A Canopy Tour is a must-do soft adventure activity on any visit to the Natal Midlands or Drakensberg Mountains. This zipline or cable slide is exhilarating and family friendly. The tour is made up of a series of cable slide which take approximately three hours to complete. These canopy tours are guided experiences
This activity is great for couples and families, ideally with older children (though they allow children from 7 years and may make exceptions for younger kids). It is very safe – having been built to the highest civil engineering standards – but not for the faint-hearted. If you are not sure whether you can do it on your own, you could opt to do a tandem ride with the guide who controls your speed.
Depending on where you are staying in the Drakensberg Mountains or KwaZulu Natal Midlands you have the choice of two canopy tour sites
Drakensberg Canopy Tour
This experience is in an indigenous forest of the Cathkin Park or Champagne Valley area of the Central Drakensberg. It is made up of a mix of both cliff face and treetop platforms. The cable slides over the forest at an elevation of up to 60 metres.
Set within the magnificent Blue Grotto Forest, the Drakensberg Canopy Tour® is guaranteed to take your breath away. The forest is home to over 150 species of birds including the rare Bush Blackcap.
Led by trained guides, as you glide between platforms perched in trees and on cliff faces, allow your senses to flood with the timeless atmosphere of the forest. The inspiring nature of the majestic Drakensberg, the ancient indigenous forest, waterfalls and the cascading stream make this an opportunity not to be missed.
Karkloof Canopy Tour on the Midlands Meander
A short scenic 4×4 drive to the top of the Karkloof valley and it is time to monkey around! From the start on the launch platform a new world unfolds as one gently glides on a steel cable to the first platform.
Spend a couple of minutes relaxing on the platforms while your guides enthusiastically explain the ecology of the forest – pointing out different trees and the magnificent giant ferns way below. The bird life is incredible. This includes the opportunity of spotting Emerald Cuckoos, Knysna Turaco, a wide variety of raptors and if you are lucky, the elusive Narina Trogon or endangered Cape Parrots. The forest is also home to a variety of mammals, but it is the loud calls and fearsome tree swinging of the Samango monkeys that you will remember best.
The Karkloof Canopy Tour consists of 12 platforms and 10 zip-line slides, the longest of which is 200m! A tour lasts approximately two hours, this is a safe, fun adventure for people between the ages of 6 and 80+ and includes refreshments during the tour.
