Hot Air Ballooning SA

Experience exceptional hot air balloon rides from the finest venues in South Africa.

Chosen for their exquisite scenery, fine ballooning weather, accommodation options, tourism and interest value.

They include the majestic splendour of the Maluti mountain range in Clarens, the Golden sands of the Kalahari, Gauteng’s Cradle of Humankind, the Vaal river and Vredefort Dome meteorite impact site of Parys, the rolling hills of the Natal Midlands, Champagne Valley in the Majestic Drakensberg Mountains, the beautiful Tala Valley just 45 minutes from Durban, the Panorama of Sabie and Graaff Reinet’s valley of desolation.
Experience the Finest Ballooning that South Africa has to offer with loads of colour fun and in the company of highly experienced crew.

We have been flying these venues safely for more than 14 years. Our balloons, professional experience and hospitality will assure you of an exceptional experience.

Solo Travelling in the Drakensberg

Antbear Reservations Information December 25, 2019December 26, 2019 0 Comment

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.

Hlatikhulu Forest

Once you have collected your permit from the Ezimvelo KZN Wildlife office at Monk’s Cowl and filled in the mountain register, find the path leading off from the car park down to the Sterkspruit River walk behind the offices. Enjoy the view of the Sterkspruit Falls before taking the path towards Nandi’s. Find the trail where it crosses the Sterkspruit and make sure you fill up your water bottles as there is a bit of a climb before you. Follow the path and at the junction follow the left hand path that will lead you into the forrest. In the forrest you will be transformed into a wonder land of green moss covered rocks, take care as they are slippery. Find a quite place to sit and listen to the birds songs, and if you sit really quite, they will slowly start to emerge from the forest to see who this stranger is. Follow the path out of the forest back down to the river where you are sure to find a swimming hole to swim in or follow the path for a short distance up and cool of under Nandi’s Falls before heading back to the Monks Cowl Office.

Drakensberg Boys Choir School

Drakensberg’s Singing ambassadors

Worldwide there are many schools with boys’ choirs, but the Drakensberg Boys Choir is unique and one of only a few of its kind, globally: a boarding school using choral music as a significant vehicle for holistic education.

The mission of the Drakensberg Boys Choir School is to prepare boys for life and leadership through excellence in music, academics, physical development and social enrichment, in a Christian environment.

The Drakensberg Boys Choir is synonymous with high-energy performances, which have been captivating audiences for over 50 years. The choir embraces the versatility, stamina and raw talent of boys from across the country and abroad to create a choral spectacular, jam-packed with a variety of musical styles ranging from classical and contemporary choral gems, to billboard pop hits, to authentic indigenous South African music. Join us for an afternoon of guaranteed entertainment at one of our 34 annual Wednesday concerts and let our young stars creep deep into your heart with their sincerity and youthful spirit.

When: Every Wednesday during the school term at 15h30

Where: Ken Mackenzie Auditorium at the Drakensberg Boys Choir School

Dress Code: You are on holiday so come as you feel comfortable

Tickets: Adults R205, Pensioners R180, Children R155.

Drakensberg Rock Art

The Drakensberg Range has between 35,000 and 40,000 works of Bushman rock art. These rock art sites constitute the largest collection of such rock art in the world. There are some 20,000 individual rock paintings that have been recorded at 500 different caves and over-hanging cliff sites between the Drakensberg Royal Natal National Park and Bushman’s Nek. Due to the materials used in their production, these paintings are difficult to date but there is now anthropological evidence, including many hunting implements, that suggest the San people existed in the Drakensberg at least 40,000 years ago, and possibly even as much as 100,000. The most easily accessible rock art site with some of the best preserved examples of bushman rock art is at Game Pass Shelter in the Central Drakensberg at Kamberg. Giants castle offers main caves which is just a short walk and there is a guide at the rock art site with tours every hour on the hour.

Wits End Mountain Resort

Situated in the heart of the Champagne Valley, Central Drakensberg our 9 self catering chalets can accommodate up to 60 people. The chalets are of various sizes ranging from 4 sleeper 2 suite chalets , 6 sleeper 3 suite chalets and 8 sleeper group chalets. Our wedding venue and chapel each seat 150. The resort is close to the mountains and is situated within the buffer zone of the World Heritage site. We have 80 hectares of pristine mountain landscape with a large dam stocked with indigenous Yellowfish and bass, so fishing and boating is available on site. We have an extensive netrwork of nature trails on the property meandering along grasslands and through an indigenous forest.

Accom. At Treks, Trips & Trails

Bergvlei Cottage is a stand-alone conventionally constructed, fully equipped, self-catering 6-sleeper chalet in the Central Drakensberg. A mountain-view, shaded patio area with a barbeque (braai) area leads into an open plan living room with fireplace and DSTV which carries on through to the kitchen and sunken dining area.

The main double en-suite bedroom has a bath and stand-up, multi-functional shower. The second bedroom on the mezzanine floor consists of a curtained-off double bed, two single beds and a mountain-view reading alcove. This bedroom is serviced by a basin, toilet and shower downstairs.

The wooden deck at the bottom of the garden is a photographer’s dream for sunsets in the Drakensberg while the rock pool in the garden, as well as magnificent Drakensberg Mountain and lake views, complete this unique, Treks, Trips & Trails accommodation venue.

Bahati Tree Lodge is a double storey, fully equipped, self-catering timber structure in the Central Drakensberg. The upper-level open plan living and kitchen area with fireplace and sleeper couch leads onto the full-length deck with a gas barbeque (braai) unit encompassing magnificent Drakensberg Mountain and lake views.

Opposite the living area, is a double, en-suite bedroom with a Jacuzzi/spa bath and a ‘forest view’ shower. All of which is constructed around a live, glass-encased mature tree and two others just outside.

The lower level of Bahati Tree Lodge features a twin bedded en-suite bedroom leading into a room-sized, glass-walled shower which also looks out onto stupendous views of the lake and Drakensberg Mountains beyond.

This unique treehouse venue is completed with a South African type braai area, fire-pit, superb views and a rock pool swimming pool just a few steps away. The cabin does not have TV but a music centre is supplied. A beautiful rock pool on the premises completes this idyllic spot.

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Hot Air Ballooning SA

Solo Travelling in the Drakensberg

Hlatikhulu Forest

Drakensberg Boys Choir School

Drakensberg’s Singing ambassadors

Drakensberg Rock Art

Wits End Mountain Resort

Accom. At Treks, Trips & Trails

Berg Adventures

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