Kwazulu Natal South Africa: Big 5, Beaches and a taste of the ‘real’ Africa... continued

A shorter journey this time, around 1.5hrs to a rural Zulu village called Khula to meet the locals, enjoy their traditions and hospitality. We were welcomed into church by the town’s women, assisted with craft making, helped the local children with their school work, had a traditional tribal dance (with audience participation) and finished off with a visit to a traditional healer known as a Sangoma (or witch doctor) from the local township. What an incredible experience this was!

On to St. Lucia and a different type of safari this time - a two-hour hippo and croc safari on the St. Lucia estuary - SA’s first World Heritage Site! A fun, informative and relaxing afternoon with lots of sightings before a short drive towards Durban for 1 night at the stunning Fairmont Zimbali Hotel Nr Durban.

Situated inside the exclusive Zimbali Coastal Estate, is a tranquil retreat offering the utmost in stylish comfort and unrivalled service. Located 5 minutes from the bustling holiday town of Ballito, 20 minutes from Umhlanga and 30 minutes from Durban, this beachfront North Coast hotel provides easy access to the province’s attractions.

Day 8 – Durban

Today we headed off to the beautiful city on the coast Duban. As this stunning beach location offers a completely different experience to the rest of the province, I feel it deserves a write up of its own so head over to my other blogs and check it out!

Late afternoon we took a flight back up to Jo'Burg to check in at The Sandton Sun Hotel for the last two nights of our stay in SA.

Dinner this evening was hosted by the famous Butchers Shop & Grill, a hip and trendy steakhouse offering a mouth-watering menu specialising in red meat and wine. If you are thinking about eating out in Jo’Burg then this spot is an absolute must!

Located on Nelson Mandela Square a public square in Sandton - home to the most exclusive restaurants and retail shops in Johannesburg that bustle from morning to evening. The centre houses a gigantic bronze memorial statue of Nelson Mandela and pretty water fountains.

Day 9 – Johannesburg

This morning we took a guided walking tour around The Maboneng Precinct - located on the Eastern edge of the city, Maboneng is a connected Urban neighbourhood in downtown J’Burg and is fast becoming the most unique and innovative area of the city!

With its diverse eateries and entertainment areas, quirky and cool vibe, teamed with the creative use of shipping containers as studios/offices/shops it very much reminded me of being in Shoreditch, London or Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

For many years Johannesburg has been known as one of the most dangerous places on earth but in recent years crime has tapered off and previously abandoned neighbourhoods have been redeveloped and have begun to thrive. Maboneng is an excellent example of how the stabilisation and growth of the economy teamed with the determination and TLC of local communities can get JNB back on the map for tourists.

Not once did I feel unsafe or threatened and would highly recommend a visit. Long gone are the days of Jo’Burg just being a flight connection point, it really is worth a night or two stopover to explore this fascinating city. I can’t wait to revisit and spend more time in the vibrant, friendly and cool area.

This afternoon we met with many local hoteliers and suppliers for a Trade Presentation and Conference. Speed marketing and networking to be able to find out and collect details of just what this amazingly diverse country has to offer for visitors.

Day 10 – Johannesburg/Soweto

This morning has been super emotional - a guided visit to the Apartheid Museum - possibly the finest cultural museum on the African Continent.

The museum illustrates the rise and fall of SA’s era of segregation and oppression and is an absolute must see on any visit to Johannesburg. Using a variety of dramatic media; photos, videos, press clippings and personal artefacts, it provides a chilling insight into the implementation of the apartheid system and first-hand stories of the struggles experienced on the route to democracy. It highlights the notorious system of racial discrimination and provides an invaluable understanding of the inequalities and tensions that still exist today.

The museum has two entrances labelled “white” and “non-white” and you are randomly selected a ticket on arrival. From this point on I pretty much sobbed my way round the whole place but it was an education in what I was perhaps a little ignorant to prior to my visit. So hard to believe that SA’s history is as recent as 25 years and the horrors experienced and still prevalent today.

On to the last experience of the visit, a trip to Soweto, Gauteng I’ve been waiting all week for this afternoon! We made our way to Lebo’s - a safe, central backpackers spot in the heart of Soweto. After a speciality local lunch, we headed of on a bike tour of one of the 41 townships located in Soweto, East Orlando, home to the famous Kaizer Chiefs Football Club.

The two-hour cycling tour is a fun, interactive and informative way to experience life and culture and to interact with the people whilst learning about Soweto’s history. We visited the Hector Pieterson Museum & Memorial, the historic landmark of the 1976 students uprising, before continuing on to the most famous street on the planet - Vilakazi Street The only street in the world where two Nobel Peace Prize winners resided.

We visited one of these houses - the former home of Nelson Mandela which is now known as Mandela House and is a public heritage site. A superb and poignant way to end a truly memorable trip to South Africa during which I have laughed, cried, ate and drank far too much, been educated and shocked, wowed and ooo-ed, met the most incredible indigenous people, made new friends and fell in love with the country all over again!

It really is a truly diverse and wonderful destination with such a wide appeal to so many different types of visitors; City breaks, beach holidays, cultural, educational, historic, safari’s, sports enthusiasts, extreme sports, adventure and activity, food and wine lovers - the list is endless!

I would have absolutely no hesitation whatsoever in recommending this fascinating destination to absolutely anybody.