You’ve seen the broken, undernourished, backpack laden, pot clanging hikers making their way down from the mountains and you want no part of it. But you have a craving to experience the magic of the Drakensberg. Bring on our 3-day luxury Drakensberg slackpacking trail hiking tour of the Southern Drakensberg.
The perfect option for hikers who are looking for incredible hiking but keeping the creature comforts. Trade in the poop holes for toilets. And of course….the moaning and whining of your tired and fed-up partner is traded in for the soft purr of contentment as you intimately feed her marsh mellows and listen to the mystical hooting of the owls and the rhythmically melody of the wind blowing gently through the trees. Now before we get carried away on a poetic roller-coaster of clichés let’s get right into the nitty gritty of this epic slackpacking hiking tour of the Southern Drakensberg.
What area does the hiking tour cover?
Explore the foothills of the Giants Castle area of the Drakensberg. This part of the mountains offers some of the most incredible scenery within a rich biodiverse nature reserve. The Giants Castle area is situated in the Provence of Kwa Zulu Natal on the edge of the Central and Southern Drakensberg mountain range.
This hiking trail provides access to private land, a game reserve and locally forged conservancies. Special places where people normally would not have access. From Durban the drive is about 2 hours. The drive from Johannesburg is about 5 hours.
About the Giants Castle Drakensberg Slack Packing Trail
The hiking tour is basically a 3-day round trip. The route we follow is through the curated paths of the Zulu Waters Private Game Reserve and the Lowlands Conservancy. The area has fast become well known by locals and overseas trekkers alike. Partly due its rich biodiversity and incredible mountain scenery.
And partly due to the gentle distances covered with no hectic gradients like on other Drakensberg hikes like Mafadi or Champagne Castle. This is the perfect hiking experience for beginners, families and people who have little experience in the mountains.
Fitness is also not a major factor. And as we mentioned, the best part about the Giants Castle Slackpacking Trail is the fact that tents are traded in for luxurious mountain lodges. The lodges offer locally grown, home cooked meals as an added bonus. The daily routes are abundant with rivers and dams for swimming and picnicking.
The third day is a very unique and different hiking experience. The whole day is spent hiking in the Zulu Waters Game Reserve. The possibility of seeing some of South Africa’s iconic wildlife is pretty good. The reserve is home to species such s Rhino, wildebeest, giraffe, buffalo, eland and many more. This is usually the highlight for many hikers.
And of course,…. there are no heavy backpacks to carry. Your luggage is transported for you to the various lodges as you progress through the hike. All you ned to carry is a small day pack with your snacks and binoculars.
In a nutshell, The Drakensberg Slack packing trail is a luxury hike offering comfortable and varied accommodation experiences each night, luggage transfers and delectable catering.
What is the duration of the tour?
The experience covers 3 days and 2 nights
Where does the hike start and end?
The hike starts at the Antbear Lodge, situated close to the Giants castle conservancy area. The tour ends at the Zulu Waters Shaka Lodge
What are the daily distances covered?
This Drakensberg Slackpacking Trail covers about 10kmper day. The hike is not difficult and is suitable for all levels if hikers. You will hike from Lodge to Lodge. We will make sure your luggage is transported to each lodge.
Where do we stay?
We have chosen 3 of the best lodges in the Giants Castle area as our preferred partners for this tour. The selection criteria included their location, comfort, service and sustainability in the Drakensberg in terms of conservation, organic food and low impact to the environment.
Night 1: Antbear Lodge
What makes Antbear Lodge special is that this is quite possibly one of them most sustainable lodges in South Africa. Here you will find homemade cheese from their own milk, own eggs from their own home-grown chickens and a wonderful organic garden. They also offer a luxury cave for accommodation
Night 2: Leopards Lair Lodge
Leopards Lair is one of those lovely places full of family atmosphere offering a real agri tourism experience. Meet Lalie their hand reared eland, their rescue emus and ostriches and the rest of their farmyard menagerie.
Night 3: Zulu Waters Shaka Lodge
Shaka Lodge offers the the lapse of luxury withing the Zulu Waters Game Reserve. Your own private chef will prepare delicacies that will make you want to stay forever.
