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National park in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Photo: User:Bothar, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Royal Natal National Park is in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, bordering onto the Free State province and Lesotho. The Tugela Falls, the world's highest waterfall (by some measures), can be found here.
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The highest waterfall in the world, with a total drop of 983 m in 5 leaps. The highest single drop is 411 m, which is not nearly as high as Angel Falls. Accessible via the Gorge walk.
Drakensberg
Visible from most of the park, but best seen on the 23-km Gorge walk.
A set of waterfalls. Located a short walk (around 2.2 km round trip) from the entrance to Mahai camp, most of this on a wheelchair-accessible concrete pathway with only the last couple of hundred meters on bush trails.
About 2.2 km round trip, mostly on wheelchair-accessible concrete pathway.
Starts next to the Tugela river at the car park near Thendele, 6 km, 2 hours, easy walk. Some Bushman rock art along the way.
An easy walk of about 45 minutes to cover the 4-km trail.
6 to 7 hours, a beautiful walk to what claims to be the tallest waterfall in the world (but which most sources put at second). Much of the walk is along an easy-to-follow path, until reaching two sets of long, exposed ladders ascending a cliff. It is possible to avoid the ladders by ascending a steep gorge. At the top, a river leads to the top of the falls. An early start is suggested in summer, as afternoon storms are not uncommon, and the mist can get very thick, making it easy to get lost.
The trail starts next to the Tugela river at the car park near Thendele, 23 km return trip, 5 to 6 hours. A relatively easy walk except for the last 2 km that required 3 river easy crossings and some boulder hopping. At the far point of the walk you will see spectacular view of the Amphitheatre, Sentinel and Tugela Falls.
Situated within the Royal Natal National Park in the Maloti Drakensburg Park. Self catering chalets high in the mountains.There is a 24-hour gate. Pets are not permitted in the reserve. The 6-bed lodge and 6-bed cottages offer the services of a cook. All units are self catering and equipped with crockery, cutlery, linen and towels. There is only Vodacom and Cell C cellular reception. Horse Riding is offered at Rugged Glen. For your own safety, hikers must complete the mountain rescue register before and after their hike. Basic food supplies are available in the curio shop. The nearest towns are Bergville and Harrismith. Bergville is 45 km from the resort. Tel : +27 36 4386411
Ideal lodge for hiking, with views over the Amphitheatre and the Sentinel. Numerous hikes are possible from the lodge, and it's the closest accommodation to the parking area at the start of the Tugela Falls/Sentinel hike. This is accessible only by 4x4, and shuttles to and from the start can be arranged at the lodge.
Stands with and without electrical plug points are available, be sure to specify when booking if you need electricity. Ablution facilities are clean and well maintained. There is a laundry with coin operated washers and dryers, dish washing facilities (including boiling water on tap) as well as Telkom card and coin pay phones. The only problem with the camp is the large number of pine trees that consume huge amounts of water causing some of the stands to be devoid of grass. After the summer rains this is not as big a problem, but if you visit during the winter it is best to avoid electric stands 1 to 14 and 42 to 50; electrical stands 15 to 25 will have a lot more grass cover and less dust. If you do not require electricity, non-electrical stands 3 to 5 are probably the best in the whole camp. There are two security guards on 24 hour duty in the camp, mostly to ensure that wildlife that wander in is promptly escorted out again (Baboons seldom come near the camps as they are shot at with paintball guns to scare them away, but bushbuck often wander in).
Situated in the Maloti Drakensburg Park, However Rugged Glen is siutated just outside the Royal natal National Park. Pets are not permitted in the reserve. Camping is only allowed in the official campsite grounds. Basic food and drinks are available at the Visitors Centre. Portable generators are not permitted. Visitors are urged not to feed the animals. Site allocations will be done on a first come, first served basis, on arrival at the resort. Tel: +27 36 4386303
Fees
A daily conservation fee is payable at the park entrance. R50 per adult, R25 per child day.
The speed limit within the park is , but mostly you will walk rather than drive.
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