Ziplining with giraffes | Going off the grid for 5 days

No really, so many giraffes

Oribi Gorge on the Mapimage source

Oribi Gorge, a canyon in southern KwaZulu-Natal, is about 400 m deep and 5 km wide (at the widest point). The closest town to the gorge is Port Shepstone, an hour's drive from Durban to the South.

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After spending some time with the hippos a few days before, we decided to start making our way down the east coast. Neither of us had any prior knowledge of the area, so we decided to put our faith in a Google Search. We were not disappointed. When you reach Port Shepstone, you turn off and drive for another 45 minutes or so until you reach the entrance of Lake Eland Game Reserve.

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At first we planned on staying for two nights, however, we were not ready to leave. So much so that we ended up staying for 5 days (at ZAR150 per day). The reserve is quite large with different types of accommodation which include luxury chalets and camping with a swimming pool and restaurant, and camping spots and fisherman's cottages next to the lake with no electricity or cellphone reception. We opted for the camping next to the lake, which ended up being the highlight of our road trip. Moreover, we were lucky enough to have the entire camping space to ourselves.

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Our days usually started with boiling the kettle on the fire and enjoying our much needed coffee with a book in the sun. Thereafter we would go cycling on one of the three breathtaking cycling tracks on the reserve (5 km, 25 km, and 45 km). The main adventure was the 4.5 km zip line through the gorge and over the lake. What a rush! the zip line has 18 stops and ranges from 60 km/ph to 140 km/ph. You will definitely have an encounter with one of the many animals on the reserve, as you can see above (apologies for the bad quality photo). You even get visitors at night!

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I recommend this trip to anyone looking for an off-the-grid getaway. Lake Eland is family friendly, and caters to those looking for something more romantic. There are endless activities which include the must-do zip line, cycling and hiking tracks, waterfalls, Koi San caves, game watching and drives, canoeing, and chilling hard.

A giraffe that once swallowed a ladder
Said 'I'm feeling decidedly sadder
For the top of the rung
Is caught on my tongue
And the bottom one's touching my bladder - Ray Gridley