South Africa Blog

The KwaZulu Natal Province in South Africa boasts 600km of subtropical beaches on the warm Indian Ocean coastline. What makes this fantastic coastline even better is that KwaZulu Natal also has fantastic weather all year round – even in winter! The water is warm and contains an abundance of magnificent tropical fish and coral reefs. The beaches in KwaZulu Natal offer something for everyone from safe beaches for family outings to the wild beaches that are a surfer’s paradise. The waves in KwaZulu Natal are fantastic wherever you go.

A Blue Flag status is awarded to those beaches that achieve excellence in water quality, environmental education and information, adhere to international safety standards, a high level of cleanliness, good quality of facilities (toilets and showers) and professional lifeguard services. Five beaches in the Zulu Kingdom were awarded Blue Flag status namely Margate Main Beach, Ramsgate Beach and Marina Beach near Southbroom on the South Coast; South Beach in Durban, and Willard Beach in Ballito. (Additional info at Blue Flag Beaches in KwaZulu Natal)

Margate Beach is long stretch of beach on the South Coast and is ideal for swimming, bodyboarding and surfing. There is also a famous fishing spot off a pier. Margate is a vibrant holiday town with an abundance of restaurants, bars and shops. After enjoying a refreshing swim, stop over at one of the many cafes and sip on a cool cocktail whilst admiring the magnificent view.

Ramsgate Beach is situated along a quaint village known as Ramsgate just south of Margate. It is a quiet beach with awesome picnic facilities. If you feel like a contemplative stroll, there’s a beautifully scenic walking trail that extends southwards from Ramsgate towards the picturesque Southbroom beach and lagoon. Marina Beach is a long pristine beach and tidal pool between Southbroom and San Lameer. It is also rather close to the awesome Mpenjati river mouth and lagoon.

Willard Beach is the main swimming beach in Ballito, ‘Pearl’ of the North Coast where you can enjoy a scenic walk on the boardwalk and take pleasure in the spectacular views of bays and coves. South Beach is part of Durban’s famous ‘Golden Mile’ and is ideal for swimming, especially for children as it is protected from the powerful westerly winds and large waves.

The Elephant coast boasts pristine beautiful beaches namely Black Rock just South of Kosi Bay, Cape Vidal (a noted fishing venue), First Rocks, Hulley Point, Jesser Point, Kosi Bay Estuary, Leven Point, Liefeldt’s Rock, Mission Rocks, Rocktail Bay, Sodwana Bay, St. Lucia and St.Lucia Estuary. St Lucia Wetlands Park is a World heritage Site and boasts long stretches of white sandy beaches. Visitors can explore the many rock pools along the beach, and watch for humpback whales in October.

Zululand has many gorgeous beaches perfect for all water sports namely Alkantrand, Durnford Point, Five Mile Beach, Mbonambi Beach, Mtunzini Beach, Newark and Two Mile Beach.

South Africa’s North coast shoreline is an attractive combination of golden beaches and rock pools perfect for safe swimming, surfing, scuba diving, rock and skiboat fishing, or just relaxing on the beach. There are numerous gorgeous beaches namely Ballito Beach, Zinkwazi Beach, Umhlali Beach, Tinley Manor Beach, Thompson’s Bay Beach, Sheffield Beach, Shaka’s Rock Beach, Salt Rock, Blythedale Beach and Clark Bay.

The lovely South Coast has an abundance of magnificent beaches namely Southport (Anerley), Banana Beach, Bazley Beach, Beach Terminus, Big Tree Beach, Clansthal, Glenmore Beach, Green Point, Margate Beach and Marina Beach to mention a few. Clearly, KwaZulu Natal is a mecca for all beach lovers. Warm waters, white sands, fantastic waves and plenty of warm sun makes KwaZulu Natal a popular South African beach destination.

Related Pages:
KwaZulu Natal Attractions
KwaZulu Natal Accommodation
KwaZulu Natal Hotels

On entering the town of Oudtshoorn we were welcomed by hundreds of ostrich farms as far as the eye can see. In fact, Oudtshoorn boasts over 400 Ostrich farms. The area is dry but possesses a certain inviting atmosphere. Oudtshoorn is enchanting with lots of old Victorian homes, gorgeous gables and antique stores. Oudtshoorn certainly took us back in time where ox wagons were the means of transport and the women wore rather warm dresses. Here in Oudtshoorn you will get the sense that this is a community where everyone knows everybody else’s business. A small town like this is all about friendship, family and living together as one big community.

Photographs: Right: Inside the Cango Caves
Left: Ostrich Mom and chicks. (See more Ostrich photographs and info at: http://www.sa-venues.com/wildlife/birds_ostrich.htm

The climate in this Region is incredibly warm and dry. Even so, Oudtshoorn surprisingly boasts a few fantastic wine farms including Boplaas. When we arrived at these wine farms, we were welcomed with dried and sweetened fruit pieces which are very popular in this area. The people here are always very hospitable.

We explored The Cango Caves, Crocodile farm, Ostrich farm and the Cango Wildlife Reserve. The Cango Caves is truly a marvel! It lies in the Swartberg Mountain range, which is a Heritage Site. The Cango Caves are situated in a lime stone belt measuring 1.5km in width and almost 16km in length. The Cango Caves were originally inhabited by the Khoisan peoples thousands of years ago. It is a truly mystical place. Only the main section is open to the public in order to preserve the majestic formations.

The limestone formations are fascinating! There are certain parts where we had to get on all fours or even crawl around on our stomachs in order to see all the viewable areas in the cave. It is definitely an exciting experience!

The Crocodile Farm forms part of the Cango Wildlife Reserve. The entrance is a giant Croc’s mouth wide open making you feel as if you are entering its belly instead of the actual farm! The croc’s here are enormous and rather scary. To get really close and personal, one can now go Croc Cage diving! After we visited all the lazy crocodiles, we were lead to the wildlife reserve where we got to admire cheetahs, lions and tigers.

There are a few Ostrich farms that host shows and boast a few curios shops. We decided to take a visit and ended up purchasing large ostrich eggs and jewellery. After viewing a few of these amusing creatures, we watched the ostrich show. Here, a few people from the audience are invited to race on an ostrich against others. This is when our trip became the most amusing! One poor gentleman was completely thrown off and landed on his back. The other gentleman’s ostrich decided to stop during the race, excrete a few things and then carry on. The problem was, when the ostrich decided to suddenly stop, this gentleman was flown right off. Although we were amused, he most certainly was not!

Our trip to Oudtshoorn was definitely a memorable one. Outshoorn may be small and quaint, but it is certainly a worthwhile destination.

Related Links:
Oudtshoorn Accommodation
Oudtshoorn Hotels
Karoo Accommodation

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The Northern Cape is a landscape of vast, arid plains, broken only by the odd haphazard rock pile. It is this very desert scene and blazing sunshine that allows for the quality of space and silence found nowhere else in the country. This is the land of San rock art, diamond diggings, safaris and game parks, Richtersveld National Park, Vaalbos National Park, Witsand Nature Reserve and the Tswalu Private Desert Reserve.

Across this landscape flows the Orange River, intermittently a silent trickle while in other parts it carries the full wrath of a river in flood. The presence of the river has allowed for historic towns and villages along its banks that have transformed large stretches of land into fields of cotton, lucerne, dates and grapes.

Kimberley, the diamond capital of the world’s Big Hole, has received a recent face-lift offering spectacular, thrilling views over the hole on a cantilevered platform - a unique backdrop for a wedding with a difference.

The green Kalahari region offers a number of photo moments against the background of the spectacular Augrabies Falls or the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, while the immense, spacious plains of the Karoo offer a not-so-gentle landscape with intense blue skies and distant horizons.

In complete contrast is the Kuruman Valley, the – oasis of the Kalahari - set on the edge of the Kalahari. The town, seeped in missionary history, has a permanent source of water that delivers some 20 million litres daily.

Stunning scenery, a largely pollution-free atmosphere – allowing for some of the most awesome stargazing under skies unblemished by buildings or man’s footprint - and the unique ability of this arid land to shed its barrenness to make way for the rich riot of colour that explodes every spring in a brilliant array of wild flowers, makes the Northern Cape such a unique experience.

Related Links:
Northern Cape Accommodation
Northern Cape Hotels
Northern Cape, South Africa
Northern Cape Attractions
Northern Cape Maps

As you reach the top of the hill, by Table Mountain, and drive back down again on the other side, you reach Camps Bay. It is one of Cape Town’s most precious gems boasting magnificent palm fringed sandy beaches, stunning views and some of the finest restaurants. Here only the elite and wealthy live. The homes here are mansions and quite spectacular.

Photographs: Left: Camps Bay Beach
Right: The spectacular Chapman’s Peak Drive.

When visiting, we like to soak up some sun on the stunning beach. There are a few large and smooth boulders that are always fun to walk on and explore. There are also a few fantastic snorkelling and diving spots where we could explore the massive kelp forests indigenous to this area. After a relaxing day on the beach, we head to one of the many hot spots along the beach front. Sipping refreshing cocktails and admiring the magnificent view is a must. The combination or a relaxed atmosphere with an awesome view makes Camps bay and perfect getaway spot.

Our next stop was Chapmans Peak. It had just reopened after serious renovations and improvements were made to prevent any rocks from hurling down on the cars. Rock falls were a constant threat and a series of unfortunate events lead to the closing of Chapman’s Peak Drive in January 2000. Advanced security equipment and surveillance cameras now monitor conditions on the route. The route is also patrolled regularly.

Chapmans Peak is one of the most spectacular marine drives in the world. It is a 9km route boasting over 114 curves from which truly exquisite views can be admired. The route starts at the picturesque fishing harbour of Hout Bay and the climb winds steeply up to Chapman’s Point until the road reaches lower levels again at Noordhoek. Interestingly, the route was first constructed during the 1st World War. There is a toll road where we had to pay a fee for entering the drive.

It was a rather exciting experience and was interesting to see what measures have been taken for safety. We stopped at a few spots where we could sit on the edge and watch how the entire ocean shimmered. From this view point, Hout Bay and the Twelve Apostles area looks like a lush island. The view is truly breath-taking. It is also an ideal place to spot some whales and dolphins. There are a few streams and waterfalls cascading down the mountain and the occasional wildlife roaming the area.

When you reach the end, you want to do it all over again! The trip around Camps bay and Chapman’s Peak was awesome and breath taking. I will definitely do it all over again next time I visit the area.

Some Related Links:
Cape Town Attractions
Cape Town Beaches
Chapmans Peak Drive