Sun Or Snow, It's Time To Go

The Sani Pass is a bucket-list trip for many travellers in South Africa. The famous pass lies in the no-man's-land between South Africa and Lesotho, close to the KwaZulu-Natal town of Himeville. The view from the top of the pass never gets old. Nor does the feeling of accomplishment as you look at the gravel road snaking its way up the valley below – the same uneven, rocky road you’ve just conquered. Protea 4x4 Adventures has been offering tours to Sani Pass for almost 10 years, and we believe that one has to visit it in summer and winter to truly experience the area. The contrast is unbelievable: the clear blue summer skies, lush grasslands and colourful blooming wildflowers often make way for a white blanket of snow in winter (although we missed the snow this time).

- Jannie Rykaart

DAY 1

Although the saying “life’s a journey, not a destination” might be considered a cliché by some, I grew up believing that a holiday starts the moment you lock your front door and get into your car.

Travelling from Johannesburg to Lesotho takes you through some of the most spectacular parts of the Drakensberg Mountains. If you leave Gauteng before rush hour, the city smog is soon a distant memory and the sky becomes brighter by the kilometre.

We recently discovered the Thanda Tau stop and fuel station about 200 km outside Johannesburg on the N3 to KwaZulu-Natal (between Villiers and Warden, about 60 km after the Wilge toll plaza). It’s ideal for enjoying breakfast (or lunch) and freshly brewed coffee, and replenishing your biltong supplies. In summer, patrons can sit on the balcony outside and enjoy the view of the wide Free State expanse; in winter, you can cosy up indoors next to the fireplace.

Just after Mooi River, we took the Nottingham Road/Curries Post offramp. Although there’s an abundance of inviting shops on both sides of the road as one drives into Nottingham Road village, we opted for a brief stop at Nottingham Road Brewing Company. The brewmaster loves sharing his knowledge and love of beer.

Next stop was Piggly Wiggly on the R103 in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, with its array of curio shops selling iron works, leather goods, clothes and furniture, as well as its coffee shops, cheesery and winery.

Not far from here, about 5 km outside Howick, you’ll find the Nelson Mandela Capture Site where the former South African president and struggle icon was arrested by apartheid police in 1962.

It is late afternoon when we pull in at the newly rebuilt Premier Resort Sani Pass, previously known as the Sani Pass Hotel, at the foot of the pass.