South Africa Hiking Tour: Mountains & Wildlife

In the morning you meet your guide at the Safari Club near Johannesburg Airport. If you are travelling from overseas, we recommend an overnight stay at this accommodation beforehand – we are happy to help with the booking.

Once your luggage is stowed in the vehicle, your hiking tour in South Africa finally begins. You travel through the Free State province to KwaZulu-Natal, one of the most diverse provinces in the country. Your destination is the majestic Drakensberg. Look forward to spectacular mountain panoramas over the coming days!

In Royal Natal National Park, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, lies the simple Thendele Resort. Once you have settled into your room, there is time for a short break in front of the breathtaking backdrop of the Amphitheatre.

After lunch you lace up your hiking boots for the first time and hike to the cascades of the Mahai River and to Lookout Rock. With a little luck you may spot eland and other inhabitants of this unique mountain region.

Back in camp a fire is lit and your guide prepares a delicious South African "braai" (BBQ) for dinner. You stay overnight at Thendele Resort.

Dinner

Do not be put off by the sometimes rather long hiking times in the itinerary; they are calculated very generously.

A good breakfast in the morning is important, because today the first long hike lies ahead of you. Once you have fortified yourself, your guide gives you a short briefing. Then you set off straight from the resort.

On well-maintained paths winding along the green mountain slopes, you reach the riverbed of the Tugela River. You follow this mostly dry riverbed towards the Amphitheatre, which towers up in front of you. The rock wall, several kilometres long and about 1,000 metres high, lies impressively between the two peaks Sentinel (3,165 m) and Eastern Buttress (3,047 m) and forms a natural amphitheatre. Here the fantastic nature and the peace and seclusion of the mountains clearly play the leading role.

From the foot of the rock wall you can see the imposing Tugela Falls. In dry periods, however, it can almost disappear.

After returning to the resort you have well earned the chance to put your feet up and relax. With a refreshing drink in hand, watch the last rays of sun disappear behind the peaks while your guide prepares dinner. Today it is "potjiekos", a traditional South African stew. You stay another night at Thendele Resort.

After breakfast you pack your things and stow your luggage in the tour vehicle. Equipped with a packed lunch and a daypack, you tackle today's challenging hike.

Your destination is Witsieshoek Lodge, beautifully situated at the foot of the Sentinel peak. The trail leads past the enchanting Tiger Falls and ever further uphill, with the view becoming more fantastic with every step.

Ahead of you lies an impressive mountain wall that must be overcome. You climb up through the "Crack", a narrow gap between the rocks. On reaching the top of the gap, a viewpoint with a magnificent view of the Amphitheatre and the surrounding mountains awaits you. What a unique experience of nature!

From here it is not far. The last stage of your hike leads along a ridge to the lodge. There your luggage is already waiting for you, having been driven around the mountains in the tour vehicle.

After this sweaty hike, treat yourself to some rest and enjoy a sundowner with a wonderful view of the red-tinged mountain peaks. Dinner and overnight stay at Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge.

An exciting and impressive hiking day awaits you today: Sentinel Peak is certainly one of the most distinctive waypoints in the northern uKhahlamba Drakensberg. At 3,166 metres it is impossible to miss and is part of the world-famous Amphitheatre.

The Tugela Falls also spring from the foot of the peak. Especially on cold days, when frozen, they are a unique sight – instead of plunging 948 metres into the valley, they are then frozen solid as ice. As spectacular as the view from the top is the ascent via a series of iron ladders that let mountain hikers climb the almost vertical wall.

Don't worry: if you do not feel comfortable at height, there is an alternative route through a narrow gorge. The reward for your efforts is a breathtaking view from the Amphitheatre into the Drakensberg valley – certainly an adventure you will remember for a long time.

Surely tired but happy, you return to Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge, where a tasty dinner awaits you and where you spend the night once again.

If you have not yet seen the rare lammergeiers – or bearded vultures, as they are also known – that live here during the past two days, you have the chance to look out for them in the morning before breakfast. The lammergeiers have made the Drakensberg one of their last refuges. With a fabulous wingspan of up to 3 metres, these endangered vultures appear both fascinating and menacing.

You then drive on, past Sterkfontein Dam, into the central part of the Drakensberg. As the past two days were quite strenuous, this afternoon you can put your feet up with a clear conscience and relax in your accommodation amid the unique mountain panorama.

If your motto is "a rolling stone gathers no moss", there is of course also a hiking trail in Giant’s Castle Reserve for you. Overnight stay in the bungalows of Giant’s Castle Resort.

Another day in the glorious mountain world of the Drakensberg lies ahead of you. After a hearty breakfast you set off. The hiking trail first follows a small, idyllic stream and then leads you to a viewpoint. Here a magnificent view of the mountain massif, more than 3,000 metres high, opens up before you. Breathe in the fresh, invigorating mountain air deeply and enjoy the impressive mountain panorama.

During your hike also look out for the eland that live here, Africa's largest antelope species.

In the late afternoon you return to your accommodation. Sit back and rest after the exertions of the day. You stay another night at Giant’s Castle Resort.

Today's hiking area lies in the Kamberg region of uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park. Together with a local guide you hike along the Mooi River to well-preserved San rock paintings. Your knowledgeable guide will explain the history of the San people, their spiritual foundations and their traditional nomadic way of life.

With a little luck you will spot baboons, which like to play the role of guardians of the mountain region here. Accompanying you on your hike through the impressive nature are often also bearded and Cape vultures circling in the sky.

After the hike you set off with your guide in the tour vehicle for the coast of the Indian Ocean and Greenfire Dolphin Coast Lodge. End the eventful day with a walk on the beach before going for dinner at one of the very good local restaurants (optional and not included in the tour price) here in Umdloti.

Today you enjoy your breakfast with a view over the Indian Ocean. What a great start to the day!

Then you get into the tour vehicle and drive north, parallel to the coast, to St. Lucia. Arrive at the guesthouse and settle into your room at your leisure before going on a boat trip on the St. Lucia Estuary in the afternoon. From the boat you can watch hippos, crocodiles and a great variety of water birds.

For dinner you go to a restaurant in town (at your own expense). Overnight stay at Forest Lodge.

A visit to iSimangaliso Wetland Park is on the programme today. On game drives you explore the wildlife and plant life of this park, which until 2007 was still called Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park. Sightings of rhinos, buffalo, waterbuck, nyala and large herds of kudu are not unusual, and with a great deal of luck you may even see a leopard hunting.

Several viewpoints offer wonderful views of the Indian Ocean and, in whale season, a small chance of spotting southern right whales.

After hopefully many exciting wildlife encounters, you can finally take a refreshing dip in the Indian Ocean at Cape Vidal – a rather unusual end to a game drive!

After your return to St. Lucia you have time to stroll through the little town or walk on the nearby beach.
You have dinner at a restaurant in town again (at your own expense). You spend another night at Forest Lodge.

Today you start very early and visit the nearby Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, which is certainly one of the most scenic parks in Southern Africa and is known above all for its breeding projects for black and white rhinos.

On a game drive, with a little luck, you can see not only rhinos but also the other members of the "Big Five" (lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo), as well as a wide variety of antelope, birds and other animal species in their natural habitat.

After lunch at Hilltop Camp (at your own expense) you go on further game drives before leaving the park in the late afternoon and returning to Forest Lodge in St. Lucia for a third night.

The last day of your hiking tour in South Africa dawns. After enjoying one more tasty breakfast at the guesthouse, it is time to begin the drive back to Durban.

With a few kilometres in your legs, wonderful wildlife and landscape shots on your cameras' memory cards and the extremely positive feeling of having experienced something unique, you reach Durban Airport. With a heavy heart you say goodbye to your guide there. Farewell and see you soon in Africa!

Breakfast

Please do not book flights from Durban before 2 pm.