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Last weekend I planned on going to the Inanda Dam to learn more about what they had on offer. We haven't been to the dam before.
I parked our car in the parking area outside the main gate and approached the main gate on foot.
Even though the guy was sitting right by the window, I had to start making noise and address him to get his attention (or at least get his face unglued from his mobile phone).
He just looked up, as if waiting to hear what I want...
I started the conversation by asking about any activities, things to do or see, for day visitors...
The answer I got was... "Mainly picnicking and boating."
"And the entrance fee?", I asked.
"R46.00 per person", was his answer.
At today's exchange rate (at the time of writing) of USD/ZAR at R17.98, that would have worked out to $2.56 per person...or a total of $5.12 for both my wife and me.
Not knowing what to expect once inside based on the information I was getting, I didn't feel like spending money here, not knowing how much time we would be spending inside the area.
I decided to cover a wider area of the Valley of a Thousand Hills and see if we can learn more about what you can do in the area.
It was as if it was just meant to be this way as things started to fall into place with things of interest popping up as we went along.
We left Inanda Dam, going up through Waterfall, then Hillcrest where we turned up towards Botha's Hill.
In Botha's Hill, I pulled over at Sunset Valley (you can see their FaceBook page here.
As you can see in the next photo, they offer a variety of facilities and services...from their coffee shop, to cake decorating classes, to a party venue, and more...
From here (Sunset Valley), if you look across the road, you also have a beautiful view of the Inanda Dam.
Shortly after leaving Sunset Valley, I was reminded by this poster, that the Amashova Classic Cycle Road Race will be taking place on October 23. The poster confirmed this road to being part of the Amashova route.
The Amashova will broadly follow the down-run route of the Comrades Marathon, between Pietermaritzburg and Durban.
As I took the photo of this poster and I was on my way back to the car, I thought to myself to be on the lookout for some cyclists, preparing for the upcoming race.
With that thought still in my mind, as if it was destined, two cyclists came past me and I got this shot of them from behind...lol.
There will be three distances to take part in, and entry fees will be as follow:
- 38 KM (Popular among families as a family event): R350.00 ($19.47).
- 65 KM (Scenic, but not as intense as the main/full distance): R650.00 ($36.15).
- 106 KM (Serious- to professional cyclists): R850.00 ($47.27).
I found this interesting PDF (you can open it online) document online, showing the history of the Amashova prize money from 1986 up until 2016.
It is interesting to see how the prize money increased from R4450.00 in 1986, to R125 000.00 in 2016.
I pulled over at the Comrades Wall of Honour to wait for cyclists to pass us.
We hardly came to a standstill, when this friendly group of cyclists passed us. The guy at the back gave us a huge smile and a thumbs-up when he saw I was taking shots of them...lol! I didn't even get out of the car yet and took this shot from inside the vehicle. The two vehicles behind them were escorting them to ensure their safety on the road.
From there, we went to Monteseel.
We arrived at the "Monteseel Rock Climbing Car Park" (with spectacular views), where I parked the car.
I took a walk, descending between two rocky areas.
From here I took my first photo of the point I was heading for to get some nice shots of the views from here.
Just above me, to my right, some rock climbers were busy doing their thing. It looked like some local rock climbing instructors (the guy with the red jacket and the lady sitting on the rocks just above them) who were busy teaching a father-and-son combination about the activity of rock climbing.
After a while, the youngster decided the heights are a bit intimidating and he wanted to take a break, so his dad (I assume it's his father), took his turn.
I moved back up and passed just above them on my way to the point from where I wanted to take some shots.
I took this shot, passing just above them. I did ask if they mind me taking photos of them and they had no problem at all.
I didn't want to interrupt their session with too many questions, so I did some online searches. It seems that Peak High Mountaineering is presenting rock climbing courses at this exact spot From R2600.00 ($144.60) per person (minimum age of 10 y/o).
The duration of the courses is 2 - 3 days.
The view from where I wanted to be.
I loved this...what would you call it...a shrub/small tree? It's just growing by itself here in this rocky area, coming up from between a small space between some rocks...
Some more color...
Then, on my way back to the car, looking back at the rock climbers, the female instructor, standing on the edge while keeping a watchful eye on the activity below her...
Taking a drive through Monteseel before returning to the main road, we came across these beautiful Proteas.
We also made a pit stop at The Pot & Kettle.
We've enjoyed some nice meals here in the past and today they had a nice special again.
A nice Veggie Burger with creamy mushrooms served with potato wedges @ R75.00 ($4.17).
After walking through some of the little shops in the craft market though, we decided to support the WIMPY in Waterfall on our way back home.
So, stopping at the WIMPY in Waterfall, they also had a special.
A hamburger with chips and a milkshake @ R60.00. ($3.33)
That means I spent R120.00 for the two of us. Adding a tip for the friendly waitress who served us, I spent a total of R135.00 ($7.50)
If I had $10.00 with me, what would I have been able to do?
We both had a full meal (and a milkshake...lol), and still had $2.50 left in change.
That's not taking the gas into consideration that we needed for the outing of course...lol!
Conclusion.
Today's possible activities (things to do) were:
- Walking/Hiking at various places. (Free)
- Boating at Inanda Dam.
- Picnicking at Inanda Dam. (R46.00 / $2.56 per person)
- Events such as the Amashova Cycle Race (October, 23). Take part, or just come and enjoy the event, the excitement, and the atmosphere while the cyclists are coming through the valley. The atmosphere is great during these events.
- Rock Climbing in Monteseel. (From R2600.00 / $144.60 per person for a course of 2 -3 days).
- Restaurants and Coffee Shops.
- Craft Markets.
- Party and/or Private Venues at Sunset Valley.
- Cake Decorating Classes at Sunset Valley.
Note:
These are only 9 of the things you can do in the Valley of a Thousand Hills. These are activities that can be enjoyed at places we visited for the day.
But there are more things to do in the Valley of a Thousand Hills that I will cover in later posts.
But that's all for today, folks!
Thank you for reading my post! I do appreciate it!