Practical tips about the Sani Pass and Southern Drakensberg
Southern Drakensberg is a stunning area, surrounded by mountains, perfect for who likes nature and to hike. It´s the home land of Sani Pass, the famous zig zag road that connects Kwazulu-Natal to the high lands of Lesotho.
To read about what you can do and see there, check this other post here. Let´s talk about the practical tips of Southern Drakensberg.
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GETTING THERE
Drakensberg is a huge chain of mountains, a 100km large. You can stay either in the Northern area or the Southern one.
To get to the Southern part, you can take a public bus, such as Intercape or Greyhound, from Johannesburg, Durban or Mthatha (to Underberg, the nearest city).
The most practical option is to take the hop-on hop-of bus, the Baz Bus. They pick you up at your hostel, and drop you off at the doorstep of your next destination. That was my choice, to travel in South Africa! You can read more about it here.
To go to Southern Drakensberg by Baz Bus from Coffee Bay, you gotta take a shuttle to Mthatha (you can book it through Coffee Shack Backpackers) and from there take the Baz Bus to Kokstad (it´s the first stop after Mthatha, on the way to Johannesburg).
At Kokstad you gotta take another shuttle to Underberg or to the Sani Pass, in case you´re staying there – I did this with Underberg Express, you have to book it in advance. It costs 250 rands (Aug/16).
Are you going to Southern Drakensberg? Here you can check all the accommodation options, from hostels to hotels and resorts. And if you book it through this link, you help to maintain this blog online, and you don´t have to pay anything for that.
WHERE TO STAY
At Southern Drakensberg area you can stay at Underberg , the biggest town of the region, or at the Sani Pass. I chose the second, and stayed at Sani Lodge Backcpackers, a great hostel!
The hostel is located in a beautiful area, surrounded by mountains, isolated from the cities. It´s a perfect place for chilling, enjoying your time at the swimming pool or reading by the fire place. As the hostel is at the Sani Pass area, it´s very practical to do hikes at the mountains around.
The dorms are small but comfy, and the hostel also has private rooms and chalets. The breakfast is not included, but they do offer good breakfast options at the hostel restaurant. Alternatively, they have a guest’s kitchen available there.
Bloggers tip: the hostel is isolated, make sure to go to the supermarket before going there, in case you´re planning to use the kitchen.
You can find more info about the hostel here.
Bloggers tip: Travel safe using the best travel insurance, which covers even adventure sports! Get a quote here
MOVING AROUND
There aren´t regular public buses between the Sani Pass and Underberg, but some small buses do it randomly. They wait for it to be full before leaving, and all you gotta do to stop them is to wave.
VISITING THE SANI PASS
To visit the Sani Pass, it´s recommended to drive the road using a 4×4 vehicle – you can do a self-guided drive, or to book a tour. You can read all about it here at this post.
How about you? Have you already been to Drakensberg and have some cool tips about it? Or do you plan to visit it and have some doubts? Share your ideas leaving a comment here!
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Planning your trip:
– Accommodation: you can book your accommodation here – hotels/hostels comparing and free booking cancel
– Travel Insurance: travel safe using the best travel insurance that covers even adventure sports – get a quote here
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The blogger stayed at Sani Lodge Backpackers by invitation of the hostel. I’d like to thank again for the opportunity, and also make it clear that all the opinions present here are independent and personal.
