided tour is well worth it to discover places like Leopards Cave and Poachers Cave. The Cathedral Peak Hotel puts on guided tours of this area. There is a fabulous 10km hike to the top of Cathedral Peak and once you are at the top you will be able to enjoy splendid views to both the north and south.

On the road to Monks Cowl you will pass through some of the most developed areas in this region. This area just outside the Drakensberg has a number of hotels, golf courses, and timeshare developments and is known as Champagne Valley. Here you will find Champagne Castle, Monks Cowl and Cathkin Peak. Champagne Valley offers a number of shorter hikes but these can get rather busy with people that visit the area for the day or you could take the longer and more challenging 2 day hike to Champagne Castle.

The area is very popular with hikers, rock climbers, trout fishermen and general holiday makers and is served by Hotels, Guest Houses, Lodges and camp sites. For the more athletic among you there are many trails up the mountains where caves are used as overnight stops. A perfect way to reinvigorate you and wash away the cobwebs of city life is to spend a weekend hiking and climbing stopping to dip into the icy pools or rivers along the way.

For the adventurous the mountains provide sheer rock or ice-climbing - or you may prefer the adrenaline rush provided by abseiling, white water rafting. Of course you could treat yourself to a truly memorable helicopter ride to view the Drakensberg Mountains from above. The driving time from Johannesburg is approximately 4 hours while Durban is about 3 hours drive away.

Some of the towns in this area include Winterton, Underberg and Bergville.

Places to stay in KwaZulu-Natal | Itineraries in KwaZulu-Natal