Shaun Douglas

Brown Lions at the Bothongo Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve

Bothongo Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve: Into the Earth and Back Again

All crammed into the lift, we descended into the earth. It smelled like cold rock and old air. Five of us, elbow to elbow. No one said a word. We drove 45 minutes out of Pretoria. Turning onto the reserve, tar gave way to dirt roads as signs guided us toward the Wonder Cave. The parking lot was shaded by trees. There were four of us. ... Continue Reading

Along the stream in between the gorge at the Kranskloof Hiking Trail

Kranskloof Hiking Trail: Rock Pools, Cold Water, and a Gorge Worth Finding

Shoes off, standing at the edge of a rock pool deep in the Kranskloof Gorge—some trails reward you with a view. This one had other ideas. The Kranskloof Hiking Trail sits an hour and a half from Centurion, Pretoria. We parked on a farm at the trailhead—twenty of us milling about, spirits high, ready for what lay ahead. ... Continue Reading

I tiny hole to fit through inside the Bat Cave

The Bat Cave Adventure, Krugersdorp

I am standing in a field outside Krugersdorp looking for a hole in the ground. This is not a metaphor. The guide is somewhere ahead, walking through dry grass, and we are following him because apparently this is where the cave is—not a cliff face, not a dramatic entrance, just a field, and somewhere in it, a vertical drop of seventeen meters into the earth. It felt a bit weird. It was a bit weird. ... Continue Reading

Two hikers on top of the chain ladders at the Tugela Falls hike

Your Complete Guide to Hiking Tugela Falls

Imagine standing at the edge of the world — wind pulling at your jacket, 3,000 metres of thin mountain air in your lungs, and a river sliding silently over a cliff edge a few steps away, disappearing into a valley nearly a kilometre below. No guardrails. No crowds. Just you, the Drakensberg escarpment, and the raw, unfiltered scale of Africa's highest waterfall. That moment doesn't come easy — it costs you a long drive, a bumpy 4x4 ride, a set of chain ladders that will test your nerve, and several hours of honest climbing. But ask anyone who has stood at the top of Tugela Falls, and they'll tell you the same thing: every step was worth it. This guide gives you everything you need to get there safely, smartly, and ready to earn it. ... Continue Reading

A view from below looking up at the Tugela Falls hike chain ladders

The Tugela Falls Hike That Tried to Break Us (And Almost Did)

Picture this: two grown men, one tent, one sleeping bag, and a storm doing its absolute best to end them—somewhere on top of the Drakensberg in the dead of night. This is the story of Project Tugela Falls. And yes, I would do it again. Project Tugela Falls got an early start. I left Pretoria at 05:00 to be in the Clarens area by 09:00 — a good four-hour drive with a 30-minute pit stop. The goal was to spend the day in Clarens and explore it a bit more. ... Continue Reading

Outside the Kgodumodumo Dinosaur Interpretation Centre

A Friday in Clarens

If you're searching for Clarens things to do and honestly don't know where to begin, let me save you the scroll. Clarens — the so-called "Jewel of the Free State" — is one of those rare places that manages to be a dinosaur museum, a craft beer destination, an art village, a hiking trailhead, and a mountain-view coffee stop all at once, without breaking a sweat. Nestled in the Maluti Mountains foothills and just 3.5 hours from Joburg, this little town punches well above its weight. We went for one day and barely scratched the surface. This is the story of what we found — and the long list of reasons we're already planning to go back. ... Continue Reading

Shaun DouglasView posts