Valley of a Thousand Hills

The Thousand Hills Tourism Route extends along and adjacent to the Old Main Road to the west of Durban for some 20kms. Most of the attractions extend along a sharp ridge which was a favoured route used both by elephant hunters and settlers in the 19th century.

The eastern (Durban) end of the route starts at Fields Hill outside Pinetown. This road was built by captives rescued from a slave ship. It then continues parallel to the old railway through Kloof, Everton, Gillits and Hillcrest. This latter was established in the 19th century as a summer retreat away from the humidity of the coast. The route here would still familiar to the thousands of British soldiers sent by train to the front in the Second Boer War of 1899.

Beyond Hillcrest is Botha's Hill after the owner of a trading store there. The Rob Roy hotel in Botha's Hill occupies high ground used as a heliograph station in the Anglo Zulu War of 1879. The views from the hotel over the Valley of a Thousand Hills is magnificent and there are several other viewsites along the route to enjoy a moment to savour the view.

The Inanda Dam on the Umgeni River can be seen from these points. Each year in January, hundreds of canoeists from all over the world take part in a race from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.

The next village is that of Drummond, noted by many as the mid point of the famous Comrades Marathon, run by 15,000 people each June between Pietermaritzburg and Durban.

The route then passes Harrison Flats where South African airmen were trained during the Second World War before rejoining the main N3 freeway to Pietermaritzburg. Taking Milescape T1 from Durban will lead you to Thousand Hills.

The visitor will certainly find something of interest along the route. There are plenty of craft markets, restaurants, curio shops, Zulu villages and safari parks. Contact Thousand Hills Tourism for an informative brochure. Close to the route is the lovely Shongweni Dam where a pleasant picnic can be enjoyed. Contact Msinsi Holdings for more information on the dams around Durban.