Giant's Castle

Giant's Castle was proclaimed in 1903 to protect eland, and it still carries the biggest herds of them in the Drakensberg - large pale antelope on open grassland below the escarpment. The reserve's other draw is a purpose-built hide used through the colder months, where bones are put out and bearded vultures come in to feed; the bearded vulture, or lammergeier, drops bones onto rock to break them and is down to a few hundred birds in southern Africa, so the hide is one of the few reliable ways to see one. It is booked well ahead and holds a handful of people. Main Caves, a short walk from the camp, holds several hundred San paintings on shelter walls with a small museum and guided access. Above it the escarpment rises past 3,300 metres, and the multi-day traverse routes pass through; the reserve has more than twenty-five walks on a trail network of some 285 kilometres.

Highlights

• The eland herds - the largest in the Drakensberg, on open grassland.
• The vulture hide - bearded vultures at a baited site, booked months ahead.
• Main Caves - several hundred San paintings under a guided shelter visit.
• The high escarpment - peaks over 3,300 metres above the reserve.

When to go

March to May for walking; May to September for the vulture hide, which does not operate in summer. Two days.

What to expect

The hide takes very few people, runs only in the cold months, is booked far ahead and involves sitting still in the cold for hours with no guarantee. Main Caves is guided at set times. Summer storms are severe. Roads inside are gravel.

Nearby

Injisuthi is north in the same reserve complex; Kamberg is south.

Key facts