Using personal experience and knowledge of local conditions, Trever and Sharneen are in a position to plan wonderful self-drive holidays, making use of selected up-market accommodation in some of the best birding areas in South Africa. Itineraries will be planned to your special needs. Accommodation available is varied from luxury to self-catering. All areas are accessible on good roads and are safe. The locals are helpful and friendly.

Apart from the Drakensberg Mountains with its wonderful birding spots, my recommendations include game reserves such as Umfolozi / Hluhluwe, Mkuze, Ndumu Wilderness Camp, the St Lucia lake system, Eshowe, Mtunzini, a Zulu 'Cultural' experience as well as a visit to the historical British/Zulu battlefields and the Drakensberg mountains. You will also have time to see the fabulous Dolphin Coast beaches and maybe even play some golf!

So even if you are not into birds, this is still a holiday of a lifetime!

Price of tour is variable according to type of accommodation used. Prices range from R250 to R1000 per person per day! Backpacker, B&B or hotels 

Drakensberg - 5 Days Tour: Durban, Sani Pass, Lesotho, Kamberg - Game Valley Shelter, San Rock Art, Royal Natal National Park, Tugela Gorge, Amphitheatre, KwaZulu-Natal.

Price per person R 3965  for  5 days with a 25% Single supplement.

Itinerary:

• Day 1 : Depart Durban +/- 06H00 and travel to Sani Pass - southern Drakensberg. Explore the pass by 4 x 4, up into the mountain kingdom of Lesotho. Visit a local Basutho village and enjoy a beer at the highest pub in Africa. Descend late afternoon. Overnight Sani Pass area. (PASSPORT NEEDED) (L&D)
• Day 2 : Wake up : 07H00 Depart : 08H00
  Depart via the Midlands to Kamberg Nature Reserve. Meet with a local community guide and set of on a walk up to Game Pass Shelter. View some spectacular paintings of eland and therianthrope (half-human, half-animal figures). Also includes the Rosetta panel of San rock art. Return to camp in nature reserve. (B,L&D)
• Day 3 : Wake up : 07H30 Depart : 10H30
  Morning at leisure to do various short hikes in the park. We continue along the Natal Midlands to the Royal Natal National Park, situated in the Northern Drakensberg region. Short walks or a horse ride through mountain territory are scheduled for the afternoon. Our overnight stop for two nights. (B,L&D)
• Day 4 : Wake up : 07H00 Depart : 08H00
  Suggested hike for today is the spectacular Tugela Gorge walk. (+/-15 km’s return - 5hrs)
  This hike takes you along the Tugela River to the base of the amphitheatre, which is host
  to the third highest single drop waterfall in the world - The Tugela Falls. This scenic spot is
  the ideal stop for a picnic lunch and a swim. Return late afternoon to base camp to enjoy
  a traditional South African 'braai'. (Barbeque) (B,L&D)
• Day 5 : Wake up : 07H30 Depart : 010H00
  Morning at leisure to do various short hikes in the park. Lunch is enjoyed en route at the Howick Falls. After lunch we head off via the scenic route through the Valley of a 1000 Hills to return and arrive in Durban at +/- 16H00. (B)

Every first and third Tuesday of the month.

Exec-U-Tours was established in 1995. They only use Satour accredited tour guides, and luxury airconditioned vehicles. They do all Cultural and Wildlife tours in Kwazulu Natal as well as the Kruger National Park and Mpumalanga area. They also specialise in  trips to the Drakensberg and Sani Pass/Lesotho area. Their Battlefields tour includes places such as Isandlwana, Rorke's Drift, Tugela Ferry and more.

In and around Durban, they do City Tours as well as visits to places such as the Valley of 1000 Hills, Bird Park, Sharks Board and Snake Park. The Overland Safari's include visits to Shakaland, St Lucia Estuary and Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Game Reserves.

Half day tours

• Durban City Tour - departures daily at 09h00, cost R200.00 per person.
  Visit places of interest in and around Durban City, Golden Mile, Harbour, City Centre, Indian Market, Botanical Gardens. Tea/Coffee included
• Valley of 1000 Hills - Departures daily at 09h00 or 12h00, cost R225 per person
  Travel through picturesque countryside to a Zulu village amongst the hills and experience Zulu dancing. Also a visit to a Snake and Crocodile Farm. Tea/Coffee at Croc Farm
• The 'Creepy Crawly' Tour - Departures Tues/Wed/Thurs only at 09h00. Cost R275 per person. Visit the Natal Sharks Board for an audiovisual show as well as the dissection of a shark. Then go to the Umgeni Bird Park (3rd largest of its kind in the world) and enjoy a cup of tea/coffee before going on to the Snake Park for a demonstration

Full day tours

• Shakaland - Departures daily at 09h00. Cost : R700 per person. Visit this authentic Zulu Village and enjoy traditional Zulu Culture, dancing, pot and bead making and beer tasting, before sitting down to a wonderful lunch & beverage.
• Hluhluwe Game Reserve : Departures daily at 07h00. Cost R825 per person. Depart Durban with breakfast en-route to Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Game Parks for a full day of game viewing and lunch at Hilltop Camp. Return to Durban in late afternoon.
• Sani Pass / Lesotho - Departures daily at 06h30. Cost R925 per perosn (Passports essential). Scenic drive to Underberg for breakfast and transfer by 4 x 4 vehicle for the ascent to the Sani Pass Chalet (Roof of Africa) where you will enjoy the breathtaking splendour of the mountains, and have lunch at the highest pub in Africa. Return Durban late afternoon.
• St Lucia Wetlands - Departures daily at 07h00. cost R650 per person. A scenic drive with breakfast en-route to St Lucia Enjoy a two hour boat trip up the St Lucia Estuary where you can view Hippos in their natural surroundings and an abundance of birdlife. After the boat, visit the Croc Farm, and then have lunch in the village before returning to Durban.
• Battlefields - Departures daily at 07h00. Cost R915 per person. A trip back in time to the most historical battles of the British Forces. Visit the famous battlefields of Rourke's Drift and Isandlwana and travel through Tugela Ferry. Return to Durban via Pietermaritzburg. Breakfast and lunch included.
• Mini Wildlife - Departures daily at 09h00. Cost R625 per person. Scenic drive through Valley of 1000 Hills, to the Lion Park to see Lion, Elephant, and Antelope. Then proceed to a private Game Ranch where you will see Rhino, Eland, Black Wildebeest and Springbok. Lunch included.

Overland tours

• Overland Packages include 2-3 day safaris as well as a 2 day overland tour to the Drakensberg.
• 2 Day Drakensberg: Cost R2850 per person (Full Board)Full itinerary on request.
• 2 Day Hluhluwe Safari - Cost R2700 per person (full board)
• 3 Day Hluhluwe Safari (includes Shakaland and St Lucia) - Cost R3950per person (full board)
• Prices for Kruger Park tours available on request depending on duration and requirements.

All tours depart daily from Durban or surrounding areas. Pick up in Johannesburg can be arranged on Kruger National Park to Durban packages.

Ian specializes in tours to the Drakensberg region. Like a 4x4 trail up Sani Pass,  Africa's highest Mountain Pass. His tours are flexible with daily departures. He is an experienced and knowledgeable, expert guide with a small vehicle and very personalized service. Ian is perfect for those of you who like that individual personal attention.

Price / Duration :   R 2830  / 2 days

• DAY 1
  Depart from your hotel and travel via Bothas Hill and Pietermaritzburg to Howick to view the waterfall.· Continue past Bulwer to Underberg and the Sani Pass Hotel. After check in and lunch (not included) you have the afternoon at leisure to take part in organized hikes or to relax. ·Dinner/Bed/Breakfast: The Sani Pass Hotel Touring time: Half day Traveling time: 3 hours
• DAY 2
  After breakfast drive up Sani Pass in a 4x4 vehicle with breathtaking views. At the top we cross into the Kingdom of Lesotho for lunch (included) at about 3000m above sea level. Opportunity to mix with local ethnic community. Return to the hotel in the afternoon to change vehicles and return to Durban. Drop off at your hotel or at Durban International Airport. Touring time: Full day. Travelling time: 4 hours

The Drakensberg is the country's grandest mountain range and at its highest where it runs through KwaZulu-Natal. The name literally means 'Dragon' and it is derived from the breathtaking high jagged basalt cliffs bearing a similarity to the back of a dragon. The local Zulu people call it the 'UKhahlamba' (Barrier of the Spears). In this tour we blend the sights of the mountain with a game park to see some of the wild animals found here when wildlife still roamed freely in the area. The tour is also designed for the person who wants the opportunity to explore the mountain on foot. We visit a cave with some of the best preserved ancient rock art in the country. We take leisurely walks around the Sentinel area and enjoy breathtaking views into the Amphitheatre. For those very energetic souls, a stiff walk and 100 meter chain ladder leads to the top of the mountain where you can watch the kilometer long Tugela Falls plummeting over basalt cliffs.

Price: R 2995  / 3 days per person sharing. Single supplement is R395. Children sharing a room with both parents pay only 50% of the per person sharing rate. 

Itinerary:

• DAY 1.
  We drive inland past Pietermaritzburg and the Howick falls to the area of gently pastoral beauty called the Natal Midlands. We pass through grassy plains scattered with villages and lush farmlands where plump cattle and thoroughbred horses graze. We enter the Weenen Game Reserve for an afternoon of game viewing. Then we travel to our hotel from where you can enjoy magnificent views while enjoying sundowners.
• DAY 2.
  After breakfast we travel through Qwa Qwa, a former homeland, and watch the locals busy with their daily chores in this remote land. We arrive at the Sentinel, some 3200 meters above sea level, for a picnic lunch and some easy walks to viewpoints of the sheer drops into the Amphitheatre. For those energetic souls, there is a stiff walk and climb up a chain ladder to the summit (weather permitting). Here you find the source of the mighty Tugela River and where it rushes over the edge of the cliffs to plummet down for hundreds of meters. After this unforgettable experience we return to our hotel late afternoon.
• DAY 3.
  We depart after breakfast and drive to the Giant's Castle area for an easy walk to some of the country's best preserved ancient rock paintings. We have a peek into the mystical existence of these strange little people who became extinct at the beginning of the previous century. From here we return to Durban arriving late afternoon

Treks, Trips & Trails do not have standard tours. Magda will put together the tour of your choice- anything from day trips, which may include a bush brunch, to extended trips into Lesotho or the Drakensberg. Depending on your interests and time available they will customize the best possible 'safari' for you. It could be a trek into the Drakensberg mountains, a bird viewing trip up-river or perhaps game viewing on horseback where you ride amongst the wild animals- including rhinos. Whatever you choose, Treks, Trips & Trails will give you the African adventure you dream of.

Quote supplied after consultation with clients to allow for individual flexibility.

For those who want to explore the Central Drakensberg regions, whether in their own 4x4 vehicles or driven vehicles from Weldrew. This is also also anyone who wants to learn how to drive off road. Weldrew can arrange comfortable accommodation too

Pricing varies on type of tour - accommodation, driving, no of people and  on venue and type of activity

• 4x4 driver training
• self drive 4x4 trails
• Instructed 4x4 trails
• Scenic drives
• Challenging 4x4 adventures