The Giants Castle Drakensberg Slack Packing Trail

About

Explore the Drakensberg foothills without the drama of a backpack walking from lodge to lodge, having your luggage transported for you and looking forward to excellent 3 course meals. The Giants Castle Drakensberg Slack packing trail is a luxury hike offering comfortable and varied accommodation experiences for each night including luggage transfers, guide/ranger, park/conservation fees and delectable catering.

The Giants Castle Drakensberg slack packing hiking trail includes some of the most scenic and bio diverse parts of KwaZulu Natal. This hiking trail provides access to private land, a game reserve and a locally forged conservancy. Special places where people normally would not have access. Trails consist of small intimate groups of 6 persons. All you need to do is organise a group of friends or join one of our prearranged trips, and look forward to a gentle stroll carrying nothing more than a packed picnic, some binoculars and a good birding book.

This is a three day round hike encompassing curated paths through the Zulu Waters Private Game Reserve and the Lowlands Conservancy. Well known for its rich biodiversity, the daily hikes are gentle in distance and gradient making this hike a perfect beginner’s hike for families and for those less experienced and fit. The lodges offer locally grown, home cooked three course dinner as an added bonus.

In the summer, there are rivers and dams to swim in and plenty of picturesque picnic spots on route.

Accommodation

Day 1: Antbear Lodge

Antbear Lodge – Sustainable Drakensberg Accommodation

What makes Antbear Lodge special is that this is quite possibly one of them most sustainable lodges in South Africa. Here you will find homemade cheese from their own milk, own eggs from their own home grown chickens and a wonderful organic garden. They also offer a luxury cave for accommodation.

Hiking starts heading up to the top of the mountain with spectacular views looking out over the Drakensberg Mountains. Then down into the valley where you feel far away from everywhere.

Day 2: Leopard Lair Lodge

Leopards Lair Lodge – Giant Castle Central Drakensberg

Leopards Lair is one of those lovely places full of family atmosphere offering a real agri tourism experience. Meet Lalie their hand reared eland, their rescue emus and ostriches and the rest of their farmyard menagerie.

Your walk from here starts off easy and then drops back down into the Mbogta Valley. And then the high light where you enter the Zulu Waters Game Reserve

Day 3: Zulu Waters Shaka Lodge

Zulu Waters Shaka Lodge – African Safari Luxury

Shaka Lodge offers the lapse of luxury within the Zulu Waters Game Reserve. Your own private chef will prepare delicacies that will make you want to stay forever.

Almost your whole day will be hiking inside the Game Reserve. You might see rhino, zebras, buffalo, ostriches, eland, water buck, wildebeest and so much more.