ROADTRIP TO DRAKENSBERG
Leaving this time on the weekend is great because the roads are so quiet that it is a very pleasant drive.
If we were to just drive straight through and not stop then we would be looking at an approximate travel time of 3h30 min, but after hearing about Thanda Tau from a friend we decided to make a half-way stop to stretch our legs and get a coffee.
I am glad we stopped as I was able to find out about the animal safaris on offer. I can pre-book these for you. Unfortunately, they have paused the game drives however, they have guided walks available. They run at 11:00 and 14:00, so if you leave early as we did, I can book them for your return.
You can't miss the beautiful Sterkfontein Dam on your right, about half an hour before Alpine Heath. There's a place to stop, view and take a few pictures of this beautiful sight.
Once you leave/pass Sterkfontein Dam the roads start to wind, but this is the perfect time to slow down to take in the amazing surroundings and views.
En-route we passed 'All Out Adventures' which offer 10 awesome activities at one spectacular venue. A few of the highlights include SA’s fastest Cable Tour, Adventure Quad Trails, 150 kms of marked mountain bike trails, and a hair raising 17-meter free-fall King Swing accessed by a wooden spiral staircase that snakes 21 meters to the treetops. They also offer paintball, zip-lining, flying trapeze, bungee bounce and a kid’s zone which includes a ninja warrior junior course, trampoline and duelling sit and zips. The activities are all visible from the coffee shop lawn, so the less adventurous members of the party can kick back with a giant cappuccino and still feel like part of the action. They are open every day except Christmas from 09:00 to 16:30.
On arrival at Alpine Heath, our rooms were not ready as the resort was full over the weekend and they were still cleaning, but we were able to already use the facilities so we changed into our swimming costumes and spent the morning and early afternoon at the pool... There is kids and adults pool and you are welcome to order drinks and food from the bar to enjoy at the pool area with your travel partners.
We moved across to our 6 sleeper Deluxe self-catering chalet at 2 pm and I have shared a video on my website of how the chalet looks... There are also some which are ground floor only chalets which are wheelchair friendly. If you prefer and I can request these.
These chalets are fully equipped for self-catering and serviced daily so still definitely a holiday.
We enjoyed a braai on the first night, even though it started to rain. The beds were super comfortable and I had a fantastic sleep and woke up nice and early on Monday morning to enjoy one of the many hiking routes on offer. We took on the River Meander with my 4-year old, but did not make it to the river as we had to turn for her because it was just a little too far.
My friend treated me to a spoil and we went to have a super relaxing back, neck and shoulder massage at the Be Spoilt Beauty Salon at 11:00. They have all the treatments available to ensure that you have a relaxing time while on your getaway. There are even the under 18 Teenage princess packages for the younger ones. These can be pre-booked to avoid the disappointment of no availability.
The wind picked up a little after the massage, so we enjoyed the rest of the afternoon at our Chalet, outside and playing board games and ending off the evening with another braai... Did anyone realize just how much we love to braai yet?
The following day my friend and I decided to do the Alpine Cascades Hike, the hike was beautiful and included stream crossing and the Cascades waterfall where you can sit and relax at the splendour of the Falls before continuing the path which winds its way through a valley between two hills. It has a bit of a tricky stream crossing after the hills so I wouldn’t suggest for young children to join in on this trail, hence why I didn’t bring my 4-year old with for this one.
Once we returned from our hike we decided to go somewhere out of the resort and came across Royal Natal National Park which is about a 25-minute drive from Alpine Heath. The entrance fees for SADC residents are R40 per adult and R20 per child (12 and under). The entrance fees for international travellers are R80 per adult and R40 per child (12 and under).
We received the Royal Natal and Rugged Glen Hiking Trails map at the Royal Natal Visitor Centre and were advised to do the Cascades and McKinley’s Pool Trail. My daughter and son in law were happy to find out that the hike was wheelchair friendly so they could bring my granddaughter along in her pram up until a point. My eldest daughter, son in law and I stopped where the trail was no longer pram friendly and had a bit of a swim in the small rock pool and waterfall area while my husband, youngest daughter and friend went onto the Cascades where there are multiple waterfalls and a big rock pool. I suggest this hike as one for the whole family, it was the highlight of our trip that everyone loved!
I arranged a site inspection for the following morning to see all the awesome amenities available at Alpine Heath. They not only have multiple conference centres but also cater for weddings and have an on-site chapel. Their property offers the perfect backdrop to any occasion. I was also pleased to find out that the horse rides my 4-year old kept seeing and begging to do were available for children too and booked for her to do it the following morning before our departure. The horse rides cost R40 for children (12 and under) and R200 for adults. I can pre-book these for you before arriving at Alpine Heath.
The next morning we packed up and took my daughter for her horse ride at 9 am, she rode the majestic Lisa-Marie and claimed that her dream had finally come true to ride a ‘big horse’. We then headed to the reception to check out at 10 am. We stopped on our way out at an open field with the beautiful rolling hills in the background to snap a few pics before heading home and saying goodbye to Alpine Heath…until our next visit.
