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This short break takes you into the Midlands, the Drakensberg Mountains, Northern KZN and back via the coast for a mixture of action, history, culture and wildlife. Take warm clothes – it gets cold inland at night in winter.
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From Durban drive inland on the N3. About 20 minutes after Pietermaritzburg, turn off at Midmar Dam onto the R103 for your first stop - the site of Nelson Mandela’s arrest in 1962 near Fern Hill Hotel.
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Continue on to the Midlands Meander, one of South Africa’s premier tourism routes with over a hundred craft shops, art galleries, places to eat and other attractions. Don’t miss the brewery at Rawdon’s Estate near Nottingham Road - try their excellent range of beers and pub lunches, and stock up on a pint or two before leaving. Alternatively head for the nearby village of Rosetta where you can soak up the winter sun and views of the Midlands over lunch at Horizons Gourmet Picnics.
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Rosetta is the gateway to the Kamberg valley and the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park, a World Heritage Site with plenty of adventure activities and culture. Stay at Kamberg Nature Reserve, or, if you’re looking for one of our top foodie experiences, head for the highly acclaimed Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse nearby where owners Richard and Mouse Poynton will treat you to an inspired five-course meal.
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Start day two with a hot air balloon ride over the Kamberg valley with Airborne Adventures. Then it’s a short drive to the Kamberg San Rock Art Centre where you can discover an ancient people’s history with its world-class multimedia display or test your stamina on a hike into the majestic Drakensberg Mountains.
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Midlands beef is unbeatable so pick up some juicy steaks for a braai (barbeque) washed down by those beers. Or make the 45-minute drive to another top rated lodge, Hartford House, located on a premier stud farm. Enjoy more exceptional regional cuisine by top chef Jackie Cameron. Either way, round off the evening with friends in front of a big log fire.
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After breakfast on day three it’s an easy two-hour drive to the Dundee/Vryheid area in Northern KZN and the Battlefields. Many conflicts took place here between Zulu and British, and there’s time for a quick stop at the war museum in Dundee or famous battle sites at Isandlwana, Rorke's Drift or Blood River.
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An hour past Vryheid near the town of Louwsburg you’ll find Ithala, a nature reserve set amongst some of the world’s oldest rock formations. Here archaeologists have found tools from the middle Stone Age 250 000 years ago. Ithala has all the Big Five except lion, which means their antelope, zebra and the plentiful giraffe bravely come out into the open for excellent sightings. Game viewing is usually best at dusk or dawn, so soak up some warm winter sun at the swimming pool before a late afternoon game drive.
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Organise an early morning champagne breakfast game drive. Leave about midday and follow the R69 to the N2 on the North Coast for the drive to Durban.
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Stop in at Richard’s Bay for a brief visit to the pretty Uzi Gazi waterfront area with its breathtaking views of Pelican Island and the Yacht Club. If you don’t feel like leaving, stay overnight right there at the Mzingazi Waterfront Suites.
The best of two cities – enjoy the sun, sand, sea and mountains around Durbs, and then head off to
Johannesburg
for some radical nightlife and fantastic struggle history experiences.
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