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Durban i s the b iggest c i ty – th i rd b iggest in South
Af r ica – a l though i t i s the c i ty of P ietermar i tzburg
100kms away that i s the seat of the prov incia l
government, and i s the entry point for tour i s t
h igh l ights such as the Batt lef ie lds , Drakensberg
mountains and Midlands Meander. To the nor th of
the prov ince l ies Zu lu land - th i s was the or ig inal
land ru led by K ing Shaka who uni f ied di sparate
t r ibes in the ear ly 1800’s to create a fearsome
army and subsequent ly a great Zu lu nat ion. The
Zulus s t i l l reta in thei r own k ing, K ing Zwel i th in i ,
who can t race h i s l ineage back to K ing Shaka,
and who has no pol i t ical power , but p lays an
important symbol ic ro le in the prov ince. The
southern end of the prov ince fo l lows s t r ings of
sandy beaches to the Mtamvuma R iver , the
border wi th the Eastern Cape and the Xhosa
people, re lated in language to the Zulus but
fo l lowing a d i f ferent cul ture a l together .
ZULULAND ATTRACTIONS
S t retching f rom Golela Border Post wi th Swazi land
in the nor th to the Tugela R iver in the south, near
the town of KwaDukuza-Stanger , the sequence of
h igh l ights roughly fo l lows the N2 f rom nor th to
south. I f you were to t ravel f rom Durban, the
order would be reversed.
MKHUZE GAME RESERVE – i S imangal iso Wet land
Park
Th i s 40 000 hectare reser ve i s one of KwaZulu -
Natal ’s h idden gems – wi th cheetah, four of the
B ig F ive ( l ion exempt) and wi ld dog recent ly
re leased, i t i s one of the less explored and most
scenic reserves . H ighl ights inc lude the Nsumo pan
(home to pods of h ippo 80 s t rong) and the opt ion
of a guided walk through the F ig T ree Forest
(book at recept ion) as wel l as the opportun i ty to
spot the rare b lack rh ino.
OPENING & CLOSING T I MES
GATE T IMES OPEN CLOSE
Oct – Mar (Summer) 5 :00 am 7:00 pm
Apr – Sep (Winter ) 6 :00 am 6:00 pm
HLUHLUWE- IMFOLOZI GAME RESERVE
The o ldest wi ld l i fe sanctuary in South Af r ica
(establ i shed 1895), has the prest ig ious reputat ion
of hav ing saved both the whi te and black rh inos
f rom ext inct ion at the height of the rh ino
poaching epidemic and s t i l l has the h ighes t
dens i ty of these animals in the wor ld. P rev ious ly
two separate game reserves (H luh luwe and
Imfoloz i ) , the two have been jo ined into one
larger reserve and i s home to buf fa lo , l ion ,
e lephant, leopard and plenty of p la ins game. I t i s
eas i l y accessed by day v i s i tor s , e i ther se l f dr iv ing,
or jo in ing one of the open vehic le safar i s on
of fer . Lunch i s best taken at H i l l top Camp wi th i t s
res taurant of fer ing never ending v iews over the
Zulu land h i l l s and grass lands , spotted wi th herds
of g raz ing game. Wel l wor th a v i s i t i f pass ing
th rough, i t can al so be accessed f rom Durban as
a day tour .
Use the nor thern Memor ia l Gate at the Hluh luwe
town ex i t f rom the N2 i f coming f rom the nor th or
the Nyalaz i Gate i f coming f rom the south. The
Memor ia l Gate i s c losest to H i l l top Camp for
lunch, but the Nyalaz i Gate i s the entry point for
the Centenary Centre and game capture bomas.
Th i s i s an informative se l f -guided museum that
covers the h i s tory of game capture in South
Af r ica wi th par t icular reference to the Hluh luwe -
Imfoloz i Game Reserve. 800 metres f rom the
centre are the actual game capture bomas
where any number of an imals are held for
t rans locat ion at any t ime. You may be lucky
enough to see a rh ino or perhaps even g i raf fe at
c lose quar ter s in the bomas. The bomas are
guided and a nominal fee i s charged for th i s .
OPENING & CLOSING T I MES
GATE T IMES OPEN CLOSE
Nov – Feb (Summer) 5 :00 am 7:00 pm
Mar – Oct (Winter ) 6 :00 am 6:00 pm
• Gate t imes are s t r ic t ly adhered to.
• Wi th in the Park - speed l imi t i s a s t r ic t 40 km per
hour and poss ib le game s ight ings wi l l s low you
down.
• H luh luwe sect ion of park – H i l l top Camp
faci l i t ies : res taurant/bar ; shop ( l imi ted suppl ies) ;
laundromat; day v i s i to r faci l i t ies ; swimming pool ,
fuel (un leaded & diesel ) .
• I mfoloz i sect ion of park (Nyal az i Gate) – Mpi la
Camp faci l i t ies : shop ( l imi ted suppl ies) ; day v i s i tor
faci l i t ies ; swimming pool , fuel (un leaded only)
• Vukuzame Communi ty Craf t Market i s at the
entrance to Memor ia l Gate.
I LALA WEAVERS – H luhluwe Town
I la la Weavers , a communi ty pro ject establ i shed
some 30 years back promot ing local hand craf ts
and sel f suf f ic iency amongst the Zulu communi ty
i s wor th a s top.
IS IMANGALISO WETLAND PARK
(former ly know as The Greater S t Lucia Wet land
Park)
Lake S t Lucia, the largest es tuary in A f r ica (360
square k i lometres) i s a vast expanse of t idal and
semi - t idal water , which i s at the hear t of an even
greater wet land sys tem and wi lderness area, that
was declared a Wor ld Her i tage S i te in 1999, and i s
now known as the i S imangal i so Wet land Park
( i S imangal i so – i s i Zu lu word meaning ‘mi racle’) ,
encompass - ing an astoni sh ing range of habi tats –
grass lands , forests , t idal mangroves and
wet lands , la rge in land f reshwater lakes , and
280km of unspoi l t coast l ine s t retching to the
Mozambique border in the nor th , wi th s ome of the
h ighest vegetated dunes in the wor ld (he ights of
200m), as wel l as a coral mar ine sanctuary .
The iS imangal i so Park encompasses the S t Lucia
Game Reserve, the Eastern Shores Game Reserve,
Fal se Bay Park , S t Lucia Mar ine Reserve, Sodwana
Bay Nat ional Park , Maputaland Mar ine Reserve,
Cape Vidal , the Tewate Wi ld -erness area and the
Mkhuze Game Reserve. The parks’ wet land sys tem
plays a cr i t ical ro le in the surv ival of many
migratory species of b i rd. Wi th in th i s mass ive
wi ld l i fe park (328 000 hectare s) , there are
numerous recommended h ighl ights to choose
f rom.
ST LUCIA
St Lucia town i s a smal l hub of act iv i ty , wi th a
hol iday feel , and i s the s tepping s tone to the
many act iv i t ies in the area – most tour companies
have of f ices in S t Luc ia for d i rect pub l ic sa les .
These include St Lucia boat cru i ses to di scover
the abundant crocodi le and h ippo populat ions
(some 8000 s t rong) in the waters of the estuary
(cru i ses las t approx imately 2 hours ) and Whale
watching tours to v iew the Humpback whales
(mid May – mid December only) , which of ten
y ie ld s ight ings of dolphins , sea tur t les and whale
sharks as wel l . Tur t le tours are a h ighl ight of th i s
area (November to February only) and take place
at n ight as endangered Loggerhead and
Leatherback tur t les (Leatherbacks ca n weigh up
to 900kgs! ) come onto the beach to lay thei r
eggs ( the latter par t of the season can include
the l i t t le hatchl ings scrambl ing out of the nest
and heading towards the sea).
Shaka Barker tours (Te l : +27 (0)35 590 1162) of fer s
a number of excel len t tours , inc luding day and
n ight game dr ives in H luh luwe -Imfoloz i and the
Eastern Shores Game Reserve, cycl ing tours ,
walk ing t ra i l s , snorkel l ing at Fal se Bay, Zu lu
communi ty tours and boat cru i ses .
The Crocodi le Centre in S t Lucia i s a great s top to
v iew feeding crocs as wel l as learn about other
rept i les in the park , whi le Veyane Cul tura l V i l lage
on the road into S t Lucia town (about 5km out of
town), prov ides a g l impse in to Zu lu t radi t ional
cul tura l l i fe . A community bus iness in i t iat ive, a
guided tour to the Khula communi ty and v i l lage i s
a l so avai lable.
ESHOWE
Dl inza Forest & Dl inza Forest Aer ia l Boardwalk –
One of the f inest examples of indigenous forest ,
D l inza has three vary ing t ra i l s as wel l as a
boardwalk 10m above ground, and running 125
metres th rough the forest for a b i rd’s eye v iew of
the g iant t rees and pro l i f ic b i rd l i fe. Guides are
avai lable.
Zu lu Homesteads & Cul ture – For some real ins ight
in to contemporary rura l Zu lu l i fe , Zu lu land Eco -
Adventures faci l i tates communi ty exper iences ,
such as a gu ided walk ing tour where you wi l l be
able to personal ly engage wi th a Zu lu fami ly and
local v i l lagers , or depending on the day, jo in a
Sangoma (shaman) Heal ing Ceremony, attend a
Zulu Wedding Ceremony or a Zu lu Coming of
Age Ceremony. Best booked wi t h a few days
not ice, the exper iences can be done f rom
Durban as a day tour , o r pass ing through the
Eshowe area (Zu lu land Eco -Adventures 035 474
2298).
A more commercia l i sed exper ience i s at
Shakaland, (near Eshowe) which i s re lat ively
h i s tor ical ly accurate but wi th more of an
emphas i s on s taged enter ta in ing – the Zulu
v i l lage here was bui l t fo r the movie set Shaka
Zulu .
Durban
Home to Af r ica’s bus iest por t harbour , a
sub-t ropical c l imate and water temperatures
which rare ly drop below 20˚C, Durban i s kno wn
for i t s year round weather and la id back v ibe. The
c i ty i s of ten refer red to as a mel t ing pot of
cul tures , which i s an appropr iate analogy for the
European, Indian and Zulu cul tura l in f luences
found here (Durban i s the c i ty wi th the largest
Indian populat ion outs ide of India, dat ing back
to indentured labourers who came to work the
sugar cane f ie lds in the 1800’s) .
Unique to Durban : T ry a ‘bunny chow’, e i ther a
hal f or quarter loaf of whi te bread wi th the
middle scooped out and f i l led wi th a cur ry o f
choice – eaten wi th your hands.
Hop on board a ‘R ickshaw’ for a r ide along
Durban’s beachfront – r ickshaw pul lers have been
a par t of the c i ty s ince the turn of the century
and cannot be missed in thei r resplendent
headdresses and r ickshaw car ts .
DURBAN ATTRACTIONS
HARBOUR CRUISES – Durban Cent ral
Durban’s harbour i s the bus ies t in Af r ica and
there i s a lways a great deal of act iv i ty , w i th
mass ive cru i se l iners enter ing the harbour as wel l
as count less container sh ips , cranes and tug
boats . Most of the boats depart f rom Wi l son’s
Wharf , which i s i t se l f an att ract ion wi th bars and
restaurants , and some al so head out to sea for
v iews of the c i ty shorel ine.
USHAKA MARINE WORLD – The Point , Durban
Beachf ront
The largest mar ine theme park in Af r ica (and one
of the 5 largest aquar iums in the wor ld) holds a
wor ld c lass mar ine aquar ium wi th d ive tank and
snorkel reef in the bowels of a themed sh ip
wreck, a dolphin and seal show, penguins , a
retai l v i l lage, res taurants ( inc luding the Cargo
Hold which centres around the g lass wal led shark
tank) and ‘Wet n Wi ld’ , a waters l ide park . In f ront
of uShaka i s a great swimming beach, which al so
of fers sur f ing and kayak lessons .
KWAMUHLE MUSEUM – Durban Cent ra l
The museum bui ld ing was once the ‘Department
of Nat ive Affa i r s ’ , where every b lack South
Afr ican was requi red to regi s ter under the harsh
labour contro l laws of the Apartheid sys tem. The
bui ld ing has been t ransformed into a museum
with a broad overv iew of Durban’s somet imes
turbulent pol i t ical past and contemporar y Zu lu
cul ture.
KILLIE CAMPBELL MUSEUM – Berea
A fascinat ing resource of manuscr ipts ,
photographs and books cover ing the south east
Af r ican region and i t s populat ion, dedicated to
the c i ty by the av id col lect or and h i s tor ian K i l l ie
Campbel l , set in a beaut i fu l Colonia l mans ion
over looking the c i ty . H ighl ights of the col lect ion
are the h i s tor ic photograph holdings , an
extens ive Zulu beadwork col lect ion, and the
James S tuart papers which recorded some 200
test imonies of ora l h i s tory and t radi t ion in the
ear ly 20th century .
THE INANDA HERITAGE ROUTE
A township to the nor th of Durban, Inanda has a
number of s i tes of s ign i f icance that are best
d i scover -ed on a rewarding guided tour :
INANDA SEMINARY – Inanda
Founded by the Amer ican Board of Miss ions (ABM)
in 1869, i t was the f i r s t secondary school
exclus ively for Af r ican g i r l s in Southern Af r ica and
has produced many of the top leaders in the
country today. The immaculate gardens and
beaut i fu l l y res tored bui ld ings are open to the
publ ic .
OHLANGA INSTITUTE – Inanda
Founded by Rev . John Dube, the f i r s t pres ident of
the Af r ican Nat ional Congress (ANC). Th i s i s the
h i s tor ical p lace where Pres ident Nel so n Mandela
cast h i s vote in South Af r ica’s f i r s t democrat ic
elect ions in 1994. John Dube s tar ted the f i r s t fu l l y
Af r ican- run and Af r ican- funded educational
sys tem in southern Af r ica, which cont inues to
funct ion to th i s day.
EBUHLENI (SHEMBE VIL LAGE & CHURCH) – Inanda
The Shembe re l ig ion i s a combinat ion of Af r ican
cul ture and Chr i s t ian i ty and has been based on
the Old Testament of the B ib le. Of ten seen in
f lowing whi te robes , the 500 000 fo l lowers
pract ice fast ing per iods and sacred acts such as
the washing of each others’ feet and incorporate
t radi t ional Zu lu dances in thei r worsh ip .
THE GANDHI SETTLEMENT – Phoenix
The communal Phoenix sett lement was an area of
100 acres of lush sugar cane on the outsk i r t s of
Durban, es tabl i shed by Gandhi in 1904 as an
exper imental communal farm where he could
t ra in pol i t ical act iv i s t s against un jus t racia l laws.
I t was here that Gan dhi ref ined h i s pr inc ip les of
‘Satyagraha’ (pass ive res i s t -ance) and h i s home
and gardens have been symp -athet ical ly
res tored.
MOSES MABHIDA STADIUM
Durban’s new 70 000 seater s tadium bui l t for the
FI FA 2010 Wor ld Cup i s an archi tectural
masterp iece that has become a def in ing icon for
the c i ty . Just a few hundred metres f rom the sea,
i t i s v i s ib le f rom vantage points across the c i ty
and beachfront , and in turn of fer s remarkable
v iews of the c i ty , h i s tor ical Berea res ident ia l area
and the Indian Ocean.
The Grand Centre A rch i s 106 metres h igh, and
can be ascended by the SkyCar , a g lass enclosed
fun icular ra i lway that t ravel s to the apex arch.
The more energet ic can ascend v ia 550 s teps on
the Adventure Walk , securely harnessed under
the eye of ins t ructors . I f b ig adrenal ine surges are
your th ing, tes t your mett le on the B ig Swing. Th i s
i s the wor ld’s on ly s tadium swing and the largest
swing of any k ind anywhere, dropping the fu l l
length of the arch and swinging out in a huge 220
metre arc!
Durban’s 6 km long promenade runs f rom the
harbour , past numerous res taurants and of course
beaches, to the s tadium at i t s end point , which
also has on s i te Hero’s Walk commem -orat ing
great South Af r icans , Moses Mabhida Square wi th
water features , indigenous t rees and exten s ive
grassed areas and a People’s Park res taurant .
‘DOLPHIN COAST’
ATTRACTIONS
TRAVELLING NORTH OF DURBAN
UMHLANGA
Main Beach, B lue F lag status – 14km f rom Durban
A resor t town, exper iencing something of a
res ident ia l and commercia l boom, Umhlanga Old
Town buzzes wi th pave-ment res taurants and
bars , whi le a 3km promenade that runs a long the
beaches i s popular wi th walkers and runners . The
New Town i s centred on the r idge, and i t i s here
that the Gateway Theatre of Shopping i s found,
one of the largest shopping centres in the
country , wi th an IMAX theatre and indoor sur f ing
(real ly ! ) . The beaches are re lat ively smal l , but
of fer good swimming in cer ta in areas , wi th
Granny’s Pool best for k ids and fami l ies .
KWAZULU-NATAL SHARKS BOARD – Umhlanga Ridge
The only organisat ion of i t s k ind in the wor ld, the
Sharks Board not only works to protect Durban’s
beaches f rom shark attack, but p lays a major ro le
in shark research and conservat ion. Durban’s
extended 320km of coast l ine i s p rotected for the
most par t by a network of shark nets which are
managed and serv iced regular ly by the Sharks
Board. You can v i s i t the Sharks Board, en joy an
audio v i sual presentat ion and a 20 minute shark
d i s sect ion thereaf ter .
SHOWTIMES & DISSECTI ONS: Tue; Wed; Thu; Sun at
9 :00 am
and 2 :00 pm. BOAT TOURS wi th the crew who
manage and repai r the shark nets i s
a l so a poss ib i l i ty , weather depending. Sk i boat
launch i s at 6 :30 am wi th advance booking
requi red.
THE OYSTER BOX HOTEL – Umhlanga
A landmark on Durban’s coast l ine, the f i r s t hotel
was bui l t on th i s s i te in 1869, wi th the cur rent
hotel an elegant refurb i shment of the gracious
1947 bui ld ing. S top by for h igh tea, lunch
over looking the Indian Ocean, or sund -owners
f rom the roof top bar .
CROCODILE CREEK CROC ODILE FARM
– 10 km in land f rom Bal l i to , 40 kms f rom Durban
Th i s i s a fun fami ly - run farm, which includes
crocodi les , snakes , l i zards and monkeys and i s
home to ‘Hannibal ’ a legendary 5 m Ni le croc. . .
DOLPHIN COAST BEACHE S
(Note that the Nor th Coast beaches tend to be
qui te rocky wi th s t rong undercur rents . Only swim
where there are l i fe -guards on duty and in
demarcated areas) .
BALLITO : 40 km f rom Durban, wi th a t idal pool and
al so some good shopping opportun i t ies at the
L i fes ty le centre on the r idge above the town.
SHAKA’S ROCK : 56 km f rom Durban. Named af ter
a rocky outcrop bel ieved to have been used by
Shaka, the great Zu lu chief as a look -out . The
beach i t se l f i s a graceful s t retch of inv i t ing sand,
sea and a t idal pool wi th a back -drop of craggy
c l i f f s .
SALT ROCK : 58 km f rom Durban . Popular in season
wi th fami l ies , w i th large rock pools and a t idal
pool .
SHEFFIELD BEACH : 60 km f rom Durban. Shel tered
coves and rock pool s def ine th i s qu iet seas ide
hol iday town.
‘HIBISCUS COAST’
ATTRACTIONS
TRAVELLING SOUTH OF DURBAN
THE HARE KRISHNA, SRI SRI RADHANATH TEMPLE OF
UNDERSTANDING – Chatsworth
Just south of Durban, in the t radi t ional ly Indian
area of Chatsworth , i s the archi tectural and
ornate Temple of Unders tanding wi th marble t i les ,
gold t in ted windows, brass ornaments , c rys ta l
chandel ier s and golden s tatuettes – the temple
i t se l f i s des igned to resemble a lotus b lossom.
ALIWAL SHOAL – 54 kms f rom Durban
A reef of f the coast at uMkomaas, hai led as one
of the top 10 dive s i tes in the wor ld – most
notably because of the opportun i ty to d ive wi th
the doci le Ragged Tooth Sharks between May
and September as they come to breed.
CROCODILE FARMS
Two farms on the south coast have been in
operat ion for many years :
CROCWORLD (Scottburgh, 70 kms f rom Durban ) –
Crocs , snakes , par rots , monkeys an d more. Croc
feeding i s dai ly at 11 :00 and 15 :00 except on a
Mon.
RIVERBEND CROCODILE FARM (Ramsgate, 140 kms
f rom Durban) – Home to over 200 Ni le crocodi les .
Croc feeding i s on a Sun at 2 :30 pm. They al so
have a croc educat ion centre, a snake house
and snake demonst rat ions (Sun @ 2 :30 pm).
ORIBI GORGE NATURE RESERVE – 25 km in land f rom
Por t Shepstone, 140 kms f rom Durban
A conservancy of 2000ha wi th a deep gorge
sculpted by the Umzi lu lwana River over mi l lennia,
leav ing behind sand-s tone c l i f f s , indigenous
forest , water fa l l s and breathtak ing v iews.
Baboons , vervet and samango monkeys ,
aardwol f , caracal , serval , jackal , mongoose and
a number of antelope species inhabi t the area,
but i t i s the h ik ing, absei l ing and whi te water
raf t ing that i s most popular . T here i s a good
adventure centre at the reserve, Wi ld F ive at the
Or ib i Gorge Hotel , which al so of fers a gorge
swing.
COFFEE FARM TOURS – BEAVER CREEK
COFFEE ESTATE – near Por t Edward
Guided dai ly ‘Crop to Cup’ tours @ 12 :00 pm –
booking essent ia l - at the end of which a
bottomless cup of f resh ly roasted coffee wi th a
tea t ime t reat i s an opt ion at the estate’s café in
picturesque farm sur rounds.
HIBISCUS COAST BEACHES
H IBBERDENE : 104 km f rom Durban / B lue F lag
s tatus
UVONGO : 140 km f rom Durban / B lue F l ag s tatus
The Uvongo water fa l l i s the most wel l know
att ract ion here, a 23 m water fa l l wi th lagoon that
i s one of the deep-est lagoons in the country ,
wi th a beaut i fu l l y located sp i t of beach to match.
MARGATE : 142 km f rom Durban / B lue F lag S tatus
A mi le long beach ideal for swimming, body
boarding and sur f ing, in a busy hol iday town.
RAMSGATE : 146 km f rom Durban / B lue F lag s tatus
A quaint seas ide v i l lage wi th a quiet beach.
* BLUE FLAG BEACHES:
Th i s i s a European env i ronmental and tour i sm
beach grading sys tem that reassures v i s i to rs that
beaches cer t i f ied are
c lean, safe and env i ronmental ly sound, and
adhere to in ternat ional safety s tandards .
THE OUTER WEST ATTRACTIONS
TRAVELLING INLAND FROM DURBAN
KRANTZKLOOF NATURE RESERVE & KLOOF GORGE
– K loof , 35 kms f rom Durban
Only 4km f rom the centre of K loof , a leafy suburb
of Durban, th i s 532 ha nature reserve, i s a haven
of t ranqui l l i ty w i th in suburbia. The dense forested
gorge cut by two r iver s , i s a popular local
p icn ick ing spot, w i th 20km of na ture walks and
the impress ive K loof Fal l s .
VALLEY OF 1000 HILLS – Botha’s H i l l , 45 kms f rom
Durban
T ravel th rough the monied suburb of H i l lc rest , and
head on up to Botha’s H i l l for a smal l s l ice of ar ts
and craf ts 40 mins f rom Durban. A nar row winding
road prov ides great v iews of the Val ley of 1000
H i l l s , where you wi l l g l impse Zulu homesteads
dotted across thei r green expanse. B rowse
cottage furn i ture and craf t shops , and v i s i t the
PheZulu Crocodi le and Rept i le Park. On the f i r s t
and las t Sunday of ev ery month, a fu l l y res tored
s team t ra in runs f rom K loof S tat ion (S tokers Arms)
a long the edge of the Val ley (twice dai ly 8 :45 am
and 12:30 pm).
NATAL MIDLANDS ATTRACTIONS
PIETERMARITZBURG
(Spr ing board to the Midlands Meander)
P ietermar i tzburg, KwaZu lu-Natal ’s second largest
ci ty and capi ta l of the prov ince, i s a botanical
c i ty , and dur ing the spr ing t ime i s a r iot of
T ibouchinas, Bougainv i l leas and Jacarandas. I t i s
home to some of the f inest examples of
Edwardian and Victor ian archi tecture in the
country , whi le the P ietermar i tzburg Ci ty Hal l
(1893) i s the largest red br ick bui ld ing in the
southern hemisphere, bu i l t in 1893, ravaged by
f i re in 1895, and reconst ructed in 1901. Just
outs ide of the Ci ty Hal l , s tands the One O’clock
Gun, which as i t s name suggests , used to be f i red
every day at one o’c lock barr ing Sundays , and to
s ignal the ar r ival of post f rom Durban.
A bronze s tatue of Mahatma Gandhi s tands in
Church S t reet in P ietermar i tzburg’s c i ty centre – i t
was on a t ra in journey up f rom Durban to Ulundi
(May 1893), when Gandhi , in possess ion of a f i r s t
c lass t icket , was unceremonious ly thrown f rom the
t ra in , due to a whi te passengers ’ v iew that
Indians should only t ravel in th i rd c lass car r iages .
Gandhi refused to re locate to th i rd c lass and was
therefore ev icted f rom the t ra in in
P ietermart i zburg. Forced to wai t at the t ra in
s tat ion for the next avai lable coach, i t was here
that Gandhi reso lved to remain in South Af r ica, to
f ight for equal r ights for a l l Indians in South
Af r ica. Nel son Mandela, aw arding Gandhi ,
posthumous ly the F reedom of P ietermar i tzburg
sa id ‘When Gandhi was ev icted f rom the t ra in , an
Indian v i s i t ing South Afr ica fe l l , but when Gandhi
rose, an Indian South Afr ican arose.’
TATHAM ART GALLERY – P ietermar i t zburg
Datubg back to 1903 , the gal lery i s one of South
Afr ica’s foremost ar t museums, contain ing
s ign i f icant Br i t i sh and French ar tworks dat ing
back to the 18th century . I ts South Af r ican ar t i s
focused on but not exclus ive to KwaZulu -Natal ,
wi th support and recogni t ion of upcomin g local
ar t i s t s .
PIETERMARITZBURG’S BOTANICAL GARDENS –
P ietermar i t zburg
Establ i shed in the 1870’s , the gardens’ focus i s on
the propagat ion of rare or endangered
indigenous p lants . There i s a l so a ‘muth i ’ garden
( t radi t ional medic inal p lants) .
HOWICK – Mid lands Meander town
The main att ract ion here i s the Howick Fal l s . A t
a di zzy ing height of 90 m, the fa l l s are impress ive,
whi le a number of good craf t , ant ique and cur io
markets l ine the s t reets . The informat ion centre
here i s excel lent and a guide to t he Midlands
Meander i s recommended.
Twenty minutes (18 km) f rom Howick i s the
Kark loof Nature Reserve, which of fer s Kark loof
Canopy Tours – a un ique eco-exper ience through
pr i s t ine indigenous forest .
ARDMORE CERAMICS STU DIO –
Caversham/L idget ton
Here Zulu art i s t s create v ibrant , somet imes
fanci fu l , ceramic works of ar t .
Wi th a team of up to 40 local ar t i s t s , they ref lect
t rad- i t ional Af r ican s tor ies and mythology in
h igh ly detai led creat ions that have graced
auct ions at Chr i s t ies and Bonhams as wel l a s
gal ler ies in New York , Cape Town and
Johannesburg.
TALA PRIVATE GAME RESERVE – Camperdown
Just an hour out of Durban, i s a quaint pr ivate
reserve, home to whi te rh ino, g i raf fe, zebra and a
var iety of ante- lope species . Game dr ives in open
safar i vehic les , bush walks , quad bike t ra i l s and
horse t ra i l s (exper ienced r iders on ly) , wh ich are
a l l ranger gu ided, are avai lable, as are p icn ic
baskets .
NOTT INGHAM ROAD – Midlands Meander town
A smal l but p icturesque town, wi th good
restaurants and a meet ing point for the horse
f ratern i ty . Nott ingham Road Pub i s one of the
o ldest in KwaZulu -Natal and i s wonderfu l l y
atmospher ic – a l so t ry Nott ingham Road Brewery
at Rawdon’s Es tate which i s one of South Af r ica’s
best micro-brewer ies . Fourdoun Es tate i s nearby
and i s a renowned day spa us ing t radi t ional Zu lu
t reatments .
Day Tours
DURBAN
Al l day tours p ick up and drop of f f rom Durban
and Umhlanga Rocks hotel s .
DURBAN CITY TOUR Hal f Day – Departs dai ly at
8 :30 am
An or ientat ion to the c i ty of Durban, inc luding
the Wor ld Cup Soccer Stadium, the harbour
mouth, the c i ty centre, V ictor ia S t reet Market and
the Univers i ty bui ld ings , wi th v iews across the c i ty ,
harbour and ocean.
TOWNSHIP TOUR Ful l Day – Departs Mon to F r i at
9 :00 am
Star t at Kwa Muhle Museum which recount s the
Apartheid exper ience f rom a Durban perspect ive,
before cont inuing v ia the weal thy suburbs to the
informal sett lement of Cato Manor , the township
of Clermont where you v i s i t a local shebeen (pub)
and KwaDabeka, the largest migrant labour
hoste l in South Af r ica.
HLUHLUWE GAME RESERVE Fu l l Day – Departs dai ly
at 6 :00 am
Head nor th in to Zu luland for a fu l l day of game
v iewing in H luh luwe-Imfoloz i , renowned for i t s
rh ino populat ions as wel l as s t rong populat ions of
e lephant, l ion , buf fa lo , zebra and g i ra f fe. A
p icn ic lunch i s inc luded.
SANI PASS AND LESOTH O Fu l l Day – Departs dai ly
6 :00 am
T ravel in land, past P ietermar i tzburg to the base of
Sani Pass , where you jo in a 4x4 vehic le to take
you up the pass and into Lesotho. Meet the local
Basotho communi ty , and have lunch at the
h ighest pub in Af r ica, wi th breathtak ing v iews.
Tours can be booked di rect l y wi th I l ios T ravel
contacts : +27 (0)21 534 5994 – book ing of f ice