Montusi Mountain Lodge

The Best of South Africa

Romantic Classic + 3 more + 3 more

Cape Town, wine & wildlife: South Africa's highlights over 11 days.

11 days

from £3,225 pp

Romantic Safari + 2 more + 3 more

South Africa Safari & Beach

South Africa, Mauritius

A seamless South Africa and Mauritius holiday.

14 days

from £4,450 pp

South Africa Express

Wildlife & Nature Express + 1 more + 2 more

A whistle-stop adventure packed with penguins, wine and wildlife.

10 days

from £3,050 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

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

Unexplored South Africa

Wildlife & Nature Luxury + 2 more + 3 more

Leave the tourist trail behind and experience a different South Africa.

14 days

from £9,350 pp

Quirky excursions

View all excursions in South Africa

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.

Drakensberg Bird watching

There are over 300 recorded species of bird in the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, and they range from the common, but colourful Forest Canary, to the rare but rather ugly Bald Ibis! You can go birding wherever you are in The Drakensberg: the trees outside your room will be filled with species you’ve never seen in the UK; however for the flagship birds, it’s best to head to somewhere like Giant’s Castle where there are bird hides. The iconic bird associated with Giant’s Castle is the Lammergeier, or Bearded, Vulture, although you’ll also be in with a chance of seeing a Black Eagle and other soaring raptors.

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.

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.