Did you know that Treks, Trips and Trails doesn’t just offer fabulous accommodation in the Drakensberg? We also specialise in offering tailor-made tours of this fantastic area we are privileged to call home. Join us on a guided tour for the day or self-drive yourself, and enjoy a day exploring the very best the Drakensberg has to offer!

Here are just 4 of our favourite day trips you can do in the Berg.

4×4 route in the footprints of the Voortrekers

In 1838 a decision was made by the then Boer Republic based in Pietermaritzburg to look for new pastures, away from the relentless advance of the British. At the insistence of one particular lady, whose statue will be visited on this trip, a trek up the side of the Drakensberg with wagons and oxen was undertaken. After countless hardships, this brought the Boers out on the plateau of the ‘Berg which today forms the eastern border of the Free State Province. This is now known as the Bezuidenhout Pass.

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Join us as we climb the pass in a 4×4 vehicle and admire the tenacity and pure strength to get wagons and oxen up this steep incline. From the top of the pass it is a short drive to two historical sites. The first is Kerkenberg which was the final laager from where the trek leader, Piet Retief, and some of his followers left to go to discuss cattle grazing rights with Dingaan – the then Zulu King. They celebrated his daughter’s 15th birthday before leaving and the date is preserved, written in ash in a glass-faced box on one of the rocks. The second site is some 12km further which is the bronze statue of the Kaalvoet Vrou (barefoot woman) who was responsible for inciting the Drakensberg trek.

kaalvoet-vrou

The return journey to Treks, Trips and Trails is via the Oliviershoek Pass, a back road via the Woodstock Dam which is a beautiful site at sunset and the seldom travelled road behind Cathedral Peak.

The full Drakensberg experience tour

This trip sees you in for an early morning wake up and a 10-minute drive to the Berg Ballooning hot air balloon launch site. There is something very special about experiencing a sunrise over the Drakensberg, gliding silently high above the earth in a hot air balloon. After this magical experience, a hearty breakfast awaits in the hanger. A short drive brings you back into the Champagne Valley in time for the next adventure.

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At 10.30am the Falcon Ridge raptor demonstration starts lasting about an hour during which a variety of 4 or 5 birds of prey are flown and interesting facts pertaining to each is told. Be in awe of these birds that dive from the sky at over 200km per hour and those that dislocate their elbows allowing them to ‘steal’ other birds chicks.

Another short drive takes you to any one of several good restaurants in the Drakensberg or back to Treks, Trips and Trails for a little rest and relaxation and lunch in preparation to the final amazing experience of the day. This is a Drakensberg Choir School 2 hour concert commencing at 3.30pm. With a variety of restaurants open in the evening close by the superb day can be ended off at any one of these as there is no problem whatsoever driving in the Drakensberg at night.

Relax in and around Treks, Trips and Trails

Sleep in and enjoy a not-too-early start with coffee or tea on the deck of either the Bahati Tree Lodge or Bergvlei Cottage, watching the day unfold. Spend the morning enjoying a relaxed hour’s walk down to the dam and along the cliff face or do a 1km walk up to Cayley Lodge for breakfast. When you get there enjoy a massage at the lodge.

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Follow your morning’s exercise with a leisurely lunch at any one of a number of café/restaurants with great mountain views near to Treks, Trips and Trails.

When you are done with lunch, take an afternoon helicopter trip over the Drakensberg, which could include a stop-off on the mountain with time to enjoy the sunset with a bottle of champagne. End the day back at Treks, Trips and Trails in the company of the very visible Milky Way.

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The Bushman legacy and horse safari

This trip starts with a scenic 8okm drive to the Giants Castle Nature Reserve and then the short 45-minute walk to main cave. Here you will experience some of the best examples of Bushman cave art in the Drakensberg. Return to the camp via the Bushman river which meanders through the valley.

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From here it is just a short drive to the lunch venue, a unique eco resort with some excellent examples of home-made furniture and straw-built buildings.

Follow this with another short drive to a once in a lifetime experience – a horseback safari on a well-stocked game farm with the possibility of seeing a herd of over 100 eland as well as one of the Big Five, as well as a variety of other plains game.  The animals are very comfortable with the horses being close which allows for a great game viewing.

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