Peaks, Valleys and Champagne … in the Drakensberg

One of my favourite holiday spots is the Drakensberg in KwaZulu Natal. Don’t get me wrong, I love the beach and there is nothing better than an early morning swim in the Indian Ocean, but the Drakensberg offers just as good a holiday and there is no need to watch out for jellyfish and sand in your sarmies! Continued

Let’s go camping – the best campsites on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast

Lets go camping!

It’s virtually that time of the year again, when a beach holiday for the family looms on the horizon and visions of just how one is going to wiggle one’s way into one’s swim attire with a fair amount of grace occupies one’s thoughts, if only for a moment. The rest of the time is taken up with trying to find the right campsite whilst dithering about how best to fit the entire house and the kitchen sink into the boot of the car!

The KwaZulu-Natal coastline is the most obvious choice when it comes to endless summer and warm waters. Along this strip of coastline between Port Edward and Durban is an uninterrupted playground of golden beaches, rocky coves, lagoon mouths, grassy slopes and, of course, the warm Indian Ocean that invites hours of water play … Continued

Giraffe photograph by Erma Mae Perkins

This beautiful photograph of a Giraffe taken on a game walk in the Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game Reserve was submitted to our November Photography Competition by Erma Mae Perkins. Established in 1895, this is the oldest game park in South Africa along with nearby St Lucia Reserve. Apart from game viewing drives there are self guided auto trails which provide information on both the management and natural history of the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi game reserve. Guided walks can be especially rewarding in the early morning and late afternoon … Continued

Giraffe in Mkuze Game Reserve photo

Photograph of a Giraffe family in the beautiful Mkuze Game Reserve, KwaZulu Natal. Three game viewing hides have been constructed next to the Kubube, Kamasinga, Kwamalibala pans in the Mkuze Game Reserve. Visitors park their cars and enter the hides on foot. Depending on the surface water in the reserve, but normally during the drier winter months, large concentrations of wildlife may be seen at the waterholes … Continued

Ike’s Bookstore & Collectables in Durban

Get in a room with out of prints … First editions, second time around to be read more than thrice and passed down through generations; line up in rows on bottle green painted bookshelves at the top of a wise old staircase awaiting bibliophilics. Wooden floors and paper pages fill slow unfolding mornings with Durban sunlight that slants through the corner sash windows defrosting forgotten novels … Continued

Caracal Photograph

This beautiful photograph of a Caracal was taken at the Emdoneni Cat Rehabilitation Centre in Hluhluwe (yes, I know we are showing a lot of photos taken at Emdoneni – but aren’t they beautiful?). The largest African lesser cat and an exceptional climber and jumper, the caracal is a slenderly built cat with long legs and a short, sharply tapered tail. The caracal resembles a cross between a leopard and a lynx. Continued

Things to Do with Kids in KwaZulu Natal

Pony Rides

Is it school holidays again?  Battling to keep the kids entertained?  Look no further than this blog for fun filled ideas to make the holidays fly by!  KwaZulu Natal may have sticky, humid summers, but it also has the most wonderful, temperate winters - perfect for spending the day outdoors.

If you live in the Ballito area what about a few hours at the Flag Farm Animal Farm?  The farm is located on the N2 North and is open daily from 9am to 4.30pm.  Children will have the opportunity to learn how to milk a cow, feed the chickens or have a pony ride.  There is a tea garden for light meals or picnic sites should Dad want to meet you after he finishes work.  The farm is also pram and wheelchair friendly. Continued

Discovering KwaZulu Natal

Umhlanga Coastline

The province of KwaZulu Natal is home to a multitude of attractions, with something to suit every taste, budget and relaxation requirement. It also has a subtropical climate, making it ideal to visit at almost any time of the year.

Having formerly been an independent homeland, the kingdom of the Zulu, the province is touched by this great nations culture. But with many immigrants, particularly a large Indian population, this has become a vibrant and cosmopolitan destination, with different cultural experiences on offer. Continued

The Wonderful Wild Coast

The Wild Coast

What most people don’t realise about the Wild Coast is that it only spreads across 300 kilometers of coastline between Port Edward and Port Elizabeth. You don’t have to be a champion rock climber to have a great time here; take time to see things at a laid-back pace, you won’t be bored for a moment. That being said, the Wild Coast is not the place to go if you want to be indoors because outdoors is where everything is happening.

The best way to experience as much as you can pack into your time on the Wild Coast is to pick your base and work your way outwards from there. From my point of the view, the place to dig yourself in is at Coffee Bay or slightly further north at Port St John. From Coffee Bay or Port St John you fan out and decide which of the seven nature reserves you want to visit, depending on how much driving you want to do. Continued