The Panorama Route in Mpumalanga is so named for its unbelievable views at just about every turn. The route traverses the Great Escarpment all the way down to the Kruger Lowveld via a number of mountain passes, including the famous Long Tom Pass. In the past, a section of the Panorama Route was used as a…
Ndumo Game Reserve is a small, green dot on the map between the uSuthu and Pongola rivers that is home to some incredible surprises. At only 10,117 ha, the Ndumo Game Reserve is one of the smallest of the game reserves in KwaZulu-Natal, and South Africa. However, this is by no means an indication of…
Long Tom Pass is a high-altitude pass through the Drakensberg Mountains that marks the start of the Panorama Route in Mpumalanga. There couldn’t be a better gateway to one of the most picturesque regions of South Africa. The elevated position of Long Tom Pass provides a perfect vantage point from which to enjoy the natural…
![Hiking the Storms River Mouth [Guide]](https://www.strayalongtheway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/tsitsikamma-view-site-768x514.jpg)
Storms River Mouth in the Tsitsikamma Section of the Garden Route National Park is best known to hikers as the start of the famous Otter Trail; the strenuous, multi-day trail which follows the craggy coastline all the way to Nature’s Valley. The park is also well-known for its spectacular coastal scenery, and is home to…
The Knysna Forest is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream location and offers some of the best hiking and birding opportunities in the region. It is also a place of deep mystery and intrigue as ancient trees shroud and protect one of South Africa’s most elusive creatures… Knysna Forest highlights The Garden Route and Knysna Forest Few…
Nature’s Valley is a small coastal town surrounded by a big beach, big mountains, a big forest and a big river (the Grootrivier). It’s also the finish line for one of South Africa’s biggest hiking trails: the Otter Trail. With so much bigness around, it’s possible that one just might miss a few of this…
When last did you come across a living organism that is over 900-years old? We were amazed to discover that Africa’s last ancient, indigenous fig forest can be found in Mkhuze Game Reserve right on Durban’s doorstep. Highlights The Sycamore Fig forest in Mkhuze Game Reserve Hiking in the Mkhuze Fig Forest was one of…
The Golden Grotto hike on the east coast of Taiwan is a fantastic half-day river tracing adventure into the heart of the Sanzhan River valley. The hike follows the course of the river, quite literally, into Taiwan’s coastal mountains and into a narrow canyon. A waterfall that empties into a small hollow at the end…
The breathtaking vistas from God’s Window in Mpumalanga are one of the highlights for visitors to the Panorama Route. What is the Panorama Route? The Panorama Route is a roughly 160 km route in Mpumalanga, that runs between Lydenburg and the border of Mpumalanga and Limpopo near the Echo Caves. It includes the Long Tom Pass,…
If there’s one place that combines incredible coastal scenery and unparalleled hiking in an unspoiled setting, it’s the Tsitsikamma National Park on South Africa’s south-eastern coastline. This unique park boasts the oldest and largest marine protected area in Africa, the iconic suspension bridge across the Storms River mouth, a plethora of coastal day-hikes and of course, the…
South Africa is a country famed for its endless horizons and spectacular natural beauty. The country’s charismatic Big Five animals and breathtaking landscapes are huge draw cards for international tourists, not to mention a source of pride for locals too. Most of these landscapes and animals reside within areas known as game reserves or national…
Try to picture a Wild Coast hike and you’ll inevitably conjure up images of half-trodden cattle trails that meander through rural landscapes, precipitous coastlines and undulating hills. These are the scenes that have become synonymous with this incredible region, and they are what hundreds of adventures-seekers from around the world come to find year in…
The Entumeni Nature Reserve is a quiet patch of indigenous forest just outside the small town of Eshowe in KwaZulu-Natal. The altitude of the reserve puts it further into the mist belt than other forests in the region like the Dlinza Forest and Ongoye Forest Reserve. Hikers and visitors are treated to a truly unique setting…
In a region known for its beautiful hiking trails, the Madonna and Child Falls hike in Hogsback is one of the best! Madonna and Child Falls hike highlights Hogsback: Eden of the Eastern Cape Hogsback is an enchanted little village situated in the Amatola Mountain range of the Eastern Cape. It’s a strange, quirky little…
In our experience, KwaZulu-Natal has a few absolute gems – places that very few people know about and even fewer have managed to explore. The Ongoye Forest Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal is an unspoiled patch of rare scarp forest, set on a ridge high above the coastline to the east. It is a rare and diverse habitat…
The Garden Route National Park encompasses an almost continuous stretch of coastal land from Wilderness in the Garden Route’s west to well past Storms River in the east. Bevan and I have previously visited the Knysna Lakes and Diepwalle Forest sections of the park and this time we were in for a treat – exploring Storms River…
The Western Cape’s Garden Route is a 300 km stretch of coastline that begins in Mossel Bay and ends at Storms River near the boundary of the Eastern Cape, and includes popular tourist towns like George and Knysna. As the name implies, the Garden Route is an area recognised for its natural beauty – the…
The Kruger Lowveld region of Mpumalanga must be one of the most scenic areas in South Africa. Now, anyone even slightly familiar with this cover-girl country will realise that that is a bold statement, but after having spent time visiting the area around Sabie and Graskop, it is one that I firmly stand by. This…
A lush primary forest is the last thing you’d expect to find in the hot, dry and acacia-thicketed Eastern Cape province. In this largely thicket- or shrubland-dominated region the small mountain village of Hogsback is a rare gem, an oasis of cool green and misty mornings. Hogsback The Amathole mountains form the southern end of…
Venda Culture was something completely new for me! Even the language, Venda, is something unfamiliar and doesn’t sound at all the Nguni languages of isiZulu and isiXhosa that I’ve grown up around. I had no idea what to expect from our next stop, and after Kruger National Park’s drought-ridden landscapes I certainly didn’t expect lush, fertile…
The small towns of Graskop, Sabie and Pilgrim’s Rest in the Kruger Lowveld region of Mpumalanga, are all situated in close proximity to each other. While there isn’t much distance between them, each town does have its own unique charm and appeal. Much like Sabie, Graskop has a plethora of beautiful natural sites like walking…
The Kruger Lowveld region of Mpumlanga has some spectacular scenery. The area around Sabie, Graskop and Pilgrim’s Rest in particular form part of the Panoramic region and one visit to this area will explain why. Bevan and I recently spent some time adventuring through this area. The town of Sabie is the first town that…
Barely two hours’ drive north of Durban in the KwaZulu-Natal province lies Zululand and a veritable Eden of pristine forest habitats. Despite the development that has taken place locally, these forest patches have remained largely untouched and are home to some special bird, mammal and reptile species that attract international visitors from far afield. Here’s…
We’re writing from St Lucia again, but this time we have something a little bit different to report back on: Trail Running The iSimangaliso and KZN Trail Running Pilot Event We were recently invited to take part in a pilot trail running event in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, hosted by iSimangaliso and KZN Trail Running. The purpose of…
Hi everyone and welcome to stop number 2 on the Ultimate South African Road Trip: This week we’re visiting Mtunzini. Mtunzini and the Umlalazi Nature Reserve Mtunzini is a small coastal village about 130 km north of Durban. I’ve lived in Durban my whole life and this is the first time I’ve ever been to Mtunzi….
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