THE SAUNTER

(Guido van Besouw - African Blown Glass: https://www.thesaunter.co.za/listing/african-blown-glass-guido-van-besouw-artist/)

The Saunter is a handpicked collection of the best places to eat, to stay, wonderful unspoiled wild areas, inviting beaches, interesting and fun things to do and you are invited into the studios of crafters and artists, the makers, to see how they create beautiful things.

The Saunter lays out a rich tapestry of talent which would otherwise be difficult to access. You have many choices in each area which allows you to create your own personal itinerary. Some studios let you explore your own creativity in fun classes.

(Left: Sculpture by Carl Roberts: https://www.thesaunter.co.za/listing/carl-roberts-artist-sculptor/)

The beautiful areas covered in KwaZulu-Natal and the Southern Free State, include golden beaches, palms and lush subtropical vegetation, stunning gorges and magnificent mountains, Midland mellowness, African plain landscapes filled with wildlife and two World Heritage sites: uKhahlamba Drakensberg and the iSimangaliso Wetland. The area is steeped in history from San Bushmen to modern. Both colonial and traditional heritage sit side by side. There are country havens to unwind in and also, town options for those who like city buzz.

It encompasses much of what South Africa is. It is probably the best of all areas to experience the cultural layers that make this country interesting.

Throughout The Saunter are wonderful local places to explore, locally produced goods to buy for home or gift and locals who are the creative and skilled ‘makers’ to meet. Supporting ‘local’ has never been more fun. It has also never been more important.

Staying overnight gives you the best way to imbibe local vibes. This part of South Africa is famously laid back. So relax, unwind and experience some of the country has to offer.

(Right: Andrew Walford Ceramics. See https://www.thesaunter.co.za/listing/andrew-walford-ceramics/)

Areas covered

There are 7 broad areas covered at present. Each has many options for a fun day out or a weekend or longer. They can be explored individually or you can pick and choose to cover a few areas together as the distances, especially between Saunters 1 to 5, are not great.

You can see the areas on these links:

Saunter 1: Durban, Durban North and the start of the South Coast

https://www.thesaunter.co.za/saunters/saunter-1/

 

Saunter 2: Westville, Cowies Hill, through to Kloof

https://www.thesaunter.co.za/saunters/saunter-2/

 

Saunter 3    Waterfall, Hillcrest, Gillitts, Shongweni and Assagay

https://www.thesaunter.co.za/saunters/saunter-3/

 

Saunter 4: Botha’s Hill, Drummond to Camperdown and towards Richmond

https://www.thesaunter.co.za/saunters/saunter-4/

 

(Right: Corrie Hook – pottery: https://www.thesaunter.co.za/listing/corrie-hook-ceramics/)

 Saunter 5: Pietermaritzburg and The Midlands

https://www.thesaunter.co.za/saunters/saunter-5/

 

Saunter 6   The North Coast to the border

https://www.thesaunter.co.za/saunters/saunter-6/

 

Saunter 7: Drakensberg to Clarens and the Southern Free State

https://www.thesaunter.co.za/saunters/saunter-7/

 

(Left: Jane Digby. See https://www.thesaunter.co.za/listing/jane-digby-artist-painter/)

 Themed routes can then weave through these broad areas. For example:

The Saunter Heritage Route which pulls together Saunter 6, 5 and 7. See this lovely route described in Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesaunter   scroll down to September 27 to view.

Another may be a town such as The Clarens Saunter. This post is pinned to the top of the Facebook site. Areas are also covered such as Mtunzini or iSimangaliso.

Facebook is used as a travel blog and the growing followers read the long travel posts of what to do and see from start to finish, which is unusual for Facebook.

Visit www.thesaunter.co.za and the travel blog on https://www.facebook.com/thesaunter

For more information contact call Cheryl Lefevre on 0606 733 654.