Nature has created many wonderful places where you can spend hours and enjoy the world around you: plants, animals, magnificent landscapes. Such places are everywhere, including on the arid continent, in the Republic of South Africa.
Tugela Waterfall
In the Natal National Park, in the Dragon Mountains, you can see a truly spectacular sight - Tugela Falls. From here you just have an unforgettable view. The height of the Tugela Falls is 948 meters. He takes second place after Angel, who is not much surpassed (979 meters). Translated from the local Zulu language, the word "tugela" means "sudden."
The waterfall consists of five cascades-steps. The highest in height is 411 meters. Tugela originates from the river of the same name, the source of which lies 5 km from the fall, and then, already from the top of Mont Aux Sources, with a narrow ribbon of water only 15 meters wide begins to fall from a great height, which can not always be seen from afar.
Where is Tugela Falls located?
As previously mentioned, the waterfall is located in Natal Park, which, in turn, is located in the Republic of South Africa. This place has been protected by local authorities since 1916, and you can see nature here in its original form.
Tourists come here most often from the city of Durban. This is the third largest settlement in South Africa, which is the closest. Then you can go to the city of Bergville with a developed infrastructure and good service to take a break before going on a hike. Here you can find a guide who not only leads to the appointed place, but also tells interesting stories about this amazing African world.
Bergville is 50 km from Tugela, accessible by car.
How to get to the waterfall
Before you see the Tugela Falls, the photo of which is presented in the article, it is worth considering whether you can walk long distances on foot and whether there are comfortable shoes for this. The cascade is located far from civilization, where there is no road and no food points. The path can be done independently or set off on an excursion by organizing it in Natal.
You cannot reach the waterfall by car and cover the distance in just a few hours. The path will not be easy, as you have to walk, and then climb the suspended stairs. Such a route usually takes 5 hours round trip.
There is another popular route. It lies through parks and forests, and every lover of geography, flora and fauna will be completely satisfied with the trip. Most tourists come here precisely for the impressions they receive during the trip, and the peak of pleasure comes at the top of the mountain. The trail will lie through the Tugela gorge, its length is 7 km. At the end you will see several boulders and a small suspension bridge. The journey ends at a great height, where a beautiful view of the Tugela Falls opens. You will have to spend the whole day on such a trip, but it's worth it.
Interesting facts about this place.
They say that the best time to see the Tugela waterfall is after heavy rains, when the rivers are filled with water and the stream becomes more powerful and noticeable from afar. If you visit this place in winter, then on the top of the Dragon Mountain you can see snow, and a beautiful winter landscape opens around.
The waterfall is very little studied, despite its popularity due to its height. Earlier in various encyclopedias, including Soviet ones, he was mentioned in passing, and in the English edition there was no description at all, since it was an uninteresting object. Only in a book written by Wellington about this wonderful country, is there a more detailed description of the attraction.
Going on a trip, you can not only see the breathtaking views and the Tugela waterfall, but also feed wild animals, swim in the waters of the river and capture all these moments on camera. In 1836, the highest point of the mountain was visited by the French and assigned the name Mont-aux-Sources, which means “source of three rivers”, since it is from this mountain that three water arteries feed - Tugela, Orange and Baal.
Before embarking on this exciting journey, you need to prepare as you should. You need to be physically resilient, as you will not only have a hike, but also climb the iron stairs mounted directly into the mountains. Another way you can’t reach the top of the mountain.