Cedarville, Drakensberg

The little hamlet of Cedarville, virtually on the border of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu Natal, lies just south east of the little village of Matatiele on the R56, north west of Mount Currie Nature Reserve, and on the very southern edge of the Drakensberg Mountains, although the mountain range in this case is rather a distant backdrop.

What makes Cedarville, the little village in East Griqualand, so very beautiful is its access to mountains. It is not only just south of the Drakensberg but is also the gateway to three mountain passes into Lesotho. Towering above it too, is a further mountain, the virtually 2 000 metre Cedarberg Mountain from which the town obviously gets its name. From here one also easily reaches the Katse Dam and the incredible Maletsunyane waterfall, while Lesotho is but an hour from Cedarville, and there are a number of challenging 4x4 routes in and around these great outdoor places.

Cedarville is in the heart of tranquil mountain enchantment. Grasslands peppered with low lying hills and mountainous backdrops, with accommodation mainly on farms that by their very nature provide time out, is the run of things here. Hiking across grassveld, rustic mountain huts, the Cedarville flats, prolific wildlife and a bird life, as well as well stocked trout dams, make this part of the world a more than welcome respite from it all.

Nearby the Umzimvubu River provides an ample supply of carp for more fishing fun whilst it and other water-filled depressions that are in abundance around Cedarville serve as the source of hours of canoeing pleasure. And the Mount Currie Nature Reserve, which provides still further fishing opportunities, also offers sightings of the bearded vulture and no shortage of eagles, with regular appearances of Verreaux's eagle, the martial eagle and the African fish eagle.