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What
you need to know
Also see links to other related web sites
Getting to South Africa:
Airlines that fly to SA include South
African Airways, British
Airways , Lufthansa, Emirates, KLM,
Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Virgin and many others.
Getting around:
If you need to travel long distances within southern Africa, we suggest
flying. All major cities are serviced by domestic airlines, including
SAA, British Airways operated by Comair
and Nationwide Airlines. Smaller centres, such as Pietermaritzburg,
Richards Bay and Kimberley, can be reached on SA Airlink.
All
cities are also linked by luxury coach services such as Greyhound and Translux . If you prefer to be independent,
car hire is widely available at very competitive prices (cheaper than
in the rest of Africa). All the major car hire companies – Avis, Imperial, etc - are available
in all major cities and towns.
Other information:
The
unit of currency is the South African Rand, with one hundred cents
to the unit. Foreign currency may not be used, but Bureax de Change
are available in the international airports – Johannesburg,
Durban and Cape Town – and in cities and banks. American Express
and Thomas Cook travellers cheques are widely accepted and their depots
are also available in all cities and many major towns.
Currency Converter
It
is worth bringing a cellular (mobile) phone with you or renting on
arrival, as there is very good coverage throughout the country, and
public telephones are frequently unreliable or in out of way places.
There are 3 network providers, Vodacom, MTN and CellC and you can
obtain air time easily.
Weather Forcast
About
the Drakensberg:
Geography
- The average height of the peaks is 3000m or 10 000 ft, but this
belies the large altitudinal jump between base and summit and the
precipitous slopes which make for spectacular scenery. The eastern
face of the range forms a dramatic, steep escarpment, which runs north,
south for 200 kilometers. To the west are large rolling mountains
which form what are called the Lesotho Highlands. To the east, jutting
into the KwaZulu-Natal Province are peaks which are free standing
while others form part of the escarpment.
The highest point is a small peak called Thabana Ntlenyana and stands
at 3482m (11 425ft) and is in fact the highest point in southern Africa.
It is 10 kilometers inside Lesotho. The highest point in the Republic
of SA is Mafadi Peak, 3450m. Both these points are “trekking
peaks”.
The lower slopes are comprised of layers of soft Sandstone and covered
by evergreen grasses while from approximately 1800 m there are layers
of igneous Basalt rock laid down from between 160 to 140 million years
ago.
Most of the Drakensberg range is in a protected conservation area
of 250 000ha.
Fauna and Flora - Altitude and aspect play the biggest roll in determining
the plant type and distribution in the range. The Drakensberg partly
gained it’s World Heritage status due to its incredibly diverse
flora and flora. Literally hundreds of plant , animal and insect species
are found in this range. Of the 1800 known plant species, 350 are
endemic to the Drakensberg.
From 1000m up to 1800m grasses of mainly the Fustuca and Themeda species
are prevalent. South facing slopes which receive much shade also have
deep groves of temperate forest containing Yellow Woods (Podocarpus
sp.) Tree Ferns and Cycades. The hotter and drier north slopes often
have spread out forests of Protea sp.
The upper layers of Basalt rock are covered by Alpine grasses and
woody shrubs mainly of the Erica and Helichrysum sp. This upper area
is a very rare ecosystem within southern Africa.
Hikers can expect to see baboons, several species of small and large
antelope, porcupines, ice rates, rock Hyrax, birds, raptors and the
rare Bearded Vulture (Lammergeyer). Even leopard and lynx exist throughout
the range but are very seldom seen and are not a danger to hikers.
Water Conservation - A major reason why the Drakensberg is a protected
area is due to the fact that most of the KwaZulu-Natal Province and
Johannesberg industrial area receives it’s water from this vital
catchment.
Security and safety - Hiking in the Drakensberg is a very safe environment
with no problems associated with crime of the big cities. It is also
a malaria free area.
Weather - The Drakensberg lies in the summer rainfall area of Southern
Africa (October to March). This is the wetter time of year but does
not stop hiking and trekking taking place. Indeed this is the best
time for viewing flowers and animals. Thunder storms are common in
the afternoons which are preceded by hot humid conditions.
Between April to September the weather is usually very stable with
warm sunny days and cold and frosty nights. Note that snow can also
occur during this time and adequate clothing is essential for hikers
and climbers.
What if you need to be rescued? Medical emergencies in the Drakensberg
fall under the authority of the Provincial Emergency Medical Rescue
Service (EMRS). However, due to the hazards and technical difficulties
encountered in the Drakensberg, rescues are carried out in conjunction
with the Kwa-Zulu Natal Section of the Mountain Club of South Africa.
This highly efficient and well-equipped rescue team is supported by
helicopters from the South African Air Force’s 15 Squadron.
The cost of the rescue is covered in the permit you buy when you enter
the park. Clients never the less need to carry medical insurance for
medical care if they need to be hospitalized.
The guide, Gavin Raubenheimer is also the convenor of the rescue team.
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Developed by Chakarinet
LINKS
Durban
Tourism Information
http://www.durban.org.za.
KwaZulu-Natal Tourism Information
http://www.zulu.org.za
Tourist Medical Health
http://www.safrica.info
Drakensberg
Tourism Association
http://www.drakensberg.org.za
Inkosana Lodge
http://www.visitkwazulunatal.co.za
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