The Cavern Specialist Weekends
The Cavern offers fabulous specialist events throughout the year
The Cavern is a family owned and run resort, named after the infamous Cannibal Cavern in the Northern Drakensberg mountains, bordering on the Amphitheatre World Heritage Site in KwaZulu-Natal. Its a great place to soak up the great outdoors and be as chilled or as busy as you like! They also offer fabulous specialist events on their annual calendar that guests return for year after year!
Berg Birding with David Weaver
Nestling among the mountains of the Drakensberg is a paradise for nature lovers where birding enthusiasts flock. The Cavern boasts a bird list spiced with more than 20 endemics, some exciting rarities and a garden full of avian surprises.
R4280 per person sharing in standard accommodation for the weekend (2 nights) including accommodation, all meals, teas and guided walks and talks with expert David Weaver.
Dates for 2026:
Friday 6 – Sunday 8 February 2026
Friday 8 – Sunday 10 May 2026
Friday 5 – Sunday 7 June 2026
Friday 18 – Sunday 20 September 2026
Botanical Art with Gillian Condy and Elsa Pooley
Gillian Condy and Elsa Pooley combine their talents as botanical artists and author of wildflower and tree field guides to provide a memorable botanical art course in the mountains. Guests can enjoy guided walks with Elsa so source plant material from the Cavern gardens and surrounding mountains. Whether you are a beginner or an established botanical artist, attending the course will inform and inspire you. You will have uninterrupted time to work on your paintings, leaving unfinished work in the studio overnight.
R14,430 per person sharing in standard accommodation for 6 nights including accommodation, all meals, teas as well as guided walks and painting programme. Paint and art materials for your own account.
Monday 23 to Sun 29 November 2026
Nature Journaling with Gillian Condy and Elsa Pooley
Wednesday 11 - Sunday 15 March 2026
R8,520 per person sharing in standard accommodation for 4 nights including accommodation, all meals, teas as well as guided walks with these experts
Nature Weekend with John Roff
Discover the wonder of nature including birds, trees, flowers, medicinal plants and mountains as well as the local people of this place, past and present, fit together in a marvellous way with John Roff, a highly regarded professional nature and geology guide who has spent his life making the wonders of the earth accessible and interesting for people of all ages.
Friday 31 Oct – Sunday 2 November 2026
R4,280 per person sharing in standard accommodation for 2 nights including accommodation, all meals, teas as well as guided walks and talks with John.
Stargazing with Tim Cooper
An informative tour of the night sky with Tim Cooper, including seeing planets, double stars, star clusters, galaxies and nebulae through a large telescope.The weekend activities remain similar with hikes and horse rides each morning but Tim Cooper will be on the front lawn on Friday and Saturday evening after dinner with a large telescope. Be sure to attend the Saturday evening ‘What’s Up’ talk before exploring the night’s sky.
Friday 14 August – Sunday 16 August 2026
R4,280 per person sharing in standard accommodation for 2 nights including accommodation, all meals, teas as well as stargazing with Tim.
Wild Flowers with Elsa Pooley
Explore the Drakensberg wild flowers and trees with Elsa Pooley, author of Mountain Flowers, A field guide to the flora of the Drakensberg and Lesotho! These weekends are a great introduction to flower and tree “watching” and also an opportunity for the more knowledgeable to get to know the mountain plants. The Cavern estate is home to many of the Berg endemics with the beautiful Barleria monticola and Anemone fanniniae in bloom in November (rains permitting). The glorious scarlet Berg bottlebrush Greyia sutherlandii, should also be in full flower.
Friday 20 November – Sunday 22 November 2026
R4,280 per person sharing in standard accommodation for 2 nights including accommodation, all meals, teas as well as walks and talks with Elsa
Yoga retreat with Helen Weaver
Helen Garner | yoga everywhere teaches Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga - a challenging and fun style of yoga which even beginners can enjoy! learn the foundation poses that everyone can do and progress as the body and the mind adjusts and needs A wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in classes and the yoga just before breakfast and just before dinner and the rest of the day is yours to treat yourself… either with a nature walk or a swim in the pool or sitting in the garden with a book.
Rates: R5,430 per person sharing for 3 nights including accomodation, all meals, teas, guided morning hikes, a 30-minute Spa treatment of your choice and 2 Yoga sessions daily.
Stay at The Cavern Drakensberg Resort & Spa
The Cavern is a unique home from home hotel with heart, where strangers become friends, couples reconnect and families truly bond. With every year, and every repeat visitor, the Cavern family grows. To enquire about availability for any of these specialist weekends please email Megan and her team on info@cavern.co.za
