Albert Falls Amble in KwaZulu Natal (original) (raw)

The Amble, also sometimes referred to as the Albert Falls Amble, is a complementary route to the Midlands Meander and Boston Beat. The route markets itself as 'the road less travelled'.

Did you know? The Amble describes itself as 'a delightful collection of friendly, well established and lesser known tourist attractions in a breathtakingly beautiful and historic part of KwaZulu-Natal.'

But where the Midlands Meander is an arts and crafts route that focuses on the area north west of Pietermaritzburg, The Amble emphasises historical locations, nature reserves, farm stays, a handful of historic crafts (like cabinet and shoe makers), and a myriad outdoor pursuits in a more north easterly direction (not excluding Balgowan, Nottingham road and Mooi River). At the heart of the route is Albert Falls Dam and the towns of Bishopstowe, Wartburg, New Hanover, Dalton, Seven Oaks, Greytown, Kranskop, Ashburton, Hilton, Karkloof, Manderson, Baynesville and Thornville.

Many of these towns are unfamiliar to the average visitor, so a little of the town's history is accompanied on the flyer by a series of Natal Midlands accommodation options and activities that range from walking labyrinths, through visiting local shoe makers, to pubs, lion parks, nurseries, farms, nature reserves, conservancies, lakeside resorts, picnic sites, a tea estate, historic buildings, churches and game farms.

The people of the area are diverse and interesting due to most of their settler history � a mix of English, Irish, Indian, German, Scottish and Zulu people, with a light dusting of other European countries. And The Amble is a birder's and fisherman's paradise.

Pick up a flyer for The Amble and you will find it divided into roughly 10 mini routes, with a focus on a principle town in each.