10 Days - KwaZulu-Natal - From £600

Our 10 day KwaZulu-Natal itinerary takes you from Durban to the Drakensberg Mountains, the battlefields, 2 nights in a game reserve and a stop-over in the Wetlands.

Day 1

Arrive in Durban, pick up your hired car and check into your hotel.

Today you may decide to have a lazy day on one of Durban’s famous beaches on the Golden Mile or explore the surrounding areas. You could visit FitzSimon’s Snake Park or see sharks up close at uShaka Marine World. There is also the Indian area around Grey Street, the Victoria Street Indian Market or Dalton Road Zulu Market. Maybe rent a bicycle to get around the flatter beach area of the city. Overnight in Durban.

Day 2

Leave Durban and head for the Howick Waterfalls, a Natural Heritage Site. Follow part of the Midlands Meander, a scenically enchanting arts-and-crafts route. Get off the tourist track, there is no need for speed. Visit studios and workshops offering weaving, pottery, painting, graphics and art restoration along this unique route. Overnight en route.

Day 3

Continue the Midlands Meander, enjoying the stunning scenery along the way to your hotel in the Central Drakensberg Mountains. View the breathtaking natural sights of this awe-inspiring landscape, features like Giant’s Castle and Cathedral Peak on a backdrop of beautiful clear skies. Take in the abundance of fresh air as you trek through these wilderness areas. Overnight in Central Drakensberg.

Day 4

Enjoy the abundance of activities in this area. Choose a guided walk to bushman paintings and view mountain streams and rock pools. Try horse riding, mountain biking, golf or fly fishing. See the abundance of game, birds, plants and rock art. Finish the day with a refreshing sundowner drink or a traditional braai (barbeque). Overnight in Central Drakensberg.

Day 5

Drive to Rorke’s Drift for a taste of the battlefields. Here you can visit the garrisoned mission station where some 150 British soldiers heroically resisted a Zulu onslaught of about 4,000 warriors on 22 and 23 January 1879. 11 Victoria Crosses were awarded as a result of this resistance. Overnight near Rorke’s Drift.

Day 6

Leave Rorke’s Drift for the drive to your accommodation in a game park. See a wide variety of animals and birdlife. ‘The Big 5’ lion, rhino (both white and black), elephant, buffalo, and leopard can be seen in the park as well as a variety of other species like cheetah, wild dog and giraffe. Overnight in the park.

Day 7

Take a day walk in the park supervised by an experienced field ranger or follow one of the self-guide foot trails. Alternatively, choose between a game drive with a ranger in an open vehicle or follow an auto trail and discover the secrets of the bushveld from the seclusion of your own hired vehicle. For a different experience try a night game drive. Overnight in the park.

Day 8

Drive the short distance to the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, a World Heritage Site, where there are unspoilt beaches, vast wetlands and game reserves all rolled into one. From here you can go fishing or bird watching or walk some leisurely hiking trails. Overnight at Lake St Lucia.

Day 9

Drive to Durban along the Dolphin Coast via the more interesting Old North Coast Road. Stop off at pretty beach resorts such as Salt Rock, Ballito or Umhlanga Rocks. In the Zulu language, Umhlanga means "Place of Reeds", referring to the beds of reeds that accumulate on the banks of the Ohlanga river nearby. Overnight in Durban.

Day 10

Make some last minute shopping purchases before your connecting flight home.