Valley of 1000 Hills

Valley of a Thousand Hills is an arts and craft route

The Valley of a Thousand Hills with its soothing beauty has always wooed artists and crafters. The new 1000 Hills Experience Route features Zulu Cultural villages and stunning mountain vistas as the backdrop to a wealth of creative talent. This fascinating tourist experience, which follows the famous Comrades Marathon Route, is all about rolling hills, valleys, gorges, forests, rivers and scenic dams.

The Valley of 1000 Hills is where rural Africa links arms gently with urban living. Nature reserves fringe on vibrant villages and leafy towns where specialist book, decor, and bric-a-brac stores jostle with coffee shops and boutiques in village malls and markets. Off shoots of the route take travellers through the Krantzkloof Gorge and Inanda Dam, to the scenic Shongweni dam and Game Park and along a beautiful Valley which follows the course of the Umgeni River and the annual Duzi Canoe Marathon to Isithumba Village where visitors are invited into rural homes to experience a day in the life of the Zulu families living there.

The Valley of 1000 Hills Experience embodies all the curiosities of a changing society - from colonial buildings and English pastures to the relentless drumbeat of the real Africa. Enjoy magical views over the Valley of a Thousand Hills, visit curio stalls, quaint old stations now used as pubs and tea gardens and watch acclaimed crafters at work. Rest overnight at gracious hotels and guest houses and dine in fine restaurants set alongside rivers and trees.

No matter who you are, a drive through the 1000 Hills is a slow, soothing massage of the soul.

Accommodation in and around Kwazulu Natal