Cycling the Drakensberg & Kruger

Upon arrival in Johannesburg we drive directly to the Golden Gate Highlands

National Park in the Maluti Mountains of the Northern Free State. This

transfer takes roughly 5 hours but will be broken up with stops along the

route to stretch the legs and go to the toilet. The Golden Gate national park

gets its name from the golden hue on the parks sandstone cliffs as the sun

hits them. With 11,600 hectares of highland habitat, the national park is

home to a number of animals including springbok, mountain zebra and

wildebeest as well as the rare bearded vulture and bald ibis. Depending on

the time of the group flights, we will either set up the bikes this afternoon

or tomorrow morning. We will have a chance to test them out around the

grounds of the accommodation before we begin the cycling.

Getting up early, we cycle 25km on roads through the national park. We start

with a short climb up to a viewpoint where mountain zebra are often spotted

before descending a long winding mountain pass. Later in the ride there are a

few short steep up and down sections to get the heart pumping before it then

levels out again. All along this road there are great opportunities to see

wildlife from the saddle so make sure you have a camera to hand! At the park

exit we transfer towards the Northern Drakensberg (60km) stopping at the

'Vulture restaurant' for the views over the Sterkfontein Dam and an early

picnic lunch. We then get back on the bikes and cycle down the Oliviers Hoek

pass all the way to the Sungbala lodge, our overnight stay. Here we have the

whole night to take in the stunning view of the Drakensberg amphitheatre

whilst enjoying a meal cooked by the guides.

In the morning we cycle towards the Drakensberg Mountains whilst following a

back road route into the Royal Natal National Park in the Northern Berg. This

ride is fairly undulating but the views of the Drakensberg amphitheatre at

the top of each rise are well worth the effort. After entering the park, we

continue on our bikes for approximately 2km to our picnic spot – before

lunch we can get changed in to swimming gear and walk the short distance to

the cascades waterfall for a well-deserved swim in the cool waters. After

lunch there will be time to explore the park and its hiking trails or simply

relax before transferring back to our accommodation.

After breakfast we leave the Drakensberg with a 210km (approx. 3 hour)

transfer by road to Dundee. Here there will be time for a little shopping and

resupply before continuing onto Rorke's Drift. At Rorke’s Drift we have a

guided tour around the area where 150 British and Colonial troops defended a

small garrison against nearly 5000 Zulu warriors. After a hearty lunch and a

change into cycling kit it’s back onto our bikes for a 45km ride from

Rorke’s Drift to our overnight accommodation. This is a great ride through

the scenic cattle country; the first 17km is on a good quality compact dirt

road where we often spot many types of vulture and eagle flying overhead,

once back on the tarmac road we have a flat ride to our accommodation where

we can relax in the pool.

We have an early morning transfer (300km about 4 hours) towards the hot

springs town of Badplaas in the Mpumalanga province. After lunch we get on

the bikes and start our ride with a fantastic 17km descent before an

undulating ride all the way to our accommodation located just outside of the

town with stunning panoramic views of the Hlumu mountain range.

Today we start with a short transfer to Maanhaar, close to the border with

Swaziland. From here we climb on the bikes and ride along a stunning gravel

road which winds its way between the Songimvelo Game Reserve and the base of

the Hlumu Mountains. We pass an abandoned mine which has now become home to

Vervet monkeys so make sure you have your camera at the ready. As the road

starts to climb we hop in the bus and transfer to the top of a mountain range

overlooking the Songimvelo Game Reserve, we stop on this road for a quick

photo stop at a breathtaking viewpoint that overlooks the valley below before

getting back on the bikes to cycle into Barberton town and onto our

accommodation.

After breakfast we get on the bikes and start our ride through the Kaap River

Valley as it winds its way towards Kaapmuiden. After about 50km we reach our

stopping point and get in the van for a short transfer to a shopping centre

where we can change out of cycling kit and stock up on cold drinks and snacks

for Kruger. From here we have a very short transfer to get to the Malelane

Gate where we enter the Kruger National Park and start our safari. We have a

two hour game drive through the southern tip of Kruger to get to Skukuza

Camp, keep your eyes peeled and cameras ready as the southern part of Kruger

is known for its abundance of big cats.

This morning we have an early start to beat the heat of the day and maximise

our chances of seeing a predator. Because of the early start we will only

have a small breakfast at the camp which will consist of a South African

'rusk' and a coffee. After several hours of looking for animals we stop in

one of the designated lunch spots where our guides cook up a delicious

brunch. From here we continue our game drive back to camp and have the rest

of the day to relax in the pool or at the bar which overlooks the Sabi River.

Tonight there is the opportunity to go on a night safari drive through the

park in one of the official safari vehicles (this is an optional extra and

should be paid for locally. Please see the optional activities section in the

trip notes for prices and further information).

Today we aim to spend most of the day in the national park searching for

animals, and once again start off with a morning game drive, but in the

opposite direction to yesterday. We return to camp for some brunch and to

collect our bags before heading out on our final game drive in Kruger as we

make our way out of the park via the Numbi gate. From here we have a short

transfer to our overnight accommodation in Hazyview where we can take a

stroll down to the Hippo River or just relax by the pool.

After a few days of well-earned rest, today we get back on the bikes for the

most challenging ride of the trip. After a hearty breakfast in Hazzyview we

cycle from our lodge up the escarpment and towards Sabie. This first part of

the ride is stunning and very different from what we have seen earlier in the

tour as our route takes us through Avocado plantations and dense forests

before arriving in Sabie where we can stop at a café for a muffin and coffee

milkshake. From Sabie we continue to climb until we arrive at Mac Mac Pools,

here we stop for a swim in the natural pools whilst our guides make lunch.

After lunch our ride heads downhill for a visit to Mac Mac Falls and

continues all the way to Graskop and our accommodation which overlooks the

escarpment.

Our final day of cycling will take us through yet more beautiful scenery as

we cycle along the Panorama Route. In the morning we visit God’s Window to

take in the breathtaking landscape view before cycling past ‘Wonder view’

and on to Bourke’s Luck Potholes. Here we stop for lunch and go for a walk

around the curious rock formations before getting back on the bikes for the

last time and cycling to the spectacular viewpoint over the Blyde River

Canyon and on to our accommodation. For our last night in South Africa we

will have a big group meal in the hotel restaurant which has an amazing view

of the three Rondavels and the canyon.

After a leisurely breakfast and a short walk to the private viewpoint within

the grounds of our accommodation we get in the bus and transfer through the

small towns of Ohrigstad, Lyndenburg and Dullstroom as we make our way back

to Johannesburg Airport. This transfer is roughly 420km but we break it up

with plenty of short stops and a longer lunch break. Please note that due to

the often high levels of traffic surrounding Johannesburg we leave our

accommodation with plenty of time to complete this transfer. This does mean

that on some occasions when the roads are traffic free we might arrive at the

airport early and have a longer wait before the return flight departs.

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