Dragon Mountains on the map. Drakensberg Mountains

DRAGON MOUNTAINS (Drakensberg), mountains in the eastern part of South Africa, mainly in South Africa and Lesotho. They stretch from the southwest to the northeast from the Big Kei River to the Sabi River for a distance of over 1000 km. The most elevated part of the Great Ledge. In the central part, they include the eastern outskirts of the Lesotho highlands up to 3482 m high (Mount Thabana-Ntlenyana, the highest point of the Dragon Mountains and South Africa). They are composed of Upper Paleozoic sandstones and shales of the Karoo complex, overlain by strata of Middle Jurassic basalt plateaus, which determine the table character of the peaks of the Dragon Mountains, divided by erosion into steeply sloping stepped plateaus.

Dragon Mountains (Lesotho)

The Dragon Mountains form a watershed between short rivers the Indian Ocean basin (Tugela and others), dissecting the steep eastern slope of the Drakensberg Mountains, and the rivers of the Orange River basin.

On the eastern slopes of the Dragon Mountains, heavy rains fall, mainly in summer (up to 1000-2000 mm per year), the climate of the western slopes is more arid (450-500 mm per year). On the peaks, the duration of the frosty period reaches 180 days, and a snow cover is formed. In the lower part of the eastern slopes of the mountains, primary subtropical evergreen forests (podocarpus, laurel olive, bearded todea; creepers, epiphytes) are replaced mainly by secondary grasslands; at an altitude of 1800-2700 m, savannahs with tree-like proteas have been preserved, along the valleys - areas coniferous forests from widdringtonia. Above, short-grass meadows of the alpine type and stony placers dominate. On the western slopes, tall-grass grasslands (veld) are common. The midlands of the Drakensberg Mountains are a center of diversity for vascular plants and bryophytes. About 50 species of mammals live in the Dragon Mountains: carnivores (leopard, jackal, caracal, serval, otters, genets, mongooses) and ungulates are especially diverse. The avifauna is rich (over 300 species of birds); populations of nesting migrant birds from the Palearctic (black stork, golden bee-eater, etc.) are unique.

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To protect a diverse fauna, habitats of rare and endemic plant species for South Africa, the national parks Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg (South Africa, included in the World Heritage List), Sehlabatebe (Lesotho) have been created. One of the highest waterfalls in the world is located within the Royal Natal National Park (South Africa) in the upper reaches of the Tugela River.

Lit.: Killick D. Drakensberg alpine region // Centers of plant diversity: a guide and strategy for their conservation. Oxf., 1994; Vegetation of Southern Africa / Ed. R. Cowling, D. Richardson, S. Pierce. Camb., 1997.

Dragon Mountains (South Africa)

The Lost World of the Dragon Mountains is one of the most beautiful places on our Earth. Dragon Mountains on the world map or Africa is easy to find, they occupy the territory of three African states- South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho. The mountain range is an almost monolithic wall of solid basalt with a length of a thousand kilometers. Mountains stretch along southeast coast South Africa and are a natural watershed between the rivers flowing into the Atlantic and Indian Ocean. The most high point Dragon Mountains, Mount Thabana-Ntlenyana with a height of 3482 m, is located on the territory of the state of Lesotho.

Over the eastern slopes of the mountains there is a lot of precipitation, in the region of the western slopes the climate is more arid. There are many active mines in the Dragon Mountains, where gold, tin, platinum and coal are mined.

More than two million tourists annually visit the Republic of South Africa, the provinces of the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal to see the real miracle of nature - the Dragon Mountains.

Myths and legends of the Dragon Mountains

There are several versions of the origin of such an unusual name.

Dragon Mountains, South Africa

Locals love to tell the legend of a huge fire-breathing dragon that was seen in these parts in the 19th century. Perhaps the name of the Dragon Mountains (Drakensberg) came from the Boers, who named them so for their inaccessibility, because it is very difficult to wade between rocky ledges and mountain placers. Another version of the name comes from the foggy haze that envelops the tops of the mountains. The clouds of fog are very similar to the vapor from the nostrils of a dragon.

Of great interest is the rock art in mountain caves: scientists have determined that the age of some drawings exceeds 100 thousand years! The nature reserve Ukashlamba-Drakensberg, on the territory of which there are caves with prehistoric writings, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000.

Dragon Mountains - beautiful corner South Africa, where you can enjoy clean air, the rustle of wind and forests, over which mountain falcons, bearded eagles and vultures soar. Predatory animals have long left these places, thus creating conditions for the reproduction of many species of antelopes. Herds of graceful animals are often found along the route of excursion routes.

Ukashlamba-Drakensberg Park is a great place for a weekend where you can stay for a couple of days in cozy house or a hostel, fish for trout in crystal deep lakes. For fans active rest- rock climbing, rafting, horse riding and hiking.

How to get there?

The Dragon Mountains are just a couple of hours drive from Durban, a city on east coast SOUTH AFRICA. Durban Airport accepts round the clock international flights and flights from other cities in South Africa. You can go to the mountains with a tent and tourist equipment and for those who want more a relaxing holiday, the park staff will offer to stay in one of the hotels.

Where: South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal
Height above sea level: 3482 meters
Highest point: Thabana-Ntlenyana
Countries: Republic of South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland

South Africa Attractions:All South Africa Attractions

DRAGON MOUNTAINS

dragon mountains

in Yuzh. Africa; SOUTH AFRICA. In the language of one of the local tribes, these are the Kwathlamba mountains - "rocky place", "heap of rocks". The Boers for their inaccessibility and wildness called them Drakensberg - "dragon mountains".

Geographical names of the world: Toponymic Dictionary. - M: AST. Pospelov E.M. 2001 .

DRAGON MOUNTAINS

mountains in the south. Africa. The height is up to 3482 m. They are composed of sandstones covered with basalts, table peaks are characteristic. Heavily destroyed, divided into plateaus. Wet east. the slopes are covered with heavily cut tropical forests, dry app. - savannas. Above - mountain meadows and stony placers.

Brief geographical dictionary. EdwART. 2008 .

Dragon mountains

(Drakensberg), in Yuzh. Africa (South Africa), cut off to the coast of the Indian Ocean (part. Bol. ledge). Length approx. 550 km, width approx. 250 km. To the west they pass into the High Plateau Weld . Composed of strata of sandstones and shales overlain by basalt covers. Avg. height approx. 2000 m, the highest points of Katkin Peak (3660 m) and Thabana-Ntlenyana (3482 m). The flat tops are separated by gorges, at the bottom of which the crystalline rocks of the ancient foundation are exposed. On the coast in the ancient beach placers in the hall area. Richards Bay, etc., there is a deposit of titanium-zirconium sands, the largest in Africa. The climate is subtropical and tropical. Southeast the trade wind brings to the east. slopes a large amount of precipitation (up to 2000 mm per year). Here are preserved in places rain forests(podokarpusy and other trees entwined with lianas, epiphytes). On the leeward slopes up to a height of 1200 m - savannah, above them thorny bushes, succulents (aloe, etc.). Above 1500–2000 m - alpine meadows, stony placers.

Dictionary of modern geographical names. - Yekaterinburg: U-Factoria. Under the general editorship of Acad. V. M. Kotlyakova. 2006 .

Dragon mountains

in South Africa, on the coast of the Indian Ocean, mainly in South Africa. Length OK. 550 km. To the west they pass into the High Veld Plateau. Part of the Great Scarp (the uplifted edge of the African Platform). They are composed of a thick layer of Permian-Triassic sandstones and shales interbedded with basalt covers. The highest points of Katkin Peak (3660 m) and Thabana-Ntlenyana (3482 m). Flat tops are dissected by gorges. Precipitation up to 1000–2000 mm per year, Ch. arr. to the east mountain slopes. Average monthly temperature in winter 15–18 ° C, in summer 23–26 ° C. To the east mountain slopes up to 1200 m in places preserved from clearings rain (barrier) rainforests. On the leeward slopes up to 1200 m - savannah, higher - thorny shrubs, succulents (aloe, etc.). At the height more than 1500–2000 m - alpine meadows, stony placers.

Geography. Modern illustrated encyclopedia. - M.: Rosman. Under the editorship of prof. A. P. Gorkina. 2006 .

See what "DRAGON MOUNTAINS" is in other dictionaries:

English Dragon s mountain, Afrikaans Drakensberg, Zulu uKhahlamba, Sesotho Maluti or Maloti ... Wikipedia

Modern Encyclopedia

On southeast Africa, part of the Great Ledge. Altitude up to 3482 m. Tropical forests on the eastern slopes, savannahs and bushes in the west. Above are mountain meadows, stone placers ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Exist., number of synonyms: 1 mountain system(62) ASIS Synonym Dictionary. V.N. Trishin. 2013 ... Synonym dictionary

dragon mountains- DRAKONOVY MOUNTAINS, in the southeast of Africa, mainly in South Africa, part of the Great Escarpment. Height up to 3482 m (Mount Thabana Ntlenyana). Table tops and steeply sloping stepped plateaus are characteristic. Serve as a watershed between short rivers pool ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

dragon mountains- in Yuzh. Africa; SOUTH AFRICA. In the language of one of the local tribes, these are the Kwathlamba mountains, a rocky place, a heap of rocks. The Boers, for their inaccessibility and wildness, called them Drakensberg dragon mountains ... Toponymic Dictionary

In southeast Africa, part of the Great Escarpment. Altitude up to 3482 m. On the eastern slopes of tropical forests, on the western savannas and thickets of shrubs. Above mountain meadows, stone placers. * * * DRAGON MOUNTAINS DRAGON MOUNTAINS (Afrikaans Prakensberg;… … encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Bursk. Drakensberg) mountains in the southeast of Africa, from the river. Sabi in the north to the river. Great Cay in the south, part of the Rogers ledge, or Great Ledge (see Large Ledge). In the middle part, they include the eastern outskirts of the Lesotho highlands with the largest in the entire South ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

dragon mountains- The Orange River in the Dragon Mountains. SOUTH AFRICA. Drakensberg Mountains (Afrikaans Drakensberg), mountains in southeast Africa, from the river. Sabi in the north to the river. Great Cay in the south; part of the Rogers ledge, or. In the middle part, they include the eastern outskirts of the Basuto highlands with ... ... Encyclopedic reference book "Africa"

dragon mountains- (Drakensberg Mountains) Drakensberg Mountains, a mountain range near the south. edge of the South African plateau, stretching for 1,126 km from northeast to southwest through Lesotho and the South African provinces of Natal, Orange, and Transvaal. highest peak mountain… … Countries of the world. Dictionary

Dragon Mountains - the highest Mountain chain in Africa. The highest point of the mountains is located in Lesotho and reaches 3482 meters above sea level. Most of the mountains are made up of basalt. They got their name because of the numerous ravines, ridges, caves and ledges.

Dragon Mountains are popular tourist center because of clean air, remoteness from civilization, numerous waterfalls and rich flora and fauna. Since 2000, the Dragon Mountains Park has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The mountains are located between the provinces of Lesotho and KwaZulu-Natal. Therefore, the Dragon Mountains are usually divided into two types, these are Natal and Transvaal.

The northern part includes an impressive amphitheater, an eight-kilometer almost vertical stone wall, the height of which reaches 1000 meters. Of the highest peaks, it is worth noting: Tabala-Ntlenyana at 3482 meters, Champagne Castle at 3377 meters, Monk Cole at 3234 meters and Katkin Peak at 3181 meters.

The southern part is much less developed, but no less interesting, as there are nature reserves with rare animals. The highest peak in the southern part of the mountains is Sani Pass with a height of 2874 meters above sea level, from which great view to nearby regions, and thanks to this, it annually attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world.

Story

Mountains arose during the Jurassic period about 180 million years ago. The main reason for the appearance of mountains is considered volcanic activity taking place at that time. Because of this, in the mountains and at mountainous areas there is a large amount of basalt.

The Dragon Mountains are known for their numerous rock paintings. According to rough estimates, there are about 600 places with rock art. As a rule, access to such drawings is quite difficult to obtain.

Video - Dragon Mountains

Height above sea level: 3,482 m;
Highest point: Thabana-Ntlenyana (Lesotho);
Countries: Republic of South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland.

The Dragon Mountains are a mountain range in South Africa famous for their unique origin and unusual shapes with "cut" peaks and sharp rocky peaks. Tourists fly to this unusual corner of the world to admire the beauty of pristine nature, plunge into the atmosphere of the Stone Age, studying the culture of ancient peoples, and engage in a popular outdoor activity in these places - pony trekking.

Where are the Dragon Mountains located?

The Dragon Mountains are 1100 km long and cover the territory of three countries: South Africa and the Kingdom of Swaziland. Average Height mountains are estimated at 2000 m, and maximum height reaches the top of Thabana-Ntlenyana at around 3482 m. Most of the mountains are covered by three nature reserves:

Drakensberg National Park - object world heritage UNESCO;
Royal Natal National Park;
natural Park"Golden Gate Highlands", known as the "Golden Gate" because of the unusual glow of the Brandwag rock at sunset.

In the Zulu language, the name of the mountains sounds like “Kwathlamba”, and translates as “rocky place” or “heap of rocks”, “barrier of spears”.

There are several versions of the origin of the name Dragon Mountains:

According to ancient beliefs, an unknown monster lives in these places - a dragon, which was seen by local residents in the 19th century.
At the top of the mountain, at any time of the year, smoke swirls, which is very similar to the steam released from the dragon's nostrils.
The peaks of the mountains, consisting of peaks, outwardly resemble the ridge of a mythical creature, so the ancient peoples, namely the Boers, called these places that way.

What to do and see in the Dragon Mountains?

In these places there is something for tourists with a variety of preferences and everyone will be satisfied. Dragon Mountain attracts with its unique landscape, unusually beautiful landscapes, special flora and fauna with rare endangered species of plants and animals, ancient rock paintings that have been preserved for thousands of years. As entertainment, tourists are offered:

Hiking or equestrian tourism (pony trekking). Duration of hikes - one or more days, including overnight stays in rocky caves.
Exciting helicopter ride or hot-air balloon with an overview beautiful scenery bird's-eye.
Off-road safari.
Group or individual rafting on mountain rivers (rafting).
Fishing (trout is found here).
Golf game.

Landscapes and views

The dragon mountains are famous great views and landscapes that open to the eye from the peaks. Fascinating pictures paint soft carpets of dense evergreen trees and waterfalls combined with bare cliffs and rocks. Climbing to the top, you can even see the clouds under your feet.

A popular tourist destination is the "Amphitheater" - a natural rock ledge, which is formed by a high 500-meter wall in the shape of a sickle, 5 km long.

In Royal Natal Park attracts the attention of tourists unique landscape from sheer cliffs 8 km long, which opens when you look at them from the bottom up.

Also nearby you can see very beautiful waterfall"Tugela" with a height of 948 m, consisting of 5 cascades. This waterfall is the second highest in the world.

The paradise valley of Ndedema is famous, striking with its unusual beauty. Its peculiarity is that it is divided by a gorge into two parts, one of which is a lush green spot of tropical trees, and the other is completely naked.

It was the landscapes of the Dragon Mountains that inspired John Tolkien to write his trilogy "The Lord of the Rings", which received worldwide recognition and fame.

Flora and fauna

The climate of the Drakensberg Mountains is different in different parts of it, which affects the diversity of flora and fauna. Humid prevails in the east tropical climate, which causes the presence of dense greenery formed by trees and vines. In the west, it is a dry and windy climate, so the western slopes are represented by savannas covered with for the most part shrubs. The nature of the mountains at an altitude of more than 2000 meters is represented mainly by meadows and rocky steppes.

On the territory of the Drakensberg National Park, a strip with alpine vegetation has been identified, recognized world center endemism. Here you can meet such endangered species of birds as the bearded vulture, bald ibis, yellow-breasted pipit, Cape hyphae. Of the rare mammals, one can distinguish the oribi antelope, white rhinoceros, Burchell's zebra, black wildebeest. In total, more than 250 species of various animals live on the territory of the Dragon Mountains.

Historical Legacy of the Dragon Mountains

These mountain ranges for many years it was the site of battles and battles that influenced the course of the history of South American lands. Therefore, excursions to places where in ancient times the local Zulus people fought with European colonialists for their freedom are very popular here, and later the famous Anglo-Boer War took place in these places.

The highlights of the Dragon Mountains are cave settlements with rock paintings of the ancient peoples of the Bushmen, who lived 8000 years ago. These places are considered unique, as the images are surprisingly well preserved, and the stories amaze with the richness of the fantasy of the San peoples. Bushmen depicted ritual dances, hunting, battles, fragments Everyday life. There are about 600 such places where the ancient peoples left their mark, in total, more than 40,000 drawings have been found on the territory of the Dragon Mountains.

How to get there?

Dragon Mountains in Lesotho is a very popular tourist facility, almost no trip to the countries of South Africa is complete without an excursion. Tourists are offered the most different types entertainment, recreation campgrounds or cozy small hotels with excellent service and food. About 2 million tourists come here every year.

It is desirable to get to the mountains as part of organized groups and guided tours. experienced tourists. The transfer is usually organized from the cities of Johannesburg, Durban in South Africa. You can get there by car. To do this, follow highway No. 3 to Harrismith, then follow the signs towards Natal Park. Travel time is about 3 hours.

Fly over mountains? And now I will tell you the history of these places.

Drakensberg (Dragon Mountains)- the highest mountain range in the territory South Africa. The African people of the Zulus refer to her as Ukhahlamba, i.e. copy barrier.

The fabulous name of the mountains has several versions of origin. Of course, not without the banal presence of a dragon, or rather a huge lizard with a tail and wings of a dragon, which, allegedly, was seen in the 19th century locals. Another version of the name is the presence of haze that comes from the bottom and hides the tops of the mountains. Huge puffs of smoke create the feeling that they are emitted from the nostrils by none other than a dragon.

But still, there is something truly fabulous in the Dragon Mountains, namely their beauty. Here the spirit of antiquity soars. The caves of the Dragon Mountains are famous for their rock art. About 35 thousand ancient rock paintings stored in this mysterious place. The most amazing and fascinating thing is the years of the life of the drawings - some of them were created more than 100 thousand years. There are especially many of them in the Giants Castle reserve, which is listed in the World Heritage book. The uniqueness of rock paintings lies not only in their antiquity and its preservation, but also in the variety of subjects. The territory of the Dragon Mountains is famous for another attraction - the second highest waterfall in the world, 947 meters high, Tugela.

A huge number of battles took place in the territory of the Dragon Mountains. For several centuries, great battles took place here, which in many ways changed the course of the history of this country. Fields where battles took place several centuries ago, namely on the sites of the Anglo-Boer and Anglo-Zulu wars, are a particularly relevant place for excursions.

A significant part of the Drakensberg Mountains is occupied by nature reserves and reserves. The most visited of them is the Royal national park Natalia. The slope on south side The park is a natural rock step that stretches for 8 km. extraordinary landscape appears before you if you look at the rock step from below.

The division of the mountains occurs in two parts: the hilly, densely grassed expanses of Natal and the part of the Orange Province and the Southern Transvaal, located above the other hills. The high, empty and bare mountains of Basuto are very reminiscent of the mountains of Ethiopia.

A significant part of the territory of Drakensberg is occupied by endless highlands covered with a thick grassy blanket. Unfortunately, at present, due to human intervention, the original landscapes have practically not been preserved anywhere.

"The Roof of Africa" - this is the name acquired by the highlands with steep slopes on one side and gentle slopes on the other. On steep slopes, which usually reach a thousand meters in height, winds often fall from the Indian Ocean. They are created and brought here by a large amount of precipitation. It is here that the turbulent rivers flowing to the east begin their journey. Washing away the top layer of soil, they carry it to the Indian Ocean, thereby accelerating the process of erosion. A significant amount of water is in the Orange River, which flows west into Atlantic Ocean. At one time, erosion overtook the huge cliffs of the Basuto plateau, and now it appearance- these are bare rocks several hundred meters high, which break off to the grassy foothills.

Bearded eagles live on the plateau. They build large nests on the rocks, line them with wool, hair, and leftover food. On mountain pastures, the main food for bearded men is dead sheep. Another bird, the last specimens of which live in this mountainous region, is the ibis. This is an amazing, bright green bird with a red bald patch on the top of its head. Unlike other species of ibis that live mainly in swamps (except for the rock ibis), this one builds nests on high cliffs like an eagle. The ibis gets its food in the lowlands and flies north for the winter - to countries with a temperate climate.
In the eastern part of the highlands, almost no pristine nature remains, and only the beautiful reserves at the foot of the Dragon Mountains give an idea of \u200b\u200bwhat this land looked like before people settled it. In former times, the grassy areas of Natal abounded big amount animals that were exterminated before the arrival of Europeans. In the reserves and national parks lives the white-faced hartebeest, which was completely destroyed, and later brought back here. Bubals need to be fed from time to time, because they were moved from the lowlands, and they have not yet adapted to the conditions of life in the rocky area.

The pristine nature, which is practically gone in the eastern part of the highlands, has been preserved only at the foot of the Dragon Mountains. Only here you can understand what the earth looked like before civilization visited it. Currently, the territory of Natal is very different from what it was several centuries ago. A huge number of animals lived in the grassy area of \u200b\u200bNatalie, which were subsequently exterminated even before the arrival of Europeans.

Dragon Mountains is the real historical complex imbued with the spirit of antiquity. It is not surprising that Drakensberg is recognized as one of the most popular tourist places which are visited by about two million tourists every year.

Many birds migrate from the foothills of the Dragon Mountains, where very harsh winters, on the coast. Among them are the demoiselle crane, African bustard and numerous songbirds. The Demoiselle Crane is very handsome, it has a light gray-blue plumage. In South Africa, it is found everywhere. Previously, many large animals moved to the region with a temperate climate for the winter, but today this has become impossible: the numerous wire fences with which people surround their plots block their path. Therefore, only those animals that can survive the winter have survived in the foothills.

The eastern slopes of the Drakensberg Mountains are characterized by grassy cover with small patches of forest in the lower part of the slopes. Due to frequent fires, trees and undergrowth are destroyed. There is no consensus among environmentalists regarding the benefits of fires. Fires, in addition to destroying trees, contribute to soil erosion on steep slopes, with them all the valuable nitrogen and most of the organic matter contained in the grass are lost. If the grass is not burned, it turns into an inedible mixture of dead stems and straws with very low nutritional qualities, almost unsuitable for both livestock and wild animals. Therefore, they try to find a compromise in which the burning of grass would not cause too much harm. But erosion still cannot be avoided.

Countless herds of wild animals used to live in the valleys of the Drakensberg Mountains, more than anywhere else on Earth, even more than they live today in the whole East Africa. The white-tailed wildebeest, the kongoni, the savannah zebra, the quagga, the white-faced hartebeest, millions of springboks lived there, boundless herds of which moved in search of food and water. Often several tens of millions of springboks moved at the same time. The Boers called such animal migrations "-trek"-. The last such migration was recorded in 1896: a dense herd of more than 50 million animals disappeared in the direction of the Orange River and did not appear again. In the first decades of settlement of these areas by the British and Dutch, a huge number of herbivores were shot for the sake of skins and meat. But there remains a large number of small animals in which people show no interest, and those whose natural enemies have been destroyed.

Larks and other birds that nest on the ground today no longer have any enemies, since jackals, wild cats, and birds of prey have been exterminated. For some mammals and birds, people have improved conditions by creating numerous small dams that still have water during the dry season. The number of near-water birds has especially increased. Thousands of ducks and geese live today where they never lived before. This is an African duck with an original yellow beak, an Egyptian goose, a clawed goose ... Some of them can also be found in East Africa - in Ethiopia, but not in such numbers. The number of herons, cormorants, ibises and shepherds has increased. Many northern birds spend the winter here.

The reckless intrusion into animal life has created new problems: in some areas, the number of clawed geese has reached such proportions that grain fields are under serious threat. The weaver - the red-billed quelia - has become such a disaster for wheat fields that millions of these birds have to be shot every year. This entire area is an example of the irresponsible actions of man invading nature.

The beauty of protected areas lies not only in the uniqueness of the wild animals inhabiting them - surrounding nature surprisingly picturesque, the rocky area impresses with a variety of landscapes. Inaccessible cliffs, steep cliffs, caves and mountain gorges along with high mountain meadows, crystal lakes and river valleys full of charm. Even spoiled natural beauties the traveler will be impressed by the thundering waterfalls in the area of Cathedral Peak, Catkin Peak.
The beautiful natural park Ukashlamba-Drakensberg is located near the conditional capital of the province, the city of Durban - just a few hours drive, and you are in another world. The park has cozy mountain houses and comfortable hostels to accommodate tourists. You can relax sitting on the veranda and sipping brandy, and enjoy the splendor of the scenery. Or take a walk or horseback ride along one of the specially designed routes, and then natural landscapes will appear before you in all their amazing diversity. Or maybe you will be lucky enough to see a large herd of elands! Like any forest antelope, the eland is shy. But on protected areas where it is calm and safe, the animals are less wary. A funny sight when the herd goes to a new pasture - a group of running antelopes resembles a cavalry squad on the march. Young antelopes are able to develop such good speed that they often run away even from a jeep rushing off-road.

Well, then, having had enough of both nature reserves and places of military glory, you can find many other activities, since the developed tourism industry of the Dragon Mountains offers an unlimited choice. Trout fishing in lakes and reservoirs, breathtaking helicopter rides, excellent golf courses and tennis courts, souvenir shops and numerous shops, musical evenings ... -

It is here that you can hear the performance of the renowned boys' choir known to music lovers all over the world, the Drakensberg Boys Choir.

It could seem interesting excursion V small town Bulwer, lost somewhere among the mountains - there is a unique church built of yellow wood. Yellow tree - grows only in the Republic of South Africa, its wood at international auctions costs a lot of money. One can only guess how much the church itself is valued - why not check with the guide?

lion head

lovers extreme recreation can be recommended to make a dizzying ascent to mountain pass Sani Pas, which is one of the three largest passes in Africa. And all this can be seen and experienced only a couple of hours drive from the magnificent beaches of the Indian Ocean!
Journey to Drakensberg, akin to a trip to the Land of Fairy Tales, the Land of childhood dreams, the Land of a dream come true ... -

sources
http://www.intergid.ru/city_resort/117/2391/
http://garuda.travel/chudo/drakonovy-gory
http://v-yuar.com.ru/index.php?option=com_content&-view=article&-id=62&-Itemid=71
http://www.rucolumb.ru/country/yuar/o-strane/obshhee/dostoprimechatelnosti/drakonovyi-goryi.html

I also remind you of interesting information about the mountains: or for example. But effective