There are 8 world heritage sites in South Africa. 4 of these are cultural, 3 are listed as natural and the 8th is regarded as mixed and that is the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park.
The uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park is situated in Kwazulu-Natal and includes both the Provincial Royal National Park and the Drakensberg National Park. It was inscribed as a world heritage site in the year 2000 due to its being an area of exceptional natural beauty and having a diversity of habitats that protects a very high level of globally threatened species in particular birds and plants.
The towering basaltic ramparts and golden sandstone buttresses as well as rolling grasslands, immaculate steep-sided river valleys and rocky gorges all add to the beauty of the area
The uKhalhlamba Drakensberg Park also contain a large number of caves and rock shelters with the biggest amount of paintings in Africa, south of the Sahara, which were made by the San People over a period of 4000 years. In this area there are more than 40,000 paintings to be found in over 550 San rock art sites of a high standard that depict animals, people and the culture, all made by the San who are no longer living in the vicinity.
The Drakensberg Mountain range is the highest range in Africa south of Kilimanjaro. Drakensberg (Dragons Mountain) is the Afrikaans name for the range and the Zulu name is uKhahlamba (barrier of spears) both of which suit the intimidating horizon.
During the Great Trek in1837 the Boer settlers on their way inland from the Cape Colony had the daunting task of negotiating the steep passes and difficult terrain and legend has it that the name Drakensberg was coined when a settler father and son reported seeing a dragon, a giant lizard with wings and a tail, flying above the cloud-covered mountain peaks.
The area is a top tourist destination offering accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets in luxury hotels and resorts as well as guest houses, B&B’s, caravan parks and cabins. Thousand of trails are marked across the Drakensberg through the mountainous hills and passes to suit hikers and shorter walks through fern forests for those less energetic.