After you listen to this episode you will surely be pumped up to go and explore our beloved KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). It’s absolutely jam packed with tips of places to go, what to do there and how to make the most of your time in KZN so scroll down the notes for as many of the links we could gather from the tips we brought you.
Our guest for this episode is KZN expert travel writer & photographer Melanie Van Zyl. She live in sunny Pietermaritzburg at the start of the KZN midlands and has become an absolute fantastic of the region! Like all places there are just so many more things we didn’t have time to talk about so we focus on 5 topics and regions to get you more than going.
- We start off with Durban the city - the hub of KZN and while we’re not big into cities on this podcast, Mel tries to persuade us otherwise!
- The Drankensberg Mountain range. Superb hiking and Definitely South Africa’s most significant mountain range.
- Kosi Bay and the surrounding beaches & bays for remote, tropical wilderness experiences and incredible snorkelling and diving
- The KZN Midlands - a region that starts an hour inland from Durban all the way to the Drakensberg. Its one of the most perfect road trip areas full of quaint places to stay and explore. Its foodie heaven and also full if nature trails and outdoor things to do.
- The game-reserves & wildlife areas of KZN. Possibly overlooked because of the famous Kruger in South Africa.. we’ll take you through the best places in KZN that offer truly unique ecosystems and African wildlife experiences.
Thanks again to Melanie for agreeing to help us out it was lots of fun and you can find all her details in our notes on the site as well.
To know more about
Melanie Van Zyl our guest on this podcast and expert on all things Kwa-Zulu Natal follow her website link or find her on
Instagram, and
Twitter.
The city life of Durban
Check out
Summer Hill for Mel’s recommendation for a really fun Durban styled sustainable meal using local produce from local farmers (around 20-minutes from Durban).
The amazing South African Indian curry restaurant we recommend near Florida road in Durban is
Malis - Fantastic homemade curry! Don’t let the looks deceive you. This place does an outstanding nosh!
The Kosi Bay Area of KZN
The incredible Isimangaliso Wetland Park. An extremely unique game reserve and ecosystem in Kwa-Zulu Natal.
Kosi Forest Lodge for the amazing Raphia Palm walks where you can find the rare Palm-nut vulture and enjoy massive wide-open deserted wild beaches.
Coral Divers - Mel’s recommendation for an amazing place to stay for diving, fishing and exploring. Chilled, relaxed vibe and inside the park.
The Drakensberg Mountains
One of Mel’s favourite places for hiking, views and remoteness is the Mnweni Wilderness Area. You can find out more about this region and hikes here:
Womxn for Wild offer these guides hikes of the Drakensberg.
Mel’s recommendation for escorted guided hikes in the Drakensberg -
Path Finder SA.
To get to the highest pub in Africa and enjoy the Sani Pass (although in Lesotho and not in KZN) you’ll get epic views of KZN -
Sani Mountain Lodge (don’t forget your passport) and beware the road is very tricky if there is snow and you always need a 4WD.
The KZN Midlands
A quaint area of KZN full of old “English” style pubs, crafts, arts, culture and incredible little wilderness areas. For information about the area visit the
Midlands Meander.
The incredible museum commemorating the life of Nelson Mandela located near Howick is a must do in the Midlands -
The Capture Site.
The
Karkloof Conservation Area is a wonderful wilderness area doing great things with trails, biking, bird rehabilitation (for Cranes) and much more.
The quirky
Old Mushroom Farm offers accommodation in the Karkloof Conservation Area.
The Nottingham Road Brewing Company based in Rawdon’s is a popular brewery been around for many, many years.
Finally - if you want to go to one of the most unusual vineyards then this is the place to check out
Abingdon Wine Estate.
Mel’s tips - Always choose a place to stay in the Midlands with a fire place!
Game Reserves & Wildlife Areas in KZN
Close to Durban in a new reworded
Manyoni Game Reserve.
Babanango Game Reserve - Our episode in series 2 covered this amazing new project creating a new massive game-reserve wildlife area.
Keep an eye out on
The Homestead Lodge in
Nambiti Private Game Reserve.
These are epic
wilderness areas in KZN getting you off the grid away from other people getting in touch with nature in this remarkable game reserve. Short 2-day hikes to longer 5-day adventures.
