KWAZULU-NATAL
Sani Pass with Major Adventures Tours No visit to Himeville is complete without tackling the legendary Sani Pass. I joined a guided trip with Major Adventures Tours, and if you are lucky enough to get Warren as your guide, you’ re in excellent hands. He’ s an absolute legend behind the wheel, navigating the steep switchbacks with calm confidence while sharing stories about the pass and its dramatic landscape. The vehicle itself adds to the fun: the rooftop opens up, letting everyone stand and soak in uninterrupted views as the road climbs higher and higher toward Lesotho. It is one of those drives where every corner reveals something bigger, wilder and more beautiful than the last.
Himeville Museum The Himeville Museum is housed in an old stone fort and offers considerably more than its modest exterior suggests. Inside, the story of early settlers, frontier life and the farming history of the Southern Drakensberg is told with the kind of care only found in small regional museums run by someone who loves the subject matter. It’ s an hour or two well spent, adding a layer of context to the landscape that makes the drive back through the hills feel different. Entry is free, a pleasant surprise, though Kitt, the manager on duty, mentioned a donation box. After seeing what the museum offers, leaving something behind only feels right.
Sunset Horse Ride with Khotso Horse Trails Khotso, meaning“ peace” in Sesotho, and living up to its name, is the largest horse trail operator in the Southern Drakensberg, and its sunset ride alone is worth the trip. We climbed steadily through open grassland to a ridge overlooking Lesotho, and then the sky performed a trick: to the right, a full thunderstorm rolled in, dark and theatrical; to my left, brilliant blue sky, the grass catching the last of the light. Two completely different skies, divided only by a ridgeline and the direction you chose to look. Our guide, unfazed, laid out sundowner snacks while the horses stood patiently and the storm bided its time. By the ride back down, I felt that rare kind of tired that comes not from effort but from having been completely, wholly present. Worth every minute.
Getting There I flew from Cape Town to Durban, where Cedric from Southern Berg Shuttle was waiting to handle the transfer inland. Thanks to his dependable service, the three and a half-hour journey to the Southern Drakensberg felt easy and worry-free.
Once in the region, a word of advice: there is no Uber here. This is a landscape that runs on local knowledge and trusted drivers. Throughout my stay I relied entirely on Easy Move Junior Cabs – reliable, friendly, and in a region
where the distances between farms and restaurants are routinely larger than they appear on a map, an absolute necessity. Book them early, and keep the number saved.
For more info on the region: drakensberg. org.
WhatsApp Directory:
• Easy Move Junior Cabs: 079 317 2616
• Himeville Museum: 078 359 9947
• JoyWood Cottage: 082 806 8269
• Khotso Horse Riding: 082 412 5540
• Lemon Tree Bistro: 076 774 1600
• Major Adventures: 082 298 2135
• Moorcroft Manor: 071 027 7867
• Penwarn Farm: 072 109 0283
• Sani Lodge & Cottages: 083 987 3071
• Shiloh Country Cottage: 084 643 4678
• Southern Berg Shuttle: 072 325 4267
• Speirs Brasserie: 071 103 2422
• Whistling Goat: 083 680 6136
WINTER 2026 • rovesa. co. za | 23