Journey through KwaZulu-Natal on this family holiday, where the essential ingredients of adventure, fun and education are all included.

Explore the Champagne Valley of the Drakensberg

The Drakensberg mountain range is often described as one of the most beautiful places in South Africa. From Three Tree Hill Lodge, the easiest and one of the prettiest parts of the range to explore is Champagne Valley, cradled by Champagne Castle, South Africa’s third tallest peak. This mountain was given its name by two adventurers hoping to celebrate their summit with a bottle of bubbly only for one of them to drop it on the way up. Bad luck though didn’t stop them from enjoying the striking vistas that today remain unblemished and picture-perfect.​

You can decode the many trails with the help of a map. Armed with a picnic lunch and fired up with a school-kid sense of adventure, set off on varied paths that you can hike, bike or just amble along. They range from a 12-kilometre loop with rewarding views of Cathkin and Sterkhorn’s sky-scraping peaks to a more leisurely 2.5-kilometre hike to Sterkspruit Falls where you could, if you want to, brave a brisk dip in its mountain stream. Meanwhile, adrenaline junkies can get their kicks on helicopter flights over literal breath-stealing scenery, or by white-water rafting down parts of the historic Tugela River rarely encountered by other people.

The scope and pastoral beauty on offer have allowed for niche activities to flourish such as falconry, a great one for families. During term time, Champagne Valley transforms into a stunning backdrop for mountaintop performances by the Drakensberg Boys Choir whose Ed Sheeran and Queen renditions are internationally recognised and totally worth staying out for on a school night.

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Hear stories from the Battle of Spioenkop at Three Tree Hill

Drakensberg

One of the most moving stories to be told about the battles between the Boer and British troops took place on the doorstep of Three Tree Hill Lodge. Specialising in the history of the South African War, (also known as the second Anglo-Boer War), with the Battle of Spioenkop being the focal point. The Battle of Spioenkop tour tells of the bloodiest single day in the entire South African War.

Astonishingly, Louis Botha, a young Winston Churchill and Mahatma Gandhi all played a role in this battle.

Out in the field near the town of Ladysmith expert guides Simon Blackburn and Ron Gold bring this tragic story to life. The lodge is full of historical memorabilia but not everyone is interested in visiting the battle site and so Ron will go to the lodge to do a pre-talk about the events leading up to the battle.

Kop means head in Dutch. Guests walk around the plateau of the kop where, with no knowledge of the local geology, the British soldiers found themselves digging incredibly shallow trenches. Even worse, when the mist lifted, the troops saw that they hadn’t climbed to the highest kop at all and were horribly exposed. A war correspondent, Winston Churchill, served as messenger between the soldiers on the kop and the generals below. The story is told in such an emotive way that you can almost feel the bullets and shells coming at you.

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Safari activities at Greater Hluhluwe-iMfolozi

KwaZulu-Natal Game Reserves

The game reserves of KwaZulu-Natal are perfect for those seeking an authentic safari experience. Hluhluwe–iMfolozi is South Africa's oldest reserve and home to the Big Five, giraffe, cheetah, zebra, hippopotamus, wild dog and the elusive nyala antelope. The open plains, woodlands and riverine thickets are a haven for birds with almost half of the southern hemisphere's species found here. mFulaWozi Wilderness Game Reserve forms part of Hluhluwe–iMfolozi, creating a vast wilderness area of 100,000 hectares.

Rhino Ridge is located within the reserve itself while Biyela and Mthembu Lodges are located in the adjacent mFulaWozi area. During your time in the area, you can enjoy twice daily game drives and guided bush walks to explore the reserve's varied ecosystems. Learn about the conservation programmes that have successfully increased the population of the white rhino and listen to tales of the history and culture of the Zulu people from your local guide.

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