TOURING SOUTH AFRICA

The Majestic Drakensberg

This tour explores the Drakensberg Mountain Range, an area of immense beauty, with soaring peaks and hidden caves adorned with the art work of the ancient San Bushmen and a proclaimed World Heritage Site. Visit the mountain Kingdom of Lesotho, where you experience Sotho tribal culture and enjoy lunch in the 'highest pub in Africa'!

Departure Dates | Highlights | Prices | Itinerary | Book Now

Departure Dates: 2009 / 2010
This tour is a guaranteed departure EVERY Monday!

Highlights of the Tour:
View the majestic Drakensberg Mountains - a World Heritage Site.
View 2000 year old bushman paintings at Giant's Castle.
Enjoy scenic hiking trails and the wildlife that is protected in the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park.
Take the highest vehicle pass in Southern Africa - Sani Pass.
Visit the Kingdom of Lesotho and a Sotho Tribal Village.

Tour Prices:

Validity	Currency	Twin	Single
01 Nov 08-31 Oct 09	ZAR	7345	8080
01 May 09-31 Aug 09	ZAR	7010	7750

Land content only
Departs: Mondays

The Itinerary - The Majestic Drakensberg

Day 1: (Mon) Durban / Sani Pass (LD)

We leave Durban by 06h30 this morning heading north towards the village of Underberg at the foot of the Drakensberg Mountains. Here we transfer to 4x4 vehicles and begin climbing the highest vehicle pass in Southern Africa - Sani Pass. The views from Sani Pass are utterly spectacular and invariably make a lasting impression on 'first-timers'.

At the top of Sani Pass is the border post between South Africa and Lesotho, thus passports are a must. Once inside Lesotho we visit a Sotho tribal village, and interact with the local people before enjoying lunch at the highest pub in Africa, perched right near the edge of the mountain, it has few rivals in terms of pub views. Lesotho is a fascinating country, landlocked and entirely surrounded by South Africa, it covers 30 355 square kilometres and is the only independent state in the world that lies entirely above 1000 metres in elevation. Its lowest point is 1400 metres, with over 80% of the country lying above 1800 metres above sea level!

Fortified after lunch, we depart Lesotho, and wind our way back down the mountain and spend the night in a nearby hotel.
Accommodation: Drakensberg Gardens or similar

Day 2: (Tue) Drakensberg Mountains (BD)

Today your morning is at leisure to enjoy the spectacular views of the Southern Drakensberg Mountains before we continue via the southern Midlands Meander Route, where we come to one of the most beautiful view points amidst these 'dragon peaks', the World Heritage Site of Giant's Castle. You are then free to spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying the stunning scenery and fresh mountain air.

The Drakensberg Mountains are the highest in Southern Africa, rising up at Thabana Ntlenyana to 3,482 m in height. In Zulu, the mountains are referred to as uKhahlamba ("the barrier of spears"). The Drakensberg has collectively at least 40 000 works of bushman art and is therefore the largest collection of this kind in the world. Anthropological evidence indicates that the bushman inhabited these mountains between 40 000 to over 100 000 years ago! The Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park, is a proclaimed World Heritage Site because of the abundance of bushman rock art - here you can savour wide open spaces, dramatic peaks and buttresses of towering sandstone cliffs, hidden valleys, virgin forests and crystal clear rivers. The black eagle, the bearded vulture and herds of eland as well as a myriad of other animals, bird life and indigenous plants are protected in this magnificent park.
Accommodation: Giant's Castle or similar

Day 3: (Wed) Drakensberg Gardens (BD)

After breakfast, we set off on a leisurely 3km round-trip hike (average level of fitness required) to the caves, which were once home to South Africa's earliest inhabitants, the San people, better known as bushmen. Enjoy a guided tour of the rock paintings, which remain on the cave walls as clues to their simple existence. Spend the rest of the day at leisure, or take to the mountains again for an afternoon hike.
Accommodation: Giant's Castle or similar

Day 4: (Thu) Natal Midlands (B)

After a final leisurely morning, we make our way back to Durban via the quaint arts and crafts stores and farmer's markets of the northern Midlands Meander Route, arriving back in Durban in the late afternoon.

TOUR ENDS!

Other IMPORTANT Tour Information!
Transportation and Accommodation
Tour in luxury in our air-conditioned microbuses, 16-seater mini-buses.
Professionally Escorted - Discover South Africa with our professional tour guides.
Accommodation is on a twin share basis, and all rooms have private facilities.
All accommodation is of a 3 star standard.
Dining & Other Inclusions
3 Full Breakfasts, 1 Lunches and 3 Dinners included.
Hotel porterage included.

Please Note:
Visa conditions apply for Lesotho and passports are required.
TSA reserves the right to offer accommodation of a similar standard subject to availability.

You might want to look at our other escorted tours!
Our Fully Escorted Tours:
South African Surprise - 15 days and 14 nights - from Johannesburg
A World in One Country - 14 days and 13 nights - from Johannesburg
The Kruger and Kingdoms - 7 days and 6 nights - from Johannesburg
The Garden Route Splendour - 4 days and 3 nights - from Port Elizabeth
The Cape to Kruger - 14 days and 13 nights - from Cape Town
The Majestic Drakensberg - 4 days and 3 nights - from Durban
The Garden Route Wonderland - 4 days and 3 nights - from Cape Town
The Kruger Wildlife - 3 days and 2 nights - from Johannesburg

Our Day Tours
These tours operate daily with a minimum of 2 Passengers. Full day Tours from Durban include a light lunch - Half day tours do not! Full day tours elsewhere do not include lunch! Tours include all entrance fees unless stated otherwise in the itinerary.

Day Tours from Durban
Durban Durban City Tour - 3hours, covering the Beachfront, City, Indian Market & Botanic Gardens
Shakaland - full day Zulu Cultural Experience with lunch.
Hluhluwe Game Reserve - Seek out the "Big 5" in the oldest proclaimed Game Reserve
Sani Pass & Lesotho - Discover the Sotho Culture in 4x4 vehicles up the highest road pass
Durban Highlights - Full day without lunch - Ushaka Marine World and City Tour Combo

Day Tours from Cape Town
Cape Town City - 3 hours incl Parliament, Company Gardens
Cape Winelands - Full day - Visit 2 wineries and taste the best of South Africa
Cape Point - Full day visiting Cape Point where 2 oceans meet.
Walk to Freedom - Full day - Visit Robben Island where Mandela was held prisoner

Day Tours from Johannesburg
Johannesburg City - 3 hours visiting the highlights of this city.
Pretoria City - 3 hours visiting the highlights of this city.
Soweto Township - Discover life in the Black Township.
Lesedi Cultural Village - Full day with dinner - Experience many local cultures Sun City & Pilanesberg Reserve - Full day with lunch - Experience many local cultures

We are also in a position to assist you with any custom itinerary that you may have! We will beat any written quote, providing that the accommodation & sightseeing is the same - guaranteed!

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