KwaZulu-Natal covers 94351 square kilometers and comprises about 7.8% of the country’s land mass ,derives its name from the Zulu meaning from the ‘dwelling place of the Zulu’ and the name Port Natalia ,given to the port of Durban early Portuguese explorers.
KwaZulu-Natal is a year round holiday destination which seamlessly combines aweinspiring mountains, warm golden beaches, untamed bush-land and wildlife, the tranquility of green rolling hills, a rich history and a deep seated culture.
One of its World Heritage Sites, the famed uKhahlamba- Drakensberg Park in the majestic Drakensberg Mountains, boasts a treasure trove of San art, and the second, the ecologically sensitive iSimangaliso Wetland Park at St Lucia on KwaZulu-Natal’s north Coast, offers no fewer than 20 different eco-systems.
From the sub- tropical paradise of its pristine coastline, to its towering mountains, snowcapped in winter, to the natural wilderness of its hot, dry plains where cacti and aloes abound, there really is something for everyone in the Zulu Kingdom, KwaZulu-Natal.
KwaZulu-Natal’s tourist and business hub is the port city of Durban. Home to three million people, this is a truly cosmopolitan city, a veritable melting pot of cultures and experiences.
The city is built around a bustling port – the busiest in Africa – and fronts on to its well known beachfront – the Golden Mile. This modern city has well established and highly advanced infrastructure, it is South Africa’s leading domestic tourist destination. With its mix of top- class accommodation, a world of shopping experiences to suit every pocket, world class sporting facilities, leading marine theme park, pumping nightlife, top-flight restaurants offering cuisine to wet any appetite and its gloriously golden beaches, this sun and surf paradise has everything for which the most discerning visitor could wish.
For those seeking a spot of retail therapy, Durban and its surrounds offer some of the best including the Pavilion, the Gateway Theatre of Shopping, one of the biggest malls in the southern hemisphere, and the Midlands Mall in nearby Pietermaritzburg – capital city of KwaZulu-Natal. The latest addition is the Westwood Mall at 45th cutting, minutes from the centre of Durban.
Durban is noted for its unbelievably varied cuisine. This is a place where the exotic tastes of the East mix easily with both the European palate and traditional African cooking. Indeed, nothing beats a Durban curry and so-called ‘bunny chow’, and visitors eager to try local offerings should not leave the city without having tasted such fare.
KwaZulu-Natal is widely renowned for its climate, which makes the region an idyllic, year round holiday destination of choice.
Durban and its adjacent north and south coast resorts are particularly famed for hot, sultry summers and mild sunny winters, making their beaches a major draw-card for visitors. With an average of 320 sunny days a year and temperatures ranging between 16C and 25C during the winter months of June, July and August, and soaring to a toasty 32C in summer, coupled with warm waters of the Indian Ocean, KwaZulu-Natal beaches attract sun-worshippers, surfers, scuba divers and water sport enthusiasts from far and wide.
Durban’s beaches stretch along its Golden Mile and if you want a break from the ‘fun shine’ you can enjoy a range of waterbased activities, fine dining, walks in lush gardens or splash out on curios by which to remember your visit. Located at the end of the Golden Mile is Vetch’s Pier, a stunning snorkeling and dive site, and the adjacent uShaka Marine World theme park comprising an ultra modern aquarium and restaurant built into a shipwreck, loads of water slides including the highest slide in Africa for the young and young at heart and a shopping arcade with dozens of specialty shops.
