We were finally able to make up for our long-awaited trip through KwaZulu Natal in South Africa and can only say: WOW! What a diverse and exciting region! This province is located on the country’s east coast and awaited us with wonderful national parks and nature reserves, the mighty Drakensberg Mountains, the vibrant metropolis of Durban, a coastline over 400 kilometers long, lush green rolling plains inland, the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, and many other great highlights. Here we have found one of the most authentic pieces of South Africa and are delighted to be able to present the most beautiful highlights of KwaZulu Natal to you in the following article. Enjoy browsing!

• KwaZulu Natal in South Africa – Overview Map
• 1. Start in Johannesburg
• 2. Drakensberg Mountains
• 3. Midlands Meander
• 4. Pietermaritzburg
• 5. Durban & Umhlanga
• 6. Ballito Resort
• 7. Hippos in St. Lucia
• 8. iSimangaliso Wetland Park
• 9. Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park
• 10. Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve
• Zulus, Rock Paintings & Battlefields
• Best Time to Visit KwaZulu Natal in South Africa
• Book a Rental Car for KwaZulu Natal
• KwaZulu Natal in South Africa – Our Accommodations
• Travel Reading for KwaZulu Natal in South Africa
• Conclusion of Our Trip Through KwaZulu Natal in South Africa

KwaZulu Natal in South Africa – Overview Map

On the following map, we have marked our route through KwaZulu Natal in South Africa for you. Our journey took us from Johannesburg to the Drakensberg, through the Midlands Meander and on to Durban, Umhlanga, Ballito, and St. Lucia. From there, we visited not only the wonderful iSimangaliso Wetland Park but also the country’s oldest national park, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park.

We then returned to Ballito/Umhlanga and a few days later continued on to the adventurous Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve. We set aside 18 days for this trip to allow for any bad weather. You can find out more about the climate and the best time to travel to this region below. We generally recommend at least 14 days for KwaZulu Natal.

This is how we distributed our overnight stays:

• 3 nights in Johannesburg
• 2 nights in Bergville
• 2 nights in Champagne Valley
• 2 nights in the Midlands Meander
• 1 night in Ballito
• 3 nights in St. Lucia
• 1 night in Mtubatuba
• 2 nights in Ballito
• 2 nights in Margate

1. Start in Johannesburg

After our exciting and unforgettable tour through Botswana, our African adventure continued in Johannesburg. This time, we stayed in the city for 3 nights to acclimatize a bit from our previous trip. During our last visits, we took various tours to get to know Johannesburg a little better.

While the city may seem intimidating to many at first, there are now some truly exciting areas, such as Maboneng and Braamfontein. We recommend a guided tour through Johannesburg to get a first impression of the city. You can find more information here: Our best tips for Johannesburg.

Really cool tours through Johannesburg:

• Johannesburg: Maboneng Street Art Tour*
• Hop-On/Hop-Off Tour for 1 or 2 days*
• Soweto: Guided Bike Tour with Lunch*
• Jo’burg in 1 Day: Soweto, Apartheid Museum & City Tour*

2. Drakensberg

The Drakensberg (literally “Dragon Mountains”) are, for us personally, one of the top highlights in South Africa. This gigantic mountain range stretches over 200 kilometers and reaches a height of 3,482 meters at its highest point (in Lesotho). Deep gorges, picturesque lakes and waterfalls, lush green valleys, and impressive rock formations await you. On our first trip to South Africa together in 2016, we visited the Royal Natal National Park, but there are many other great starting points for exciting hikes.

Clarens & Golden Gate Highlands National Park

From Johannesburg, we drove to Bergville, about 5 hours away, where we stayed in beautiful accommodations* for 2 nights. From there, we actually wanted to do the Tugela Gorge hike in Royal Natal National Park, but this wasn’t possible due to the bad weather. We needed an alternative, so we drove from our accommodation to sunny Clarens, about 150 kilometers away, to explore the Golden Gate Highlands National Park.

That was a pretty good decision, because we really liked the small artist town of Clarens right away. Here you’ll find not only cool cafés and restaurants, but also some interesting shops, galleries, and plenty of handicrafts. The “Square” café is highly recommended; we ordered incredibly good Eggs Benedict and delicious and fluffy flapjacks.

After breakfast in Clarens, we drove to the Glen Reenen Rest Camp, paid the entrance fee of R252 per person, and went on some beautiful hikes through the Golden Gate Highland National Park. At reception, we received a simple but clear map of the area with all the trails and loops.

The striking and unique rock formations in this park are truly impressive. We can recommend, among other things, the Brandwag Buttress Trail with great views (approx. 1 hour) and the Echo Ravine Trail (approx. 1 hour). You can find out more about this national park and our hikes here: The breathtaking Golden Gate Highlands National Park.

Champagne Valley & Monk’s Cowl Nature Reserve

We spent the next two days in a cozy cabin in the idyllic Champagne Valley. This region is an absolute delight in terms of scenery, with beautiful green hills, numerous waterfalls, and several 3,000-meter peaks (Monk’s Cowl, Cathkin, and Champagne Castle). We had two varied hikes planned for this region: the Sphinx Trail and the Sterkspruit Waterfall Trail.

You should allow about 3 hours for the Sphinx Trail. The views on this hike are spectacular. It’s best to allow two hours for the Sterkspruit Waterfall Trail, as you can even stop for a swim in the river along the way. Other popular trails in this region include the Injasuti Trail, the Mhlwazini Valley Trail, and the Stable Cave Trail. Entrance to the Monk’s Cowl Nature Reserve costs R50 per person per day. You can view a map of the various trails and take photos of them.

3. Midlands Meander

After our first few days in the Drakensberg, we continued on to the Midlands Meander region. Here we were greeted by a rolling hilly landscape with great accommodations and restaurants, cool cafés, plenty of art, local events, handmade items, regional produce, vineyards, farms, and much more. We rented a cozy cottage* in Curry’s Post for two nights, from where we explored the region. Recommended places include the 119-meter-high Howick Falls, Nottingham Road, the Nelson Mandela Capture Site, the Earth Route Market, The Blueberry Café, and The Barn Owl Café. Be sure to also check out our Instagram stories, which we’ve saved in the “Midlands” highlight.

4. Pietermaritzburg

Just before Durban lies Pietermaritzburg, the capital of the KwaZulu-Natal province. Victorian and Edwardian buildings still recall the British era, when they transformed the village into a garrison town. If you have 1 to 2 hours on your tour, be sure to visit the beautiful Garden of Remembrance, the KZN National Botanical Garden, as well as the City Hall, the Old Government House, and the attractive Church Street with its many shops. For a short culinary break, we recommend the cool Sagewood Cafe and the Planted Coffee Shop.

5. Durban & Umhlanga

The journey then continued to Durban and Umhlanga. We weren’t in the mood for the urban jungle this time, so we didn’t stay there long. In general, there is a lot to see in Durban, such as the lively promenade on Golden Mile Beach, the uShaka Marine World, the Durban Natural Science Museum, the Botanical Gardens, the various mosques and Hindu temples, as well as the beaches around Durban.

Really cool tours through Durban:

• Half-day city tour, Golden Mile, Botanical Gardens*
• Durban: 1-hour boat trip from Wilson’s Wharf*
• Durban: Top 10 Sights Tour*
• Day trip to Sani Pass from Durban*

In our opinion, Umhlanga is a smaller version of Durban with numerous hotels, restaurants, shops, a long beach promenade, high-rise buildings, and various shopping centers. From the Whalebone Pier you have a beautiful view of the lighthouse, the sea, and the promenade. We also recommend the African Roots Café, the Elements Café Bar, and the Café Shoots and Leaves. And because so many people always ask us about safety in South Africa: We really felt very safe here around Durban during the day!

6. Holiday Resort Ballito

We really liked the popular holiday resort Ballito, which is just under 40 minutes from Durban and is the heart of the so-called “Dolphin Coast.” We stayed there for a total of 3 nights in the incredibly beautiful Villa Roc guesthouse*, which we can 100% recommend. Ballito is a safe and very well-developed resort with shopping centers, restaurants, cafés, shops, gas stations, supermarkets, and pharmacies. And of course, the beaches shouldn’t go unmentioned, as there are several in and around Ballito.

Since swimming is not always safe due to the waves and currents, you’ll find so-called tidal pools on many beaches. These are filled with seawater and allow for safe swimming on the beach. These pools are ideal, especially if you’re traveling with children. Thompson Beach with its tidal pool and the “Hole in the Wall,” as well as Willard Beach with its tidal pool, are recommended.

If you’re planning a stop in Ballito, we can recommend the following restaurants and cafés: Fig Tree Restaurant (best to reserve in advance), Col’Cacchio (pizza), Salt Rock Café, The Waterberry Coffee Shop, and Good Vibes Café & Bar Ballito. You can also see more about them in our Instagram stories.

7. Hippos in St. Lucia

Our journey now continued north to KwaZulu Natal in South Africa. We also stayed in the small holiday village of St. Lucia for 3 nights, as we had a lot on our agenda. The village is located directly on the Indian Ocean and awaited us with long sandy beaches, white dunes, and numerous animal inhabitants. You should be aware that around 1,200 crocodiles and over 800 hippos live in the waters around St. Lucia, and they also like to get lost in the streets of St. Lucia. You will therefore see warning signs quite frequently in the village.

St. Lucia is a great starting point for admiring the hippos up close, exploring the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, and exploring the Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park. We recommend the 2-hour boat tour with Heritage Tours, which you can easily book on-site or online. We saw numerous hippos. While this tour is a bit more expensive than the competition, it also only allows a maximum of 15 people on the boat. Shoreline Boat Cruises also offers these 15-seater tours.

In the small village of St. Lucia, you’ll find several shops, restaurants, cafés, supermarkets, and gas stations. You can easily explore the small town center along McKenzie Street in 1 to 2 hours. The restaurants in St. Lucia aren’t particularly great, but they’ll fill you up. We went to the Reef & Dune and the Barraca Restaurant for dinner and lunch, among others. If necessary, you can easily buy everything you need at the supermarket and cook something yourself, if your accommodation allows it. You can find fresh fruit and lovely souvenirs at the small market in the town center.

8. iSimangaliso Wetland Park

The absolute highlight in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, is a trip to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. This protected landscape stretches from St. Lucia to Mozambique and awaited us with an incredible diversity of habitats, consisting of lagoons, swamps, mangroves, swamp forests, sand dunes, bushveld, and savannah. The 200-kilometer-long coastline, with its dream beaches, offshore coral reefs, and breathtaking underwater world, is a paradise for water lovers, divers, and snorkelers*. For us, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park is one of the most beautiful parks in South Africa.

We can recommend the tour to Cape Vidal (Eastern Shores). Along the way, you’ll pass numerous viewpoints and, with a bit of luck, might spot wildebeest, eland, rhinos, zebras, hippos, buffalo, giraffes, elephants, and antelopes. Hyenas, cheetahs, leopards, and wild dogs are even said to roam the area. We spent about 6 hours exploring the park on our own, saw many animals, and took a swim at the beautiful beach in Cape Vidal. The entrance fee currently costs 118 Rand per person and 70 Rand for the car (see price overview). If you’d rather take a guided tour, you can find a good package here: Cape Vidal Safari – Beach and Bush*.

9. Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park

You’re probably familiar with the Kruger National Park or the Addo Elephant Park. But have you ever heard of the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi National Park? This national park is the oldest protected area in Africa and awaits you not only with the Big 5 but also with a beautiful hilly landscape. A regional road still divides the park into two halves, but this isn’t a problem for the animals (there are no dividing fences). We visited the northern part (entrance through the Memorial Gate) and went on a day safari there on our own.

In addition to elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos, and buffalo, you can also spot giraffes, antelopes, zebras, wildebeest, mongoose, hippos, and numerous bird species. The park offers some great picnic areas, viewpoints, and accommodations. If you don’t want to drive through the park yourself, you can take a guided tour in an open 4×4. These are offered from Durban or St. Lucia, for example.

• Hluhluwe-Imfolozi: Full-Day/Half-Day Safari to the Big 5*
• From Durban: Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park Day Tour for Nature Lovers*
• Durban: Hluhluwe Imfolozi Safari & iSimangaliso Tour*

The roads are very well developed (mostly unpaved) and can be easily managed even with a small rental car. However, if it has rained heavily, some paths and roads may be flooded and impassable. It is best to inquire about road conditions with the local staff. We were lucky and were able to drive everywhere without any problems. Tip: Take a coffee break at the Hilltop Camp restaurant. The view from up there is spectacular. We stayed outside the park in the beautiful Wendy’s Country Lodge* (Nyalazi Gate exit).

10. Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve

The Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve is definitely one of our top highlights in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. We’ve had a trip to this reserve on our list for a long time, but had to postpone it repeatedly due to the pandemic. So it was all the more wonderful that it finally worked out this year. From Ballito, we drove to the resort of Margate, where we had booked simple accommodations* for two nights. Unfortunately, the accommodations in the reserve itself were already fully booked, so we ended up in Margate. The place itself isn’t particularly beautiful, and we didn’t like it at all. But we highly recommend the delicious waffles at The Waffle House in Ramsgate.

From Margate, we drove for about 40 minutes to the reserve’s first highlight – the suspension bridge at 5 Wild Adventures. We only had to pay 25 Rand for entry and were able to take a shorter but very cool hike (1 hour) there. First, we crossed the Wild Bridge and from there continued along the edge of the gorge to a striking rocky outcrop. Along the way, we enjoyed magnificent views of the gorge and could even see the waterfall from a distance, as well as some brave visitors plunging into the depths.

The Lake Eland Game Reserve is also highly recommended. We paid 75 Rand per person entrance fee and were able to drive through the small private reserve. Along the way, we saw zebras, wildebeest, elands, bontebok, and even a beautiful serval. The reserve features a breathtaking suspension bridge with magnificent views. Those looking for an adrenaline rush can try the zipline with over 14 stations. The reserve also offers other activities: Lake Eland activities. We definitely recommend spending at least one day in the beautiful Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve.

Zulus, Rock Paintings & Battlefields

It was only in 1994 that the former province of Natal was merged with the former homeland of KwaZulu. What is special about this province is that the Zulus still live and work in the interior according to ancient traditions. You can visit this proud tribal group in various Zulu villages and learn all sorts of interesting facts about the legendary King Shaka.

KwaZulu-Natal is also home to numerous battlefields that have shaped the country’s history (more on this here: Battlefields South Africa). And did you know that the Drakensberg region is home to the world’s largest collection of San rock paintings? Over 350,000 drawings are said to be known in over 500 caves, some of which you can view (e.g., in the Battle Cave in Injisuthi). KwaZulu Natal also offers plenty of great highlights for history buffs.

Here are a few great tours:

• Tour to the Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift battlefields*
• Durban: Day tour to the Zulu Oracle and Herbology*
• Shakaland and Zulu Private Day Tour from Durban*
• Drakensberg-Kamberg: Day tour to the Cave Art & Mandela Memorial*
• Cultural Zulu Tour: Rural Village, Tribal Markets & Food*

Best time to visit KwaZulu Natal in South Africa

The east coast has a year-round subtropical climate with high humidity (average 80%). Temperatures in KwaZulu Natal are generally warm to hot, and water temperatures average 23° Celsius. This means you can enjoy a beach holiday here year-round. KwaZulu Natal is the rainiest province in the country, with the most rainfall occurring between October and March (especially in December, January, and February). The best time to visit KwaZulu Natal in South Africa is therefore from April to June/July, as it is pleasantly warm and mild during these months. You can also expect the most hours of sunshine per day and lower humidity during this period. The winter months of June, July, and August are also best for hiking in the Drakensberg, as it is no longer as hot and there is significantly less rainfall at higher altitudes.

We were in KwaZulu Natal in December (2023) and experienced quite changeable weather. The humidity was very high and unpleasant, especially from Durban up to St. Lucia. Since we had enough time for this trip, rainy days weren’t a problem for us. Generally, it didn’t rain often, but it was often overcast and very humid. Nevertheless, we had really nice weather with plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures most of the time.

Book a rental car for KwaZulu Natal

We booked a rental car in advance for our trip at www.billiger-mietwagen.de*. We have been using this platform regularly for over 8 years and are still very satisfied with the service and prices. We also usually find the best value for money on this site. An off-road vehicle is rarely needed in South Africa (depending on the region), and for our trip through the province of KwaZulu-Natal, a small car was perfectly sufficient. The road conditions on our route were very good, and we were able to easily navigate even the unpaved tracks in the nature reserves and national parks with our small car.

It’s important that you can safely stow your luggage in the trunk, as there are always days during your trip when you have to change accommodations and thus have to carry your luggage with you. The trunk of our Suzuki Swift had enough space for a large travel bag with wheels, a carry-on suitcase, two backpacks, and a Pack Safe. In the back seat, we only had our small transport box with some groceries.

KwaZulu Natal in South Africa – Our Accommodations

In the following list, you’ll find all the accommodations we booked on this tour. We can recommend all of them without exception. Only the B&B in Margate wasn’t quite as chic, but the owner is a gem and really made our stay more enjoyable. Also worth mentioning are the accommodation in Bergville, the studio in the Midlands Meander, the room at the B&B in Ballito, and the accommodation in Mtubatuba.

Travel reading for KwaZulu Natal in South Africa

If you’re still looking for a good travel guide for your planning, we can recommend the guide from Dumont*. We’ve been traveling with travel guides from this publisher for years and are big fans of the books. Over 440 pages tell you everything about the country and its people. We also recommend the guide from Reise-Know-How Verlag*. In this comprehensive travel guide, you’ll learn everything about the province of KwaZulu Natal and, with the help of the book, you can put together a fantastic itinerary.

Conclusion of our trip through KwaZulu Natal in South Africa

We are so happy and grateful that we made this trip. Once again, we were surprised and were able to experience a completely different side of South Africa. In our opinion, the province of KwaZulu Natal is somewhat more pristine, more traditional, and an absolute delight in terms of scenery. We were particularly impressed by the diversity of this region: in addition to the mighty mountain ranges, the endless, dreamy beaches, the rolling plains, and sleepy villages, we were also offered a large portion of wildlife. So, if you’re looking for a mix of beach vacation, breathtaking landscapes, sightseeing, and wildlife, KwaZulu Natal is definitely the right choice for you!