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Africa is indeed blessed with beautiful place and cities that attracts tourist all year round. This group features such kind of places. You are invited to post pictures and videos about beautiful African places around you and beyond.
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A complex of seasonal waterfalls located in the Drakensberg Mountains of Royal Natal National Park in KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa is Africa’s tallest waterfall “Tugela Falls”.
The Tugela Falls flow from a sky-high heights of the Drakensberg Mountains, and an uninterrupted water drop at an astounding 411 meters
Africa’s tallest waterfall is a popular tourism hotspot for the locals as well as tourists, with hiking trails up the side from spray to peak.
Tugela Falls is the world’s 10th largest uninterrupted water drop with a total water drop of 948 meters over 5 different levels and a narrow width of only 15 meters in its peak season.
During the winter months, the upper falls of the Tugela have been known to freeze which is not so common in sunny Africa. This impressive sight attracts many people to hike up its side on numerous trails to the frozen peak.
Because of the narrow width of Tugela Falls, the water flow can be seasonal causing total dryness in some years of drought. However, in its peak season, a large volume of water flow drops down its peak, launching an impressive spray for people to see.
Most interesting facts about Tugela Falls
Its located in a natural wonder called Drakensberg
Tugela Falls is a natural wonder located in the magnificent Drakensberg Escarpment of South Africa, a mountain range also known as the “Dragon’s Mountains”. The eastern part of the Great Escarpment encircles the South African Plateau. It has a staggering length of about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) and reaches a maximum elevation of 3,482 meters (11,424 feets) at Thabana Ntlenyana Peak.
Its located on the Tugela River
Tugela Falls drops off the edge of a natural wonder called the Drakensberg Ampitheater, a rock wall with a length of 5 kilometers (3.1) miles and height of up to 1,200 meters (3,900 feet). It is located on a river called the tugela River and has its source in the highest peak in the region called the “Mont-Aux-Source ”. It is the longest river in KwaZulu-Natal province and flows all the way to the Indian Ocean in the eastern part of South Africa.
Why the river and the waterfall are named “Tugula”
The word “Tugula” literally translates to “Sudden” in the Zulu language. It is a reference to the sudden drop of the Tugela river off the edge of the Drakensberg Escarpment.
The waterfall can be admired from two different viewpoints
Tourists can hike all the way to the top of the Drakensberg Escarpment by climbing up a chain ladder and the round trip from what is referred to as The Sentinel parking lot. The second hiking trail starts at the Royal Natal National Park and leads up a small winding trail through the dense forests of the Tugela Gorge. This trail allows tourists to get a clear view of the 5 drops of the waterfall.
To reach the top of the cliffs of the Drakensberg escarpment, you do not have to be an excellent mountaineer but an adventurer.
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