Things to do in KwaZulu-Natal

Experience the rolling hills of the Savannah grasslands and a magical African sunrise. Sit back and relax while your ranger takes you to the best areas within the park. With trained eyes and years of experience, your ranger will undoubtedly deliver some magnificent sightings. Learn more about this fascinating park and the incredible history of when King Shaka used the lower Umfolozi as his personal hunting grounds or how the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park single-handedly saved the rhinos from near extinction. The park is home not only to the African Big 5 (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo) but also includes cheetahs, wild dogs, and many more. Enjoy breakfast and lunch at one of the numerous scenic picnic areas within the park. The tour concludes with a drop off at the Nyalazi Gate or alternatively, drop off back at your accommodation in St. Lucia.

Witness hippos, Nile crocodiles, and hundreds of bird species onboard a cruise departing from St Lucia. This two-hour safari gets you up close to the residents of the estuary. Discover St Lucia iSimangaliso Wetland Park, one of the largest Estuarine systems in Africa. Travel aboard an exclusive 15-seater vessel with experienced and knowledgable skippers and rangers onboard. They will be happy to answer any questions you may have and furnish you with some incredible facts and information on the area.

This tour will take you on an unforgettable trip around Durban. Durban Harbor is the biggest and busiest harbor in the southern hemisphere. The harbor tours are especially educational for kids, as the boat takes them to points of interest in Africa’s largest harbor and shows them the route through which ships enter the harbor, discharge cargo, and exit. The skipper will teach the passengers about the port and its operation. If the weather conditions are favourable, the boat may go further out from the shore. The skipper is in close contact with the passengers and will give you a comprehensive guided tour. The trip will either take you down the Maydon Wharf Channel or to the City and Cor Container terminal.

Spend a day touring Durban from a vantage point on the Indian Ocean. Check out the sights and look out for pods of dolphins along the route. Pass by enormous container and cruise ships at the port. See the beautiful beachfront from a new perspective out on the water, and Wilson's Wharf; a lovely hidden gem filled with restaurants and entertainment. Enjoy protection from the sun with a semi-covered boat so you can see the sights comfortably.

Your first stop is Natal Lion Park which is home to a variety of wildlife including African and Asian Elephants, Rhinos and lions. After a drive around the park you will enter the Lion’s enclosure to marvel at size and beauty of these great cats. Finally visit Tala Game Reserve, a wildlife sanctuary spanning over 3000 hectares. It features over 380 bird species and a variety of wildlife that includes Rhino, Giraffe, Kudu, Hippo and Eland in a beautiful, relaxing setting. You will then be returned to your preferred drop-off location in Durban.

Day 1: Cape Town – Hermanus – Cape Agulhas The tour departs from Cape Town and heads to Hermanus. Follow the scenic coastal road to Betty's Bay to see a colony of endangered African penguins. Spend the afternoon in the seaside resort town of Hermanus, famous for playing home to hundreds of Southern Right whales from July to November. The town also features many shops, restaurants, and markets. In the afternoon you'll drive on to Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa, and the place where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet. Day 2:  Cape Agulhas – Oudtshoorn Travel to Oudtshoorn in the Little Karoo, known as the ostrich capital of the world, via scenic Route 62, South Africa’s longest wine route. Sample local wines before experiencing the subterranean beauty of the Cango Caves on a guided tour. Day 3:  Oudtshoorn – Knysna – Sedgefield After breakfast head over to Outeniqua Mountain Pass, where you'll explore Wilderness National Park by canoe. Enjoy a paddle up the Touw River through the indigenous forest, admiring the diverse local birds along the way. After about 40 minutes, leave your canoe behind for a 2-kilometer hike along a boardwalk that leads to rock pools and a lovely waterfall. Afterwards, head to the famous town of Knysna via the beautiful Garden Route Lake District. Visit the famous Knysna Heads viewing point, overlooking the Knysna estuary. Spend the late afternoon exploring the beaches of Sedgefield. Day 4: Sedgefield- Tsitsikamma - Addo After breakfast, head off to Tsitsikamma National Park. En route, you'll stop at Bloukrans Bridge, the world’s highest bungee jump bridge, standing at 216 meters tall. You'll spend the afternoon in Tsitsikamma National Park, which features a unique combination of indigenous forest and beautiful Indian Ocean coastline. The park offers hikes of varying lengths including a walk across a suspension bridge, and swimming. In the late afternoon, depart the Garden Route for Addo. Day 5: Addo-Wilderness/Mossel Bay Spend the morning exploring Addo Elephant National Park. You'll get up to 2-3 hours to roam the 28,000-hectare national reserve, home to approximately 600 elephants and various other animals, including buffalo, lions, rhinos, warthogs and many more. After an exciting morning on safari, we drive back to the Garden Route where we overnight in Wilderness/Mossel Bay. Day 6: Wilderness –Mossel Bay - Cape Town After breakfast, stop in Mossel Bay to spend some time on the gorgeous beaches, hike the Cape St. Blaize trail along the seaside cliffs, and visit the famous Diaz Museum complex which commemorates the first known European exploration around the tip of Africa. The more adventurous can try a 10,000 foot tandem skydive or sandboarding on the longest dune in South Africa. Arrive back at Cape Town in the early evening.

After pickup from your accommodations, your guide will take you on a safari drive in iSimangaliso Wetland Park. You'll have the chance to see many animals in their natural habitat including elephants, hippos, rhinos, hyenas, buffalos, zebras, wildebeest, antelopes, chameleons and if you're lucky, perhaps a leopard. Then head to the beach for 2 hours of snorkeling and discover over 50 different species of fish. If you're not a keen snorkeler, you can enjoy the beach on your own or go for a little birdwatching walk on the forest dunes of Cape Vidal with another guide. Your tour is conducted in a laid-back, yet professional manner and includes breakfast and a delicious African braai (barbeque) lunch.

Marvel at the iconic Durban skyline from a unique perspective on a 30 minutes circular journey around Durban point canals. Relax aboard a luxury pontoon boat, which features comfortable luxury seating and a professional tour guide. Pass by Durban’s historic and impressive attractions from the comfort of your boat. Cruise and sail through the canals and take in a unique atmosphere. See historic, impressive, like uShaka and Ithala Trade Centre. Enjoy a relaxing way to do sightseeing in Durban and escape the traffic noise and congestion. Explore the open decks that allow you to feel the cooling river breeze and see the city from many points that offer perfect photo opportunities.

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Itinerary Day 1: Depart at 08:00 from Durban and head to the aptly named town of Underberg under the Drakensberg mountains. In our guided 4wd vehicle in Underberg we proceed into Lesotho Via Sani Pass The Sani Pass climbs from 1500m to 2874m ASL. The famous switchbacks overlooking the South African valleys are spectacular. Go on a hike of the escarpment overlooking the Sani Pass or pony trek along the cliffs. Day 2: Climb further to the top of Black Mountain Pass at 3240m ASL. The remote villages of the Sani Top and Mokhotlong areas are some of the most remote villages in Lesotho. Get an inside look at the people living in this tough environment with a visit to a village. Picnic lunch is over a beautiful vista of the Senqu river, which becomes the Orange river in South Africa. An important river for several Southern African countries makes the perfect lunch stop. The route from Sani Top to Thaba Bosiu is often called the Roof of Africa route, we have already conquered the Sani Pass as well as Black Mountain Pass. After lunch we tackle Taeeng pass at 3225m and Motebong pass at 2820m. Along the way you will see Letseng Diamond mine–the world’s highest diamond mine and Afriski Moutain Resort and countless villages and other picturesque scenes. We will head to our overnight accommodation in Hlotse. Check-in at Bird Haven at approx. 18:00. Day 3: Breakfast at 07:00, departure at approx. 08:00-30. We backtrack slightly to visit a riverbed close to our overnight accommodation, where there is evidence of prehistoric life forms. If the river is in flood these ancient footprints are hidden to the world but usually the water levels are low enough for us to look at the Dinosaur Footprints We now leave the main road to Maseru and travel to the Kome Caves, home to modern cave-dwellers, these caves were originally inhabited by clans escaping the Lifqane wars and cannibalism. We make our way to Thaba Bosiu along the back roads which go through many rural villages. Thaba Bosiu is a cultural centre of utmost importance to Lesotho and its history. From Thaba Bosiu we drive into the capital city Maseru for lunch at approx. 13:00, this gives one a good understanding of modern-day city life in Lesotho and its mix with Lesotho’s strong culture. By 15:00, We head back into the highlands of Lesotho going through the Mantsa Pass to highland town of Semonkong. Check-in at Semonkong at approx. 17:30 Day 4: Breakfast at 7:30am Hike/4wd Drive to the Maletsunyane Falls Depart the Lesotho highlands via passes that enter South Africa at Qacha’s Nek. We snake our way through the last remote villages of Lesotho. We cross the Senqu river again–which we first saw on day 1 and then follow it along the Senqu river valleys toward the border town of Qachas Nek. Once back in South Africa we are normally in Matatiele around 13:00 for lunch. From Matatiele we skirt alongside the Drakensberg mountains and return to Underberg along scenic back roads, returning usually around 15:00-16:00