KwaZulu-Natal: South Africa's undiscovered jewel

KwaZulu-Natal imagery

Has a friend ever waxed lyrical about somewhere they’ve just been on holiday and it all sounds a bit too good to be true? Somewhere you’ve not only never been, but are not even sure where it is. Somewhere that has the Big Five, tropical beaches, mountain walking, cosmopolitan cities, a unique culture and world-class historical sites. Not to mention some of the most welcoming locals your friend has ever met.

Well imagine that we are your friend and we are keen to introduce you to our new guide to the undiscovered jewel that is KwaZulu-Natal.

But before you take a look, try a quick quiz. When you hear the words KwaZulu-Natal, what images does your mind conjure up? Can you locate it on a map and can you list its most famous landmarks? Did you know, for example, that it is home to Africa’s oldest game reserve? That it has one of the most beautiful and unspoilt tropical coastlines in the world? That it is a top whalewatching destination and the location of one of the greatest annual wildlife migrations in the world, the Sardine Run?

Did you know that this is where you will find Rorke’s Drift, the legendary battle site from the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879? That revitalised Durban, with its Golden Mile beachfront on the Indian Ocean, is its largest city. That the magnificent Drakensberg Mountains in the west attract walkers and adventurers from around the world. And that this was the homeland of the great King Shaka, the founder of the Zulu Nation, whose legacy is still alive and well in the vibrant Zulu culture of today?

KwaZulu-Natal is the most easterly of South Africa’s nine provinces and due to the diversity of its geography offers the best features of all South Africa’s other provinces put together. The three coastal regions bordering the Indian Ocean include the South Coast with its many high-class resort towns, the North Coast – also known as the Dolphin Coast – and the more remote Elephant Coast with its internationally important wetland parks.

Inland are the jagged peaks, gorges, shaded valleys and shimmering waterfalls of the Drakensberg Mountains reaching to more than 11,000ft; the Battlefields region where some of the most famous battles in South African history were fought; the rolling hills, lush grasslands of the Midlands region around the capital, Pietermaritzburg; and finally there is Zululand itself, the heart of the historic Zulu Nation, founded by King Shaka and still the beating heart of the province.

On a first visit, getting a feel for KwaZulu-Natal’s highlights will be high on your list of priorities, so why not try fifteen days that include walking in the Drakensberg Mountains, visiting the battlefield sites of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift, and enjoying the rich wildlife experiences of Kosi Bay, Tembe Elephant Park and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

KwaZulu Natal has so much variety to offer visitors, and our Zululand safari holiday shows you much of the best of the area, from the beaches to the wetlands and the wildlife reserves to the Zulu culture. It is easy to self-drive here, yet in the game reserves you still benefit from the local guides.

KwaZulu-Natal has an extraordinary diversity of ecosystems and a rich history of wildlife conservation whose successes include bringing the white rhino back from the brink of extinction in the ‘50s and ‘60s. You can offer valuable conservation help on a two-to four-week volunteering holiday which includes tracking endangered animals, game counts and behavioural research.

There is no better way of getting to know the people of KwaZulu-Natal than staying at rural homesteads and being integrated in their day-to-day lives, helping with chores, immersing yourself in their culture and learning about their traditions and their way of life in the 21st Century.

If you’re a natural adventurer, exploring under your own steam is always an attractive proposition, so a tailor-made self-drive holiday allows you to pick out your own KwaZulu-Natal highlights according to your own interests.