The Southern Drakensberg
The southern Drakensberg lies a bit off the beaten tourist track and is not
very well known. Here the nature lover finds alpine landscapes of dramatic beauty.
Trout anglers consider the "Southern Drakensberg" to be a favorite,
since the region has an abundance of crystal clear lakes and rivers. There are
several nature reserves, of which particularly the Kamberg
and the Loteni
are worth a visit. In both reserves live the almost extinct reedbuck, blessbuck,
eland, bushbuck und oribi. A wonderful circular trail leads through the Loteni
Reserve.
The
tourist highlight of the southern Drakensberg is the Sani
Pass. It's the highest pass-road in South Africa and leads all along
the upper Mkomazana River up to the border with Lesotho
(2874 metres above sea-level).One frequently comes across people from Lesotho
on their donkeys. At the river one can find many an idyllic picnic spot. Particularly
the last part of the untarred stretch (behind the South African border post)
is extremely steep and rocky and can only be managed with a four-wheel drive
vehicle. But the breathtaking view of the rugged alpine landscape is a memorable
reward. It is highly recommended to cross the border, because on the Lesotho
side there is a little restaurant and a Basotho
village. The border is open daily between 8.00 am and 4.00 pm.
Provision
centres for the southern part of the Drakensberg are the towns of Underberg,
Himeville
and Bulwer, where
there is accommodation in different price ranges available. Himeville has an
excellent museum which gives mainly information about the first white settlers
who came here in the 1890s already. One gets to the Southern Drakesberg either
by travelling the R103 (Midlands
Meander) via Nottingham Road (from there the Sani Pass is sign-posted) or
over the southern access via Bulwer (easier drive, but less scenic).
southern drakensberg Links
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