TOUR OVERVIEW
In Durban you'll be guided through traditional medicine markets where tribal village life comes to the city, and trace the footsteps of the Indian labourers and traders who have made Durban their home. Leaving the city and coastal heat behind, travel inland to the rugged ranges the Zulu call uKhahlamba, the "barrier or spears", where you can hike among the sandstone ramparts, discover rock shelters decorated with beautifully detailed San bushman art, and wake up to the chilly mountain air in a secluded private valley.
Duration: 6 Nights / 7 Days
Tour Type: Self-drive with guided activities
Group size: Minimum 2 adults
Route: Durban >> Drakensberg >> Durban.
Day 1
On arrival you will be greeted and transfer to your accommodation in Central Durban. Remainder of the day at leisure.
Accommodation at Durban Guesthouse or Hotel.
Day 2
This morning discover the delights of downtown Durban on a guided walk, exploring the village-within-a-city atmosphere of the Muti traditional medicine market, the fascinating crossroads of cultures and history that is the Warwick Triangle, and the Victoria Market, where Indian traders ply their wares. Alternatively, take a guided cycling tour along the breathtaking Golden Mile and ocean promenade, passing by the spectacular new Moses Mabhida stadium.
The afternoon is yours to explore the city. Why not take a township tour guided by local residents?
Day 3
Spend the day meeting the Indian communities of Durban. Visit Cato Manor, a working class suburb where the first Indians to reach South Africa settled, and now an internationally acclaimed example of integrated urban development, and see some of the oldest houses and temples in the country (dating back to 1890). Then continue to Bhambayi, built on the site of the Phoenix Settlement, an ashram and farm established by Gandhi in 1904. Visit the house in which Gandhi and his family lived and hear stories of the activists who fought for social justice for Indian and Black South Africans.
This tour can be tailored to include various other Indian cultural landmarks and sites in and around Durban, and can include a traditional meal.
Days 4 and 6
Collect your rental car and leave the city behind to travel northwards via the Natal Midlands to the Drakensberg region.
Your base for the next three days will be The Cavern, a family-run lodge situated in a 3000-hectare private mountain reserve. The lodge is set in a secluded valley beneath the massive sandstone cliffs of the Northern Drakensberg, home to numerous Bushman Painting. For the next two days you can explore the wild mountains on foot, on horseback or by mountain bike. Take a guided hike to some of the best San bushman art sites in the region – Thonsela Cave, Cannibal Cavern, Echo Cave and Sungubala – or if you've got a head for heights take on the classic trek to the top of the Amphitheatre.
Accommodation at The Cavern Resort & Spa, http://www.cavern.co.za/
Day 7
Return to Durban where you will drop your rental car at the airport.
Southern Drakensberg Hiking Trail
Trek through a rarely-explored corner of the southern Drakensberg on the community-owned Mehloding walking trail.