Umtumvuna gorge:
This reserve offers magnificent views over the river gorge and includes many very rare species of plants. The walks are the most rewarding of the entire South coast.  More than 28kms of river frontage are compressed into the 19 kms of the reserve. There are coastal forests, riverine forest, sheer rock faces more than 240m high above the river and the wild flowers in the higher regions offer a never ending change of colour as the season’s progress.  This small reserve is well worth a day’s visit. There is no accommodation but there is a picnic site near the reserve office. The name of the reserve is derived using the name of the river the ‘reaper of mouthfuls’ due to its action whilst in flood.  There is a nesting colony of one hundred Cape Vultures, baboons, leopards and samango monkeys. Over 250 species of birds have been identified in the reserve.

Oribi gorge:
Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve is situated in the Oribi Gorge, which is approximately 27 km long, 4 km wide (widest point) and 400 m deep. One of KwaZulu-Natal’s most spectacular natural settings, the scenic Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve lies some 21 km inland of Port Shepstone, in 1950 it was proclaimed a protected state forest.  Oribi Gorge is the eastern gorge of two gorges that cuts through the Oribi Flats (flat sugar cane farmlands). The western gorge was formed by the Mzimkulu River. At the base of the cliffs of both gorges there are rocks over 1000 million years old while the cliffs themselves are formed by sandstone deposited about 365 million years ago. Below the gorges is a large surface mine producing cement. The scenery along the gorge formed by the Umzimkulwana River is a photographer’s and nature lover’s paradise. Wildlife to be seen in the reserve includes mammal species such as bushbuck, common reedbuck and blue and grey duiker. Leopard occur in the area and with luck, you may join the select band of game viewers to have seen one of these secretive creatures. The bird list numbers 250 and with its diverse habitats bird watching in Oribi is a rewarding experience.
Read more about Oribi…….

Uklahlumba Drakensberg Park:
The Drakensberg mountain range is situated along southeast coast of South Africa. These spectacular Drakensberg Mountains are a challenge for adventure seekers and a heaven for wildlife lovers. Extending northeast to southwest for around 1,125 km, the Drakensberg is part of the Great Escarpment and the main watershed of South Africa.  The local Zulu name for Drakensberg is Quathlamba or ‘The Barrier of Spears’, an accurate description for Drakensberg that rises over 3000 metres in height. It is an important region for adventure activities like mountaineering, camping, bird watching, river crossing, trout fishing, and many more such activities.  Multitude of activities is waiting to be pursued in this region. Rock paintings of the Bushmen can be seen in many parts of the Drakensberg. Most of the resorts in the region have the facility for horse riding in the hillside that includes short, half day, and overnight trips. Most of the hotels, camping organizers, and resorts provide guided hiking options and must be pursued. Mountain biking in this region is a fun and a challenge both due to steep heights and rugged terrain and trails of varying levels are available. Other activities include bird watching, river swimming, and trout fishing.  For the nature lovers, the region is home to the quarter of indigenous wildlife in South Africa. Some of the other species, which you may encounter frequently, are eland (largest of antelopes), Grey Rhebuck, Mountain Reedbuck, Serval cat, and Jackal.

Sani Pass:
The Sani Pass is a spectacular mountain road that is a well-known entry point into Lesotho via South Africa’s Natal Drakensberg Park. It is the gateway to the ‘Roof of Africa’ scenic route that links the spectacular scenery of the Drakensberg with the mountains of northern Lesotho. The Sani Pass is the only border post between Kwazulu-Natal and Lesotho. A 4X4 vehicle is necessary for this road especially if the weather is bad. Never underestimate the changeability of the weather in Lesotho. A common truth is that you can have four seasons in one day, so be prepared. Have lunch at the top of the Sani pass at the highest pub in Southern Africa.  Once, the Sani Pass was a rough mule trail descending the Eastern Highlands of old Basutoland into Natal. Tough drovers brought wool and mohair down the Pass on donkeys and mules to be exchanged for blankets … clothing … maize meal … the essentials for life in a remote, impoverished country. And a young man had a dream … of operating a motor vehicle service up this fantastic Pass, using the 4-wheel drive vehicles he had seen on service in World War II. His name was David Alexander and he founded this Company in 1955. It has operated on the Sani Pass ever since.
Read more about Drakensberg………..

Lesotho:
Lesotho (le-soo-too) is called Southern Africa’s ‘kingdom in the sky’ for good reason. This stunningly beautiful, mountainous country is nestled island-like in the middle of South Africa and it is a fascinating travel detour via its larger neighbor. The country offers superb mountain scenery, a proud traditional people, endless hiking trails, and the chance to explore remote areas on Basotho ponies.  The ‘lowland’ areas (all of which are still above 1000m) offer some craft shopping and dinosaur footsteps, while the highlands in the northeast and centre feature towering peaks (over 3000m) and verdant valleys. Escape the rest of the world in Eastern Lesotho’s remote Sehlabathebe National Park, or hang out in the pleasant capital Maseru, where a slow pace and friendly locals ensure a memorable stay.
Read more about Lesotho………

Durban:
Durban (Zulu: eThekwini) is the third most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. It is the largest city in KwaZulu-Natal and is famous as the busiest port in Africa. It is also a major centre of tourism due to the city’s warm subtropical climate and beaches.  It is thought that the first known inhabitants of the Durban area arrived via the north around 100,000 BC, according to carbon dating of rock art found in caves in the Drakensberg. These people were living in the central plains of KwaZulu-Natal until the expansion of Bantu people of the north sometime during the last millennium.  Little is known of the history of the first residents, as there is no written history of the area before it was first mentioned by Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, who came to the KwaZulu-Natal coast while searching for a route between Europe and India. He landed on the KwaZulu-Natal coast on Christmas in 1497, and thus named the area “Natal”, or Christmas in Portuguese.  The modern city of Durban dates  back to 1824, when a party of 25 men under British Lieutenant F. G. Farewell arrived after leaving the Cape Colony and established a settlement on the northern shore of the Bay of Natal, near today’s Farewell Square. Accompanying Farewell was an adventurer named Henry Francis Fynn (1803-1861). Fynn was able to befriend the Zulu King Shaka by helping him to recover after a stab wound he suffered in battle. As a token of Shaka’s gratitude, he granted Fynn a “25-mile strip of coast a hundred miles in depth.  During a meeting of 35 white residents in Fynn’s territory on June 23, 1835, it was decided to build a capital town and name it “d’Urban” after Sir Benjamin d’Urban, then governor of the Cape Colony. Voortrekkers established the Republic of Natalia in 1838 just north of Durban, and established a capital at Pietermaritzburg.

Fierce conflict with the Zulu population led to the evacuation of Durban, and eventually the Afrikaners accepted British annexation in 1844 under military pressure. A British governor was appointed to the region and many settlers emigrated, leaving Europe and the Cape Colony. The British established a sugar cane industry in the 1860s. Farm owners had a difficult time attracting Zulu labourers to work on their plantations, so the British brought thousands of indentured labourers residing in India on five-year contracts. As a result of the importation of Indian labourers, Durban became the largest Asian community in South Africa.
Today, Durban is the busiest container port in Africa and a popular tourist destination. The Golden Mile, developed as a welcoming tourist destination in the 1970s, as well as Durban at large, provides ample tourist attractions, particularly for people on holiday who resided in Johannesburg. It lost its international holiday pre-eminence to Cape Town in the 1990s, but remains more popular among domestic tourists.
Learn more about Durban………..

Zingela River Lodge:
Deep in the Kingdom of the Zulus you will discover Zingelas’ stone & canvas bush camp, a stone’s throw to the historic Tugela River. Established in 1983, the camp has been lovingly created using the natural materials that occur in the area. with simple beginnings, it has evolved slowly over the years and has stretched the concept of outdoor living to its limits!  You will not be staying in a chalet, rondavel or tent. Each en-suite design is unique and has been built in unity with its immediate environment. We have used river stone, reed and canvas as materials.  The Zulu Kingdom boasts superb all year round sub-tropical weather with an average of 320 days of sunshine a year! Zingelas average rainfall of 600mm falls mainly over the summer months, this is when the peaceful Tugela wakes up shakes off its hibernation and provides some of the most exciting rafting in the country. With these statistics in mind you might decide to do absolutely NOTHING while unwinding at Zingela. The camp is ideally situated for guided game walks, birding or fishing. Sitting in the shade of a thorn tree with a good book is also a wonderful alternative. African time rules here and the Tree of idleness might find you a common visitor! The river offers rafting, kayaking, fishing, zip sliding and the cliffs for abseiling. Spectacular terrain for 4×4s, quad and mountain biking. With a large variety of birds, trees and game that makes every walk an adventure.

Elephant coast:
An astonishingly beautiful strip of land stretching some 220km long and 70km wide bound by mountain, ocean and bushveld, holds many of natures miracles and secrets, providing you an unspoilt ecotourism playground with an untamed spirit. Lying in the north eastern part of KZN, bound in the North West by the Lubombo Mountains, in the east by the warm Indian Ocean and in the south by the mighty Umfolozi River.  The range of ecosystems here is diverse, but each distinct, bringing an abundant spread of leisure options in the region that includes Big 5 game reserves, sprawling beaches and dense forests. Home to half a million people including Zulu, Thonga and Swazi speaking people, there is a rich cultural heritage in a region steeped in history. The St. Lucia (isamangaliso) Wetland Park situated on the Elephant coast was bestowed with UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1999, this 332 000ha park comprises four wetlands of international importance. iSimangaliso has a 220 kilometre coastline, comprising five ecosystems and ten unique destinations: Maphelane, Cape Vidal, False Bay, Charters creek, Lake St.Lucia, uMkuze, Sodwana Bay, Lake Sibaya, the coastal forest and Kosi Bay. The iSimangaliso Authority was set up to manage the park; their establishment programmes have seen the removal of some 12 000ha of alien plants and commercial forests. Wetland and dune rehabilitation, the introduction of game, new roads, game fences, water supply and bulk electricity supply systems have all contributed to the new park.  The most significant game viewing opportunities in the park are in the uMkuze and Eastern sections which also have prolific bird life. Substantial road upgrades and animal reintroductions I the last few years, have led to an enhanced game viewing experience in the diverse habitats that make up these sections of the park. The eastern shores entrance is just north of the town of St. Lucia. A tar road leads to Cape Vidal and there are a number of gravel roads through the different ecosystems. Explore the marine magnificence of this area of the Elephant coast renowned for scuba diving, deep sea fishing, where you will find long stretches of beaches fringed with unspoilt coastal forests. This region is also home to the loggerhead and leatherback turtles that emerge out the sea to nest on the beaches.

Sodwana Bay is considered one of the world’s top 10 diving spots because of its spectacular coral reefs and over a thousand species of fish, whales, sharks, manta rays and giant morays. This marine reserve lies adjacent to Africa’s southern-most coral reefs. The iSimangaliso also incorporates the Maputaland and St. Lucia marine reserves which are linked to form a continuous protected area stretching 150km – the Mozambique border southwards past Vidal and ending at the estuary mouth and 3 nautical miles out to sea.
Learn more about the iSimangaliso Wetland Park………

Hluhluwe Umfolozi Reserve: