"We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right"
...Nelson Mandela
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With the warm, coral-fringed Indian Ocean lapping at its eastern border and the mighty Drakensberg mountains guarding its western flank, KwaZulu-Natal seems to have it all. The Drakensberg goes by the older, very apt name uKahlamba, which means "Barrier of Spears". Bright green and lush in summer, and brown and snow-capped in winter, it offers a dramatic face in any season. It's a great place to walk, ride a pony, glide, paraglide, or take an escorted trip to the summit. You will also find a good selection of golf courses and trout-stocked streams and dams. These lovely mountains extend into the Eastern Cape to the south and, nestling in their shadow, is the lovely, rather wild, East Griqualand.
Between the Drakensberg and the sea are the Midlands beautiful, mist-covered, rolling green hills sheltering cute villages, cozy pubs, creative studios and lots of lovely restaurants and coffee shops. And just north of the Tugela River is the kingdom of Zululand the KwaZulu part of the double-barrelled name. It was here that this proud and rather fierce nation fought so valiantly against British and Boer colonialism. You can spend days or even weeks exploring the sites of historical battles, museums and monuments. Zululand's two rivers offer fantastic white water rafting in summer. This is, obviously, a great place to learn about Zulu culture. There are a number of cultural villages and, of course, a whole lot of Zulu people who just live here. Right in the north is the Tembe Elephant Park, which is home to large herds of these huge and lovely animals, as well as many others. For a sneak preview, check out the webcam.
A major attraction of the region is the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve - a fantastic big five reserve with absolutely loads of white and black rhinos. In fact it was this reserve (which was then two separate reserves), which was solely responsible for bringing the white rhino back from the brink of extinction. Seriously - a few decades ago we were a hair's breadth away from never seeing a white rhino. This reserve also pioneered the big game area walking safaris, which are now so popular here and elsewhere in South Africa.
Although the bush, wildlife and mountains are major attractions, KwaZulu-Natal is really about the beach. Right in the north the coast of Maputaland is beautiful and lush, with high, forested dunes, seasonally inundated wetlands and beautiful coastal lakes. Major attractions here are the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, the diving at Sodwana Bay, and Phinda Resource Reserve. For a really fun day out, try paddling on Lake St Lucia or Lake Bhangazi, among some very shy hippos and crocs.
Between Maputaland and Durban is the North Coast, also known as the Dolphin Coast. The surf is great, there are fantastic golf courses, and the beaches alternate between highly developed with every possible facility and long and deserted. Willard Beach in Ballito is a Blue Flag beach, one of only a handful outside Europe.
Durban is the main city and it is a truly bustling, typical seaport. It also has some fantastic surfing right on its doorstep good diving close by and some great shopping and arts and crafts. And for beach lovers South Beach is another Blue Flag Beach.
If Johannesburg has a business culture and Cape Town has a culture culture, Durban has a beach culture. Even the high-rise offices look out over the Indian Ocean, and busy executives hang up their suits and ties, slip into shorts, and jog along the beachfront at lunchtime. Many keep a surfboard in their cars and catch a quick wave before or after work (or both).
The Durban beachfront is a cultural experience. Here you will find holidaying families, young surfer brats (grommets), Indian ladies elegantly walking the sand in flowing silken saris, beaded traditional healers collecting bottles of seawater to use as muti (medicine) and young girls strutting their stuff in the skimpiest of bikinis. Somehow it all works in one, pretty weird, decidedly heterogeneous whole.
The sea really does play an important part - there are two yacht clubs and one very big commercial harbour. The Bat Centre, Durban's most interesting cultural venue, overlooks the small boat harbour where stubby-nosed tugs come to rest after a hard morning pushing tankers around. You can also lunch virtually in the shadow of huge container ships and cruise liners as they enter the harbour through the narrow entrance in front of the Bluff.
Shopping is a special experience in Durban - the eastern influence of the enormous Indian population adds a touch of spice, literally and figuratively. You can explore the Indian Market or just wander down Grey Street, where you'll find all kinds of interesting little shops. At the beachfront itself, you will find wonderful examples of traditional beadwork and basketry for sale at incredibly low prices. For something more upmarket, and very interesting, you just have to see the Gateway Shopping Centre. It's so much more than your average mall. It has a climbing wall and an enormous artificial standing wave - the first artificial double-point break in the world.
Of course, Durban is really about surfing . Another fun thing to do is to paddle out on a sea kayak, or even do a short, gentle white water trip on the nearby Umgeni River. Some of the hardest climbs in South Africa are at the Wave Cave at nearby Shongweni, and there are some fun bolted routes in the Kloof Gorge. The diving just south of the city is great. In winter and early spring, migratory ragged tooth sharks (Carcharias tauras) are in residence at Aliwal Shoal, and can be visited on a specially organised dive. But there are also a lot of coral-encrusted rock reefs with pretty tropical fish for the less intrepid. For the hardcore diver, Protea Banks is a must.
On the South Coast youll find lots and lots of lovely beaches, with another Blue Flag one at Margate. There are more golf courses than you could shake a stick (or a club) at, and the nearby Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve offers lovely scenery and small game. This is a favourite family holiday destination and the long, lovely beaches offer every imaginable facility.
Try Margate for all the facilities associated with Blue Flag Beaches. This is the southern limit of the Mozambique Current and the diving is fantastic, with lots of colourful tropical fish on rocky reefs. In winter and early spring, migratory ragged tooth sharks are in residence. Although there are many easier and more accessible dive sites, Protea Banks, off Margate, is one of the best dive sites in the world for large pelagics, including big game fish and many species of shark. Not for beginners, though.
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