Take a Sho ’ t Left to the snow
By Elvira Wood , PPS editor and writer
Around the world , there is no winter season without snow . Here in the southern tip of Africa , even in winter , those ice crystals falling from the sky tend to be so rare that many South Africans have never seen nor experienced real snow .
There are two ways of experiencing that bitter cold snow brings – travel to far-flung countries such as Switzerland , Norway or Canada at a huge cost , or , like Tourism South Africa says – take a Sho ’ t Left .
As much as the world has – to a great extent – opened again for international travel , many South Africans will find it very expensive to venture abroad for a snow-filled holiday .
Yes , fuel prices have skyrocketed in recent months , but a local trip to some very snowy places in South Africa will still be much cheaper and will support the local economy .
Drakensberg
If you would like to see snow in the Drakensberg , then heading towards Giants Castle might just deliver on that promise . Giants Castle is about a six-hour drive from Johannesburg and about three hours from Durban . If you head slightly more south , Cathedral Peak might also offer some snowy views . However , snow in the Champagne Valley where most hotels and resorts are , is not common . If you travel to the Underberg and have a 4x4 vehicle , you will be almost assured of seeing snow on Sani Pass . This is around a seven-hour trip from Johannesburg and three hours from Durban .
All of these sites are on the eastern side of the Drakensberg . However , if you venture to the western side , the renowned Tiffindell Ski Resort near Rhodes in the Eastern Cape is another guaranteed spot to see snow in South Africa . That is not because it always snows at the resort , but because the resort has snow machines if the African winters are too warm for natural snowfall .
This resort is an eight-hour drive from Durban , a nine-and-a-halfhour drive from Johannesburg and a 14-hour drive from Cape Town . For the very adventurous souls , Giants Castle is also a known destination if you want to ice climb .
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