KwaZulu-Natal self drive vacations

While Cape Town and the Garden Route shout loudest on the self drive circuit, don’t overlook lovely KwaZulu-Natal. Wild and rugged, this province the size of Portugal offers spectacular Indian Ocean beaches, conservation leading game reserves and historic battlefields – all underpinned by the colourful beads and dramatic dances of traditional Zulu culture.

It’s a perfect destination for more adventurous drivers, or if you’ve already been to South Africa and are looking for an alternative to Cape Town and the Garden Route for your second visit. The roads here are still well maintained, light on traffic and well signposted, but rural roads are often gravel and you’ll be traveling through remote – yet spectacularly beautiful – scenery.

KwaZul- Natal’s history is far from peaceful and the warriors of the Zulu Kingdom still retain their reputation as fearsome fighters. Rightly so, the Anglo-Zulu War and the later Boer Wars, driven by the discovery of diamonds and gold in the region were intense, bloody and unforgiving. Take a tour of the battlefields at Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift and let your local historian guide bring to life stories of the conflicts that shaped South Africa during the 19th Century.

South Africa’s busiest beach resort has been undergoing somewhat of a transformation over recent years. This cosmopolitan city, home to Zulus, Afrikaaners, Portuguese, Italians, Greeks, Germans and the largest population of Indians outside the Indian subcontinent, is likely to be your first stop on a KwaZulu-Natal self drive itinerary. You can expect golden Indian Ocean beaches safe for swimming, ubiquitous bunny chow (hollowed-out bread filled with curry – a Durban speciality), and boutique shops alongside bustling Indian markets.

Warm year-round, sub-tropical KwaZulu-Natal enjoys hot and humid summers (from October to April) and mild, dry winters (from May to September). The further inland you travel, the cooler the climate becomes, particularly at night. Generally, the best time to go for game viewing is the dry winter months, as animals tend to congregate in small areas around the reserves’ shrinking waterholes, although you’ll need some warm layers if you’re trip also takes you into the Drakensberg Mountains at this time. This is also the best time to see humpback and southern right whales migrating up the coast from Antarctica towards their breeding grounds off the coast of Mozambique. They make the return journey from September to December. May, June and July also heralds the Sardine Run, where huge shoals of sardines migrate northwards along the KwaZulu-Natal coast, accompanied by vast numbers of dolphins, sharks and marine birds. April and May is particularly pleasant across the region, while November sees the mountains carpeted in wild flowers.