Merry Pebbles Resort

A number of mountain biking trails start 10 minutes’ drive from the site, from gentle riverside pedals to technical black runs at dizzying height. Further high octane activities, such as white water rafting and abseiling, zip wires and archery can be arranged in Induna, half an hour away. For some, the sheer pleasure of walking through the surrounds will suffice: head to the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve (half an hour) for cracking views of this region of montane forests, open savannahs and bushveld, and trails spotting rare Blue Swallows, Cape Vultures and Taita Falcons. A little further away (45 minutes), the Makobulaan Nature Reserve is a zone of forested ravines full of chattering baboons and vervet monkeys, Cape clawless otters and aardwolves. There’s no walk that can’t be improved by a waterfall, and fortunately, the assorted cascades of Mac-Mac, Lone Creek and Bridal Veil (10 and 15 minutes’ drive) are all surrounded by paths for trekking and spots for just taking it all in. For a different perspective make for Sudwala Caves (45 minutes), a maze of fossil-filled tunnels from a time when all these mountains were under the sea, with the added bonus of a dinosaur park next door.