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Home » 2021 » News » 1000 Hills’ Lower Molweni Ramps up its Tourism Offerings

1000 Hills’ Lower Molweni Ramps up its Tourism Offerings

Published by Illa Thompson On 20 November, 2021

Lower Molweni is a short drive into the Valley of 1000 Hills from Hillcrest and is a hikers, birders and nature-lovers paradise.

New guided trails

A series of new guided hikes have been community-developed, taking visitors through the spectacular rugged cliffs, enormous ancient rocks, meandering streams and dense forests, hugging the perimeter of the Krantzkloof Nature Reserve. This reserve has is a biodiversity treasure trove including 50 mammals, 253 bird, 35 reptiles, 150 butterflies, 273 tree and over 1500 plant species.

Paolo Candotti, Chairman of the Kloof Conservancy, shares his insight with hikers.
Paolo Candotti, Chairman of the Kloof Conservancy, shares his insight with hikers walking the new Lower Molweni trail.

The hike is best suited for those who are reasonably robust, strong and fit. It is quite hilly with plenty of walking uphill and down again.  Having said that, the guides are hugely patient and affirming – especially with the less experienced or less fit hikers – helping, encouraging and supporting them throughout.

Hiking through the beautiful lower Molweni on a newly developed walking trail.
Hiking through the beautiful lower Molweni on a newly developed walking trail.

There are different configurations of the length and route of the hike. Clients can choose how long or how vigorous a trail they want to do.

One should book a trail ahead of time, which comes with a personal guide. Meeting point is at Philangethemba Impact, where there is safe parking, a craft shop in which to browse, ablutions and refreshments on sale. The team will take you in a kombi to your selected trail starting point, and bring you back afterwards. Their on-site catering business, K&X Café, can organise a picnic at the destination point (which is the half way mark of the trail), on request. We had coffee and biscuits before departing at Philangethemba Impact, and a picnic of juice, fruit and fresh muffins on an enormous sunny rock overlooking rivers and the gorge, at the end point.

Good enough to drink: Siphiwe Gumede from Philangethemba Impact, drinks from the Molweni River.
Sweet waters: Siphiwe Gumede from Philangethemba Impact, drinks from the Molweni River.

Collaboration

Four organisations in Durban have been working together to support and develop the exquisite Lower Molweni Valley for local and international tourism, in an effort to stimulate and drive the community’s economy in a magnificent setting that has enormous untapped tourism potential.

1000 Hills CTO has been collaborating with Durban’s Green Corridors, with its vision to see communities thrive in balance with the habitats around them, and are working together with the local organisations Kloof Conservancy which aims to promote environmental awareness and conserve the area’s natural habitats, and Philangethemba Impact, a collaborative empowerment programme between the social outreach ministry of St Agnes Anglican Church in Kloof and the neighbouring Molweni Valley community, to develop eco-tourism initiatives that create local employment and business opportunities and at the same time protect the environment. 

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Rock with a view: Lower Molweni / Krantzkloof has the most astonishing enormous granite boulders, approx 1000 million years old!
Rock with a view: Lower Molweni / Krantzkloof has the most astonishing enormous granite boulders, approx 1000 million years old!

Much work is being done by partners on the ground including the community of Lower Molweni Trust around various new and exciting tourism opportunities, including a 1.4km zipline, which is planned to be the longest in South Africa, experiential and cultural tours around the local community, and Pop up Camping – Green Corridors’ unique portable camping experience which can move from site to site.

Creating Microbusinesses

For local community members, microbusinesses have started up, as a result, providing employment opportunities and are expected to grow as interest in the area increases. These include trail clearers who cut paths and remove alien plants from the trails; litter and waste controllers, a catering business K&X Café and Ibongezi Crafters based at the Philangethemba Impact site – the start point of the nature trails. Local trail guides are being trained and mentored by experienced Green Corridors nature guides.

There be hobbits..... the trail takes you through magical ancient forests alongside the Molweni River.
There be hobbits….. the trail takes you through magical ancient forests alongside the Molweni River.

“Central to what we do is to promote the area to support businesses operating in this exquisite environment here in the Valley of 1000 Hills,” says Jennifer Gregory, of the 1000 Hills CTO. “Key to this is ensuring the environment lives up to the promise, so part of that is to have local buy-in and interest in what is being planned, to maintain its natural beauty.”

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Good to Know

All trails are guided.

For more information or to book contact: +27 (0)31 322 6026/7 +27 (78) 726 4890 or email frontdesk@greencorridors.africa

Partners are:

Durban Green Corridors:

https://durbangreencorridor.co.za/

Kloof Conservancy

https://www.kloofconservancy.org.za/

Philangethemba Impact

http://www.philangethemba.co.za/

On a clear day you can see forever - the view from the trail end point, which is the half way mark of the excursion.
On a clear day you can see forever – the view from the trail end point, which is the half way mark of the excursion.
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Categories: News Tags: Nature, What To Do
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1000 Hills’ Lower Molweni Ramps up its Tourism Offerings