Often overlooked by travellers to South Africa in favour of Cape Town, the Winelands, the Garden Route and the Kruger, the province of KwaZulu-Natal or "KZN" with its combination of culture, coastline, mountains and game parks is well worth exploring. Here are just a few reasons why we think you should visit "KZN" for your next holiday.
The Drakensberg Mountains
The Drakensberg Mountain Range, or uKhahlamba in Zulu, is the highest in South Africa and offers visitors incredible natural beauty, diverse wildlife and a wealth of outdoor activities including hiking, mountain biking, fly fishing and hot air balloon rides. Accommodation is plentiful and ranges from basic to luxurious. We particularly like the Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse, an 11-roomed hideaway that serves guests a seven course gourmet dinner every night
The Wildlife
KwaZulu-Natal is home to some of the finest game parks in the world including Hluhluwe-Imfolozi, the oldest in Africa. The Big Five - lion, rhino (both black and white), elephant, buffalo and leopard – can all be seen in KwaZulu-Natal alongside a huge range of other game animals including cheetah, zebra, hippo, crocodile, giraffe and warthog as well as rare and exotic species like the nyala antelope.
The Beaches
The beaches of KwaZulu-Natal stretch along 600km of coastline with beaches to match the very best on the planet. There are golden, sandy beaches perfect for families, as well as wilder stretches of coastal wilderness. Family friendly beaches can be found along Durban’s Golden Mile and along the south coast with good conditions for swimming and snorkelling. Further north, the beaches of KwaZulu-Natal are more remote with huge dunes and coastal forests.
The Battlefields
No trip to the province would be complete without a visit to the Battlefields. An area made famous by the Anglo-Boer Wars. The quiet hills now ring with the voices of expert guides who tell visitors of South Africa’s bloodiest chapter in history, of the struggle at Isandlwana where the British were defeated by the Zulu in 1879 and then just days later how the British defended Rorke’s Drift so gallantly.
The Food
KwaZulu-Natal’s cuisine reflects its rich history with influences that span from the indigenous foods of the Zulu nation to Afrikaner, European and Indian traditions. The province's most famous dish is Bunny Chow, a hollowed out loaf of bread filled with curry that you simply must try
You Can Now Fly Directly To Durban
Since October 2018, it has been possible to fly directly to Durban from Heathrow with British Airways. The flight takes approximately 11 hours and operates three times a week. This newer route adds to the airline’s existing twice-daily flights to Johannesburg and daily flights to Cape Town.
If you are interested in visiting Kwazulu-Natal for yourself then get in touch with one of our experts by calling 020 7843 3500 or emailing info@africatravel.co.uk |