Tugela Waterfall

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Nature has created many beautiful places where you can stay for hours and enjoy the world around you: plants, animals, magnificent landscapes. Such places are everywhere, including on the arid continent, in the Republic of South Africa.

On the territory of the Natal National Park, in the Dragon Mountains, you can see a truly breathtaking sight - Tugela Falls. From here the view is simply unforgettable. The height of the Tugela waterfall is 948 meters. He is second only to Ángel, who is only slightly outclassed (979 meters). Translated from the local Zulu language, the word "tugela" means "sudden".

The waterfall consists of five cascades-steps. The largest in height is 411 meters. Tugela originates from the river of the same name, the source of which lies 5 km from the fall, and then, already from the top of Mont Aux Sources, a narrow ribbon of water only 15 meters wide begins to fall from a great height, which is not always visible from afar.

Where is Tugela Falls?

As mentioned earlier, the waterfall is located in Natal Park, which, in turn, is located in the Republic of South Africa. This placehas been protected by local authorities since 1916, and you can see nature here in its original form.

Tourists come here most often from the city of Durban. This is the third largest settlement in South Africa, which is the closest. Then you can go to the city of Bergville with developed infrastructure and good service to take a break before going hiking. Here you can also find a guide who not only takes you to the appointed place, but also tells interesting stories about this amazing African world.

Bergville is located 50 km from Tugela, which can be reached by car.

How to get to the waterfall

Before you see the Tugela waterfall, the photo of which is presented in the article, you should think about whether you can walk long distances and whether there are comfortable shoes for this. The cascade is located far from civilization, where there is no road and no food points. You can make the path on your own or go with an excursion by organizing it in Natal.

The waterfall cannot be reached by car and the distance can be overcome in just a few hours. The path will not be easy, as you will have to walk and then climb the hanging ladders. This route usually takes 5 hours round trip.

There is another popular route. It lies through parks and forests, and every lover of geography, flora and fauna will be completely satisfied with the hike. Most tourists come here for the experience they get.during the hike, and the peak of pleasure comes at the top of the mountain. The trail will lie through the Tugela gorge, its length is 7 km. At the end you will see some boulders and a small suspension bridge. The journey ends at a great height, where a beautiful view of the Tugela waterfall opens up. Such a trip will take a whole day, but it's worth it.

Interesting facts about this place

The best time to see the Tugela Falls is said to be after heavy rains, when the rivers fill with water and the flow becomes more powerful and visible from afar. If you visit this place in winter, you can see snow on top of the Dragon Mountain, and a beautiful winter landscape opens up around.

The waterfall is very little explored, despite its fame due to its height. Earlier, in various encyclopedias, including Soviet ones, it was mentioned in passing, and in the English edition there was no description at all, since it was an uninteresting object. Only in a book written by Wellington about this wonderful country, there is a more detailed description of the attraction.

Going on a trip, you can not only see breathtaking views and the Tugela waterfall, but also feed wild animals, swim in the waters of the river and capture all these moments on camera. In 1836, the French visited the highest point of the mountain and named it Mont-aux-Sources, which means "source of three rivers", since it is from this mountain that three water arteries feed - Tugela, Orange and Waal.

Before embarking on this excitingjourney, it is necessary to prepare properly. You need to be physically hardy, as you will not only have to hike, but also climb the iron stairs built right into the mountains. There is no other way to get to the top of the mountain.