Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse

Bergs, Battlefields & Bush

Safari Adventure + 2 more + 3 more

Exploring the history & wildlife of KwaZulu-Natal.

13 days

from £4,750 pp

A South African Fortnight

Classic Safari + 1 more + 2 more

A two-week classic adventure through the best of South Africa.

14 days

from £3,595 pp

Kruger, Canyons & Cape

Safari Wildlife & Nature + 2 more + 3 more

The perfect South African summer holiday.

14 days

from £3,995 pp

Go Local in South Africa

Safari Wildlife & Nature + 3 more + 3 more

Real people. Real stories. Real South Africa.

19 days

from £6,690 pp

South African Grand Tour

Safari Wildlife & Nature + 3 more + 3 more

Three weeks, one unforgettable road trip across South Africa’s greatest highlights.

21 days

from £4,295 pp

Classic South Africa

Family Classic + 3 more + 3 more

A classic South African holiday, with a few lesser-visited surprises.

17 days

from £3,655 pp

Quirky excursions

View all excursions in South Africa

San rock-art

The Drakensberg Mountains is home to one of the greatest concentrations of the rock art of the indigenous San people. 500 sites of 20,000 individual paintings have been recorded, covering a period from about three thousand years ago. Didima and Giant’s Castle camps are both excellent places to go to see some fine examples of rock art as well as to join guided tours to help you understand and interpret the rock art. The depictions cover many elements of the early San life, from hunting to the importance of their shaman, and it is eerie to see this window into an extinct civilisation.

Hiking in the Drakensberg

The Drakensberg Mountains are known as a hikers paradise. There are miles and miles of stunning trails that take in jaw-dropping scenery, San rock art, bird watching and game viewing, as well as the simple pleasure of being amongst the mountains. Perhaps the best place to head to is Giant’s Castle. There are no less than 19 marked trails in this area, operated by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, the provincial conservation body. Some of them are short out-and-back affairs, taking in some of the best views and sites near Giant’s Castle camp. Others are much longer, taking all day, or in some cases requiring overnight accommodation on the trail. As well as marked trails from places like Giant’s Castle (and Didima), many of the hotels and lodges we recommend are either in their own private reserves, or within the Drakensberg national park, and offer trails leading from the hotel or lodge.

Fishing in the Drakensberg

The rivers and dams of the Drakensberg area teem with trout, bass and carp; both fly fishing and course fishing are available on these water courses. If you are a keen fisherman, you may wish to take your own rods, reels and lures, although we can normally find somewhere for you to hire gear if you prefer. Many of the lodges and hotels we recommend in the area offer fishing on their properties, whilst if you fish in one of the reserves you’ll need a day permit.

The Amphitheatre

The Royal Natal National Park encompasses the northern edge of the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg and is absolutely dominated by the Amphitheatre. This is a huge ridge of continuous sheer cliff wall, five kilometres long and 500 metres high. The nascent waters of the Thukela River tumble over the Amphitheatre near their highest point, falling 948 metres, which makes the Tugela Falls one of the highest waterfalls in the world. There are a number of hiking trails around the Amphitheatre, including a couple that take in the Tugela Falls: a good level of fitness is required and you should leave a full day to complete them. If the Amphitheatre looks vaguely familiar, it’s because the classic film about the defence of Rorke’s Drift, Zulu, starring Michael Caine, was shot here. Whilst not geographically accurate – Rorke’s Drift actually about 200 kilometres away – you can certainly see why the film’s producers wanted to relocate it to this most stunning backdrop.