With spring around the corner, why not savour the last of the Drakensberg winter at Oaklands Country Manor and explore the Midlands Meander on your way?
Midlands Meander Tourism Route
Set amid the rolling Drakensberg foothills, between Pietermaritzburg and Mooi River, the Midlands Meander is South Africa’s most charming tourism route. Picturesque villages offer visitors a taste of pastoral life, where everything is family-run, homemade, and brimming with countryside charm.
With quaint eateries, breweries, cheeseries and galleries, this route is a must for food-fundis, arts and craft lovers and adventure seekers looking to soak up some fresh air.
Fancy a Foodie Meander?
Speckled with restaurants, coffee shops and farm stalls, a trip up the Midlands Meander will be a belly-warming treat. Feeling peckish and not enough ‘padkos’? Snack on homemade Brie and admire the views at the family-run Swissland Cheese farm. Or pop into Piggly Wiggly for a coffee and cake pick-me-up. Remember to save space for dinner at Oaklands!
Midlands Arts and Crafts
With the fresh country air and majestic Drakensberg backdrop, it’s easy for the Midlands folk to explore their creative side. Keep your kids entertained mid-road trip with Paint your own Ceramics at Zulu-lulu Art House, or try your hand at candle making at the Candle Dipping Shop.
Art is a prominent feature in the Midlands with galleries, museums and sculptures dotted along the route. For instance, Howick’s Nelson Mandela Capture Site is home to a massive sculpture of Madiba’s face made from 50 steel columns set into the landscape.
An Outdoor Drakensberg Adventure
View the Drakensberg foothills by horseback, mountain bike, or on foot, or soar above the midlands forest with Karkloof Canopy Tours.
Meander on up to Oaklands
Cure your cabin fever with a weekend retreat in the Drakensberg as winter comes to an end. We’re just before the Midlands Meander if you’re coming from Joburg, and just after if travelling from Durban.
Just a slight detour off the N3, the Midlands Meander offers a range of welcome activities for weathered travellers.