Named after the rocky silhouette from the Drakensberg Mountains resembling a sleeping giant (including the 3,315m Giant’s Castle peak), this area is renowned for its San rock art, spectacular hiking, majestic eland antelope, baboons and the bone-breaking lammergeier (bearded vulture) which can be seen dropping carcasses from the air to smash them on the rocks. … Continued

Kosi Bay is in the far northeast of KwaZulu-Natal comprising a series of four estuarine lakes connected by narrow channels which finally enter the sea at Kosi Mouth and surrounding coastal and dune forests, raffia palm forest, grasslands and wetlands. In spite of the name, visitors are unlikely to see the coast unless making a … Continued

Boasting seven different ecosystems and bordering the iSimangaliso (Greater St Lucia) Wetland Park and Mkhuze Game Reserve, the 18,000 hectare Phinda Private Game Reserve is probably the best place in South Africa to see cheetahs plus the ‘Big Five’, antelopes and prolific bird life, particularly species favouring the rare sand forest habitat. Phinda Isilwane in … Continued

Once a mule trail for traders, an escape route for rustlers and challenge for legendary pioneers, the 2,874m Sani Pass is the only driveable route up into the High Berg of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg mountains and connects Kwa-Zulu Natal to the Kingdom of Lesotho (remember your passport!). Although in the process of being tarred, the hairpin … Continued

This is a picturesque resort area for those wishing touch the surface of the Drakensberg in more gentle fashion. The towering Champagne Castle peak provides a stunning backdrop and walking or horse trails can be explored by first driving into Monk’s Cowl State Forest or the historic Spioenkop Nature Reserve.

Thanda means ’love’ in Zulu and this reserve is ideally suited to couples who wish to get away from it all either in luxurious bush villas or a well equipped tented camp. A special feature of this reserve is the opportunity to explore Zulu culture in addition to wildlife viewing. Zulu people benefit directly from … Continued

20km north of Mabibi and accessible only to those staying at Rocktail Beach Camp (and Rocktail Bay Lodge if and when it re-opens), Rocktail Bay offers a quiet and unspoilt beach with access to world-class scuba diving together with snorkelling at low tide in the bay. Pregnant ragged-tooth sharks migrate north up the KwaZulu-Natal coast … Continued

Another very scenic area with beautiful day walks by the Ndumeni River and up Cathedral Peak itself – a freestanding pinnacle from which there are outstanding views. Hiking trails begin from the Cathedral Peak Hotel which also offers mountain biking, bird watching, horse riding, quad biking and golf.

Separating KwaZulu-Natal from the tiny independent Kingdom of Lesotho is the dramatically beautiful Drakensberg Mountain Range – named the ‘Dragon Mountains’ by European settlers and ‘uKhahlamba’ by the Zulus (translated as ‘Barrier of Spears’). It comprises massive basalt cliffs and sandstone buttresses ranging in altitude from 1280m to 3446m at Mafadi Peak, the tallest mountain … Continued

Around 20km north from busy Sodwana Bay is tranquil Mabibi, protected within the Maputaland Coastal Forest and Marine Reserve. The offshore coral reef and rich tropical marine life provides a scuba diving paradise with access to renowned dive sites such as Nine Mile with its stunning coral formations. Over 1,200 species of fish are found … Continued

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the 328,000 hectare iSimangaliso Wetland Park encompasses South Africa’s largest inland body of water, Lake St Lucia and protects a rich variety of habitats and wildlife. The eastern shore of Lake St Lucia is bordered by the highest vegetated dunes in the world, towering to an amazing 200m, separating the … Continued

The Mkhuze Game Reserve (sometimes spelled Mkuze) is a major part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park to the west of Sodwana Bay connected by a narrow strip of land surrounding the Mkhuze River before it enters Lake St Lucia and bounded by the Lebombo Mountains to the west. Although it is rich in mammalian wildlife … Continued

The Royal Natal National Park, in the northern section of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, offers the most dramatic ‘picture postcard’ scenery of the Drakensberg. An unpopulated wilderness of massive rock spires, impressive waterfalls, rivers, pools, forest and extensive grasslands, this area is famed for the 5km of sheer basalt rock wall known as the Ampitheatre, including … Continued

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve is the home of ‘Operation Rhino’ which played a major role in bringing the white rhino back from the brink of extinction (only 20 worldwide in 1900 to over 10,000 today). It is no surprise that this reserve is renowned for its excellent rhino sightings and is also one of the best … Continued

Kwa-Zulu Natal is steeped in history with dramatic battles between the local Zulus, Afrikaners (known as ‘Boers’ – ‘farmer’ in Afrikaans) and the British Empire, shaping the extraordinary politics of today. Various Anglo-Zulu Battlefields are located west of the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi National Park around Ulundi and Eshowe (together with a staged opportunity to learn about traditional … Continued

A hutted camp at the head of the Injisuthi Valley, in the northern section of Giant’s Castle Game Reserve, is a breathtakingly beautiful base from which to explore some moderately strenuous hiking trails. Views are dominated by the impressive mountain peaks of Champagne Castle (3,248 m), Monk’s Cowl (3,234 m) and Cathkin Peak (3,149 m), … Continued

The Dolphin Coast stretches for 80km north of Durban from Umhlanga Rocks to the mouth of the Tugela River and is renowned for its beach resorts such as Ballito and Shaka’s Rock for a real ‘holiday’ feel with all amenities and entertainment. Bottle-nose dolphins are attracted to the warm shallow waters to feed at all … Continued

Vibrant Durban, the third largest city in South Africa and a major port, is an exciting cosmopolitan mix of Indian, African and English as well as Zulu cultures. The climate is warmer in the winter than the Western cape so its sandy beaches, protected by shark nets, are a year-round attraction. Victorian buildings stand side … Continued

Sodwana Bay offers spectacular scuba diving over the world’s southern most coral reef and with colourful fish. Humpback whales and whale sharks also frequent the area. The sands of Sodwana Bay are an important nesting site for loggerhead and leather-back turtles from mid November to February. If lucky, night drives in the area could reveal … Continued