- Ballito and Shaka's Rock
The bay is just half an hour from Durbs, has all the restaurants, cinemas and social paraphernalia you could need and is a lovely place to spend a few days.
- Gingindlovu
British soldiers called it ‘Gin gin I love you’. The name is Zulu and means ’the swallower of the elephant’. Go here just to stay at Inyezane.
- Eshowe
Eshowe has a quiet, colonial feel to it that reflects graceful feelings of yesteryear. It’s almost as though time slowed down here and the town has not quite reached this century.
- Kwambonambi
Meaning “the place where chiefs gather”, Kwabonambi is a little town in the middle of nowhere which makes a good base for exploration into the surrounding areas and its game parks, wetlands, rivers and coastline.
- Mtubatuba
Matubatuba is just off the N2, this little town is a convenient stop over between reserves. it is located only 25km from St Lucia.
- St Lucia
St Lucia is a cool town. It’s got everything you need to have heaps of fun but is surrounded by so much wilderness that you can walk out of a bar door and into a hippo... The best time to visit St Lucia is in winter when it is cooler.
- Sodwana Bay
This is one of South Africa's premier dive sites.
- Hluhluwe
Hluhluwe has three backpackers surrounding the park. The main attraction here is the Hluhluwe/Umfolozi game reserve which is an incredible piece of nature that teems with game. The big five are prolific.
- Kosi Bay
Kosi Bay is a unique and magnificently varied eco-system ranging between lake wetlands and marine coastal reserve. There is a great backpackers in the village.
- MkuzeKZN
This is probably the best base you could choose for exploring Maputaland, and area rich in unexploited wilderness where local people still live according to generations of traditon.
Mtunzini
Mtunzini is a quiet coastal town blessed by nature and with a colourful history. It is 132km from Durban and a great place to get into the heart of Zululand culture.
Mtunzini is home to the palm nut vulture
Mtunzini is where the Mlalazi River reaches the coast via a long narrow lagoon with dune forests and mangroves blanketing its banks and wide open beaches stretching out on either side of the river mouth.
Inhabiting only two locations in SA - here and Kosi Bay - palm nut vultures feed on the husk of the nut of the endemic raffia palms and nest close to the water in shaggy nests built of palm fronds.
Mtunzini means “place in the shade”
Places to Stay
- Nature’s Way Backpackers
Nature's Way backpackers in Mtunzini borders on the Siyayi Coastal Park. It is 132km north of Durban.
Feeling lucky?(randomly selected service providers from all regions)
This log cabin is set close to the world’s highest bungy jump with a huge view over the Bloukrans Gorge and indigenous forest below.
(Bloukrans,Garden Route)
Ashanti's sister lodge near the sea...
(Green Point,Cape Town)
MozVolunteers is a small volunteer organisation based in Xisondwe, Zavora.
(Zavora,Mozambique)
This stylish Addo backpackers is close to the Addo.
(Addo Elephant Park,Eastern Cape Inland and the Karoo)
This is the oldest lodge in Observatory and is the play ground of students....put your party shoes on!
(Observatory,Cape Town)
Set in a valley surrounded by rolling mountains and only five clicks from the border of Kruger Park
(Hazyview,Mpumalanga)
A holiday by the sea.
(Saldanha Bay,West Coast)
The B.I.G is perfectly perched at the foot of Signal Hill, a short walk to shops and the buzzing promenade, Stadium or Waterfront.
(Green Point,Cape Town)
A Backpaker must with Safaris and close encounters of the wild kind
(Mossel Bay,Garden Route)
This Kimbeley backpackers lodge offers budget accommodation in extensive well wooded grounds.
(Kimberley,Northern Cape)
