'''Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park''' is in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Understand

History

The Ukhahlamba Drakensberg is a relatively new new park and a UNESCO World Heritage site. As is becoming increasingly the norm in South Africa, it is comprised of a number of existing parks that have been joined together in order to form a larger park.

Technically the Royal Natal National Park also forms part of Ukhahlamba Drakensberg, but since that park is still free standing and will be experienced as a separate entity by the traveller, it is also treated here as a separate article.

Landscape

The park is located in the central Drakensberg mountain range, on the border with the mountain kingdom of Lesotho. Champagne Castle at 3377 meters above sea level is one of the highest peaks in the park. The higher peaks consist mostly of basalt rock, but at lower elevations it is mostly sandstone. A large number of caves, many of them inscribes with San rock art can be found in the sandstone. Many rivers, including the Tugela, have their origin in this part of the Drakensberg.

Flora and fauna

Bushbuck, oribi, mountain reedbuck, tiny duiker, and the largest of South Africa_fs antelope species, the eland, as well as many others can be found here. Enormous lammergeier, or bearded vultures, fly overhead and baboons bark from the cliffs.

The spring is heralded by carpets of wild flowers and the pink and orange watsonia, like miniature gladioli, bloom thickly on the hillsides. In autumn the fields and lower reaches of the Drakensberg are often a waist-high sea of confetti-like pink, white and deep velvet red cosmos blossoms.

In the higher reaches on the slopes of the Little Berg, varieties of protea trees show their prehistoric flowers, and ancient tree ferns and the odd cycad dot the gullies. Hikers should note that there are 24 species of snakes in these mountains, and not all of them are willing to give way to humans!

Climate

Get in

Fees/Permits

Get around

See

  • San Rock Art. There are more than 500 caves in the mountains decorated with rock art and this is one of the main reasons why this area has been declared a UNESCO Heritage site.

    Do

  • Hiking.

    Buy

    Eat

    Drink

    Sleep

    Lodging

  • Drakensberg Sun. ttp://www.southernsun.com/. 27 36 468-1000. 27 36 468-1224. rakreservations@southernsun.com.
  • Giant's Castle. ttp://www.kznparks.com/accommodation/kwazulunatal_giants_castle.htm. PM. 0AM. price="From R660 for a double. 27 21 975-2189. 27 21 975-5194. znparks@toursa.com. Operated by KwaZulu-Natal Parks and offers two to six bed chalets in the Giant's Castle Game Reserve
  • Champagne Castle. ttp://www.champagnecastle.co.za/. 27 36 468-1063. 27 36 468-1306. nfo@champagnecastlehotel.co.za. rom R1040 for a double in the hotel. From R1500 for a 6 sleeper chalet. Hotel and chalets in the Champagne Valley.

    Camping

    Backcountry

    Stay safe

    Get out