Solo Travelling in the Drakensberg

Most parts of South Africa are well suited to solo travel. Locals are very friendly, and will often go out of their way to make single travelers feel at home. The Drakensberg in particular is suited to those who relish hiking trails, spectacular views, raw wilderness and the great out doors. Private accommodation options are better suited to single travelers than the national parks and larger hotels, since they tend to offer a more hands-on personalised service.

The Drakensberg is a must for solo travelers, and a lodge like Antbear Lodge it is a good base for exploring the gorgeous mountains . Some solo travellers prefer not to self-drive, which makes it difficult to explore areas that are off the beaten track unless you join an organised tour. Amphitheater Backpackers caters for this niche very well. Private game reserves such as Zulu Waters and Nambiti are particularly well-suited to solo travelers.

An excellent way for single travellers to explore South Africa and the Drakensberg is by using the combination of the Baz Bus and the many backpacker hostels that are scattered around its cities and other main sites of interest. The Baz Bus is an affordable hop-on, hop-off bus service that connects Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town and several other popular places of interest, and its clientele is dominated by single travellers who are receptive to making new friends and meeting like-minded travel companions on the road. Likewise, most backpacker hostels have lively communal areas where it is easy to meet other travellers, and they usually also offer affordable group tours to local sites of interest, as well as overnight tours further afield.

At a more luxurious level, most private reserves operate group game drives and many also encourage guests to dine together, which makes it easy for solo travelers to mingle.

In the middle range, solo travelers seeking personalised attention should consider booking into small B&Bs and other owner-managed lodges rather than larger and more institutional hotels.

There are no risks specific to solo travel in South Africa, but apply the usual common sense precautions.