Accommodation and Travel in KwaZulu Natal South Africa

Northern Natal in South Africa has both scenic beauty and wildlife attractions. There are numerous small towns such as Vryheid, Dundee, Ladysmith and Mkuze where there is fairly good accommodation, and there are also luxury game ranches where one can stay in 5 star facilities, for a price. However, if you are visiting from USA or Europe, the exchange rate is extremely favourable, so much so that you may find the luxury accomodation relatively cheap.

There are numerous state run game reserves in Northern Natal: The Mkuze reserve, the Ithala Reserve, the Mfolozi Reserve and the Hluhluwe reserve. These are all run by the Conservation Services of Natal, and have international class accommodation in Chalets or bungalows with restaurant facilities on site. All these reserves have at least the big Four (Elephant, Rhinocerous, Buffalo and Leopard) and some have Lion as well.

There are also privately run luxury game resorts that have the Big Five running on their ranches. There is one near the little village of Magudu, another near Mkuze and a lot of less luxurious but no less exciting game ranches and bush camps.

Most of these places organise daily game drives in specially adapted open vehicles, so one can get up close and personal with very large wild animals. The rule is: stay in the vehicle and enjoy; get out the vehicle and you are eaten. Apparently the animals see the vehicle as a single entity, and they don't percieve the people on it as separate edible items, so if you stay on the vehicle they basically ignore you, having taken a few bites of a Toyota in the past, and found it rather unpalatable!

In the town of Vryheid, which is less than 2 hours drive from any of the game reserves or ranches, there is ample shopping facilities, a number of Motels and Bed and Breakfast establishments, such as Oxford Lodge, Stilwater Motel, Shonalanga Lodge and Villa Prince Imperial. The town has it's own mini game reserve, with a lot of buck, zebra, wildebeest and small game.

Cellphone comms are good all over Northern Natal, with a few dead spots in the deeper valleys. The game reserves themselves are mostly covered. There are good hospitals in Newcastle, Richards Bay and of course Durban. A couple of rescue helicopters also operate out of Durban, and there is an air mercy system in place too.

Many companies offer bus tours through the game reserves. There are also helicopter and microlight flights that can be arranged, cultural tours, hunting trips, white water rafting (there is a magnificent gorge on the Pivane river near Vryheid.) , skydiving and tiger fish to be caught in the Jozini dam near Mkuze. The Jozini dam also has a crocodile farm and eco area, which is quite interesting. See http://www.kzn.co.za/home soon to be http://www.kwazulu-natal.co.za for more details. Also see http://www.wheretostay.co.za/kzn/ for lots more info on where to find accomodation and things to do.

If you are interested in visiting the old battlefields of the Angloboer and the Zulu wars, the best place to stay would be in Dundee, as all the battlefields are easily accessible from there. There are also battlefields near Vryheid, and there are many battlefield guides to explain the history of the places to you in lurid detail.

There are lots of other things to do, and you are sure to find your tastes will be satisfied in Northern Kwazulu Natal.