Why KZN is a great local holiday destination

My abiding memory of Durban has always been cresting Field’s Hill on the N3 heading down into the city and getting my first glimpse of the sea … and then having the briny aroma seep into the car, even with closed windows and the aircon on.

When the kids were small, they would join in the “I see the sea!” game and temporarily suspend the sibling warfare on the back seat. It was a sign for me that now, after 600km of driving, I could chill and start the holiday for real.

Travel is a crucial part of the education of your children: when they’re small you can see their growth – emotionally and intelligence-wise, if not so much physically – when you return from a strange place. The problem for many young families, though, is that travel is not cheap. And that is why most of the trips we did were to KwaZulu-Natal.

It’s close – a reasonable half day’s journey – it’s not expensive (either in terms of getting there or in the costs once you’re there) and it offers the sort of variety no other province can.

Snowfall captured in the Drakensberg. Image: Twitter/@Monique_PR_

It’s a place of tourism abundance, with Berg, Bush and Beach options. And, as a family, we’ve done them all.

With really young kids – under 12 say – you can’t go wrong with a trip to the beach and the options in KZN are almost endless, with both North and South Coasts worth considering.

We’ve stayed in Amanzimtoti (vibey, but can be crowded, although a good choice of places to eat and shop), Umhlanga (the same, but more upmarket); Ballito (even more upmarket); Umhloti (more down-to-earth and affordable); Scottburgh (fading in places but still a no-frills family place). I could go on and on.

A good beach option is to look in smaller places like Southport, Munster, Shelly Beach, Pennington or Hibberdene, where you can rent affordable self-catering cottages or flats and also have the option of B and Bs.

In high season (school holidays) these little towns can get crowded, but generally, the beaches are big enough to accommodate all. Out of season, they’re lovely, though, because there are few people around and it’s much more peaceful.

Picture: iStock

The Drakensberg offers a different experience, but one which is equally as fascinating, especially for those who love the beauty of nature and getting out into it. The Berg is a year-round possibility, although winter can bring snow which gives it an African Alpine air.

If you’re into adventure sports like hiking, running or mountain biking – or want to tackle the Tugela River on a tyre tube or canoe – then this is the place for it. There’s also a lot for the kids to do, so, as with the experience down at the coast, they will hit the beds exhausted every evening.

When it comes to bush and wildlife, northern KZN can rival Kruger National Park, with its nature reserves. The Big Five places in HluHluwe and Imfolozi are top of the heap, but the lesser-known Ithala and Mkuze reserves are also well worth a visit.

There’s also Great St Lucia Wetland Park, with its mix of terrestrial and marine life.

After we arrived home from our KZN jaunts, it would take ages to get the beach sand out of the nooks and crannies in the car … but the memories would remain.

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