KwaZulu-Natal

Introduction

The great Ampitheater, Royal Natal National Park

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KwaZulu-Natal is a province in South Africa's southeastern corner, bordering the Indian Ocean, Swaziland and Mozambique. It is an extremely beautiful region, with fantastic beaches, wilderness areas, game parks, dramatic peaks and fantastic people, towns and cities like Durban.

Geography

Cities

• Pietermaritzburg, capital of KwaZulu-Natal.
• Durban, the largest city in KwaZulu-Natal.

Sights and Activities

Hluhluwe Umfolozi National Park

Hluhluwe Umfolozi National Park is located in the east of KwaZulu-Natal north of Durban. The park is around 96,000 ha big and is the oldest national park in Africa and the only one in KwaZulu where you can see the Big Five. Apart from these (lion, rhino, elephant, leopard and buffalo) you can see crocodile, hippo, cheetah, hyena, wildebeest, jackal, giraffe, zebra, waterbuck, nyala, eland, kudu, impala, duiker, suni, reedbuck, warthog, bushpig, mongoose, baboons, monkeys and wide varieties of birds, over 300! All this can be done by your own car, tours and even boat tours and walking safaris are a possibility. For more information about getting and staying here have a look at the official Hluhluwe Umfolozi National Park website.

iSimangaliso Wetland Park

The iSimangaliso Wetland Park is South Africa's third largest protected area.

Events and Festivals

World Cup 2010

The big upcoming international event on the South African horizon is the FIFA World Cup beginning on the 11th of June 2010. One of the most prestigious and popular world sporting events, the World Cup 2010 promises to bring throngs of passionate supporters from around the globe. Held once every four years, it's a football tournament (called soccer in South Africa) where 32 world nations vie for the famous golden trophy.

Durban will be hosting some of the World Cup matches at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, which has a seating capacity of 70,000.

Weather

Getting There

By Plane

King Shaka International Airport (DUR) is 35 kilometres north of the city centre of Durban, South Africa, and replaced the former Durban International Airport on May 1, 2010, just before the World Soccer Championships. International flights arrive from Dubai, Maputo and Mauritius. There are domestic flights from eight South African airports, including Cape Town and Johannesburg.

To/from the airport

• Car: The airport is accessible from both the N2 freeway and the alternative R102 road. There are about 6,500 short-term- and long-term parking places available and metered taxis travel to and from the city centre.
• Public transport: regular buses connect the airport to Durban centre. A direct link will be in operation in the near future.

By Train

Shosholoza Meyl offers a number of trains:

• Cape Town - Durban via Kimberley, Bloemfontein, Kroonstad and Ladysmith, 36 hours, tourist and economy class both once weekly
• Johannesburg - Durban via Ladysmith and Pietermaritzburg, 13,5 hours, premier class twice a week, tourist once a week and economy daily except Tuesday.

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Getting Around

By Plane

By Train

By Car

If you would like to travel around by car, there are numerous car rental companies available from the airports and downtown locations. Just make sure that you have sufficient insurance to cover you if the need arises. Some of them offer the possibility to reduce excess (the amount you pay when involved in an accident) for a daily fee. Car hire companies include Avis, Imperial, CABS, First Car Rental as well as many other international and local ones. Usually, the local ones are cheaper but don't have the same standard as the international ones, which have more branches throughout the country and therefore are able to help you more quickly if needed.

If travelling by car, be sure to plan your routes carefully to insure that there are sufficient places to fill the tank with petrol as some towns are located quite a distance apart with no filling stations in between. It's a good idea to fill up with fuel when you have about half a tank left if possible.

By Bus

By Boat

Eat

Drink

Sleep