KwaZulu-Natal & Drakensberg

By air. King Shaka International (DUR) opened at La Mercy in May 2010, 35 kilometres north of central Durban and usefully on the right side of the city for everything north. Its long-haul schedule is thin next to Johannesburg's, so most clients connect through O.R. Tambo (JNB) on a hop of just over an hour, or from Cape Town (CPT) in about two. Richards Bay (RCB) is the second airport for Zululand; Pietermaritzburg (PZB) serves the Midlands and the Central Berg.

Light aircraft. Phinda has its own airstrip and Federal Airlines runs scheduled shuttles into it from Johannesburg — the most efficient way to open an itinerary here, and the routing for clients who will not drive. Soft bags only, no hard cases, and a limit usually of 20kg per person including hand luggage. Confirm the figure at booking and warn clients early; it is the commonest cause of friction on departure day.

On the ground. This is one of the few African safari destinations where self-drive is credible at the premium end. The N2 runs north from Durban to Zululand on good tar, the N3 climbs inland to the Midlands, and the Berg approaches are tarred to the hotel gates. Two caveats: secondary roads in northern Zululand and on the Maputaland coast deteriorate fast, with several beach lodges 4x4-access or transfer-only, and night driving outside towns should be avoided — livestock on unfenced verges is the real hazard.

Access and drive times by sub-region

Zululand reserves — 3 hrs from DUR — Or scheduled light aircraft JNB to the Phinda airstrip; Richards Bay (RCB) 90 minutes by road

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi — 2.5–3 hrs from DUR — About 250km north on the N2; Memorial and Nyalazi gates; daily conservation fee payable

iSimangaliso / St Lucia — 2.5 hrs from DUR — Sodwana and Kosi Bay a further 2–3 hrs north; final approaches gravel and slow

The Battlefields — 3.5 hrs from DUR — Dundee, Isandlwana, Rorke's Drift; 4.5 hrs from JNB, so it suits a Johannesburg arrival

Central Drakensberg — 3 hrs from DUR — N3 then Winterton or Estcourt; about 4 hrs from JNB; tarred throughout

Midlands Meander — 1.5 hrs from DUR — N3 to Howick and Nottingham Road; the halfway stop between Berg and coast

Routing advice. Run it anticlockwise from Durban: three nights in a Zululand private reserve, two or three on the coast at iSimangaliso, two on the Battlefields, then two or three in the Drakensberg and back down through the Midlands. No leg exceeds about four hours, which is the whole commercial argument. Clients arriving into Johannesburg should reverse it, entering via the Battlefields and finishing at the sea.

Border crossings. Sani Pass climbs 27 kilometres from Underberg to the Lesotho border at 2,876 metres. It is 4x4 only, the upper section steep gravel, and both border posts close at 18:00, so it runs as a full day with a local operator. Passports required, and snow can close it with little warning between May and September.

Practicalities. UK, EU and US passport holders enter visa-free for up to 90 days; no vaccinations are required and tap water is safe in towns and at lodges. Antimalarials are worth discussing only for the far northern coastal strip, and only October to May. Carry cash for community guides, turtle tours and gate fees at smaller reserves. Book the South African school holidays — mid-December to mid-January, and Easter — nine to twelve months out, especially on the coast, where domestic demand fills the good properties before international enquiries arrive.