Natal, KwaZulu Attractions
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Top Tourist Attractions in Natal
Despite being a relatively small province, KwaZulu/Natal has a concentration of everything travelers come to South Africa for. There's the Drakensberg mountain range with its scenic views plus beaches, savannas and historic Boer War and Anglo-Zulu battlefields.KwaZulu/Natal has a population of over 10.2 million (over 21% of South Africa's total population), mostly Zulus and a thriving Zulu culture is still in practice today.The province's center of population and administration is the Durban/Pinetown area which also has the main concentration of South Africa's Asian population. The provincial capital is Pietermaritzburg.
St Lucia Wetland Park
Lake St Lucia is the main attraction of St Lucia Wetland Park. Known for being the country's largest inland lake, the park has abundant bird life, including flamingos and pelicans.
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Hluhluwe & Umfolozi Game Reserves
These game reserves were established in the late 1800s, making them some of the oldest in the country.
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Mkuzi Game Reserve
The landscape of the Mkuzi Game Reserve is a mix of coastal dunes, wooded steppe, forest, and savanna. The area attracts large numbers of birds.
Ndumu Game Reserve
The Ndumu Game Reserve features wetlands of tropical and subtropical habitats, and dense forest that are home to hippos, crocodiles, cheetahs, and other large game.
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Eshowe, South Africa
Eshowe lies in a beautiful sugar-growing area to the west of N 2, which here runs parallel to the north coast of KwaZulu/Natal. It is an attractive town and a good stopover on a journey into the Zulu heartland.In 1860 the Zulu king Cetshwayo or Cetewayo established his royal kraal in this area before moving to Ondini. During the Zulu Wars both Eshowe and Ondini were destroyed. After the annexation of Zululand and its incorporation in the province of Natal the British authorities built a number of forts in the region, including Fort Nongqai in Eshowe. The town became the administrative center of the newly conquered territory in 1887.An agricultural show held here annually in June draws large numbers of visitors.
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Amanzimtoti, South Africa
Amanzimtoti, situated on the Umbogintwini River to the south of Durban, is the first of the many holiday resorts which lie along the 160km/100mi of coast between Durban and Port Edward. The town owes its name to the story that when the great Zulu king Shaka drank the water of the Umbogintwini for the first time in 1828 he exclaimed "Kanti amanza mtoti!" ("The water is fresh!").The town has grown considerably in recent years and is now almost a suburb of Durban. It attracts some 300,000 visitors a year.The most popular part of the 7km/4.5mi long sandy beach, interrupted here and there by rocky promontories, is the Nvoni Rocks area, which among other facilities has a seawater swimming pool.
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Vryheid, South Africa
Vryheid is the largest town on the Northern Natal Battlefields Route, which takes in various battlefields, the scene of fighting between British forces and Zulus and between British forces and the Boers.Vryheid was briefly the capital of the New Republic proclaimed by the Boers in 1884, which survived only until 1887, when it was incorporated in the Transvaal. It has, however, preserved a number of historic buildings from the period of independence, including the Volksraad and the Lucas Meyer House, once the home of the State President's widow and now a museum
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Estcourt, South Africa
Estcourt is a small industrial town on the Bushman River in an intensively cultivated farming area. Although the town itself has no outstanding features of interest, it is a good center for visiting the Drakensberg. Estcourt is one of the oldest towns in Natal, a voortrekker settlement having been established in this area in 1838.
