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GIANT'S CASTLE - DRAKENSBERG
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  Giant's
Castle, Drakensberg:
Lying at the southern end of the central Drakensberg Giant’s Castle, which gets its
name from the outline of the peaks and escarpment that combine to resemble the profile of
a sleeping giant, is essentially a grassy plateau that nestles among the deep valleys of
this part of the Drakensberg, offering some of the most breathtaking scenery.
Giant’s Castle game reserve is home to the eland and bearded vulture, also known as
bone eaters of the ‘berg. A drastic decline in this bird’s numbers means that an
isolated population in the highlands of Lesotho and adjacent areas is all that remains of
the bird, and birders try to time their visits with the vulture hide feeding season, from
May to September.
The terrain in this beautiful part of the world is a sprinkling of clear mountain streams,
bush-lined banks, wetlands, steep grassy slopes, sandstone cliffs and towering precipices
and buttresses that have lured many a climber to Giant’s, as it is locally known.
There are a number of hikes to choose from and they range from the rather severe hike to
Bannerman Hut, to the more sedate Champagne Pools circular walk from Giant’s Castle
main gate, which takes you to secluded pools for swimming and fishing.
Weather here is dicey and clouds and rain can roll in fast, in what feels like minutes, so
warm clothes are an itinerary item at any time of the year. There is good access to
Giant’s along gravel roads from Mooi River or from Escourt – both towns are on
the N3 between Durban and Johannesburg. |
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 Overnight at Giant's Castle
accommodation or find an hotel in Drakensberg.
Also see Drakensberg accommodation
and the Drakensberg map. |
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| GIANT'S
CASTLE NATURE RESERVE |
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 Historic Giant's Castle Game Reserve, home of the eland and the majestic
bearded vulture, lies in the Central Drakensberg region of the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg
Park, a World Heritage Site. Giant's Castle camp is situated on a gassy plateau among the
deep valleys running down from ... more » Giant's Castle Nature
Reserve |
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| ROYAL
NATAL NATIONAL PARK |
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 One of South
Africa's finest attractions, probably best explored on horseback. Scenic highlights
include the Amphitheatre, Mont-aux-Sources and the Tugela Falls. In addition to
breathtaking scenery and mountain streams stocked with trout, visitors have a choice of
... more about » Royal Natal National Park |
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| DRAKENSBERG
BOYS' CHOIR |
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 Drakenberg Boys'
Choir: There aren’t that many things in South Africa that
you can say are unique or world class, but the Drakensberg Boys’ Choir is one of
them. Doors opened in 1965 to the first 20 pupils. The dream was of a multi-racial,
multi-cultural Choir School to rival the Vienna Boys. Not in ... more » Drakenberg
Boys' Choir
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 For five days of
laid-back acoustic music in an awesome setting, don’t miss the annual White Mountain
Folk Festival (held in September). Held near Giant’s Castle, the festival offers
acoustic performances by some of the country’s finest established and up-and-coming
... more » White
Mountain Folk Festival
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| AMPHITHEATRE |
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 This sheer,
four-kilometre-wide basalt cliff face, The Amphitheatre, is flanked by the Sentinel and
the Eastern Buttress and is one of South
Africa Drakensberg's most distinctive scenic attractions. The Tugela River plunges
over the edge and plummets 2000 m in a series of sheer falls. |
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« KwaZulu Natal Game Reserves
| South
Africa Game Reserves » |
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