The Best Of South Africa For The Best Value

New flights, incredible sights and more diverse wildlife than even the Kruger can boast – all for less money. South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal is about to become your go-to wilderness…

- Sarah Baxter

The sun lowered and my urgency rose. I didn’t want to miss it. The road was a single-lane sinew now, climbing and twisting into the Drakensberg mountains, frustrating our progress. I kept on driving as the light slipped, the world fl ushed, the baboons looked on from the verge. Finally I arrived, grabbed a beer, fl ung open the chalet’s front door, ran straight through to its back and out onto the million-dollar terrace. Just in time.

The Amphitheatre fi lled the view, every inch of it. It was a gargantuan castle of basalt, and I was like a minion looking up at its master’s lair – part awed, part afraid. The sun was performing its last hurrah, softening the wrinkles of this immense rock wall before disappearing to leave a looming silhouette. I raised my bottle, lit the braai (barbecue) and remained on the patio, watching the stars prick the darkness one by one until they were legion; until the sky seemed more light than shade. Not bad for under £50 a night.

As one of the smallest provinces in South Africa, the south-easterly KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) punches well above its weight. As well as being home to the country’s highest mountains, it has a long Indian Ocean coastline, UNESCO-listed wetlands, swathes of bushveld, and is home to not just the Big Five but the Big Seven (including whales and turtles). I’d heard it was great value, too, with trips here cheaper than the better-known Kruger region and encompassing a wider variety of activities, so you get more for less. And with the launch of direct fl ights from London to Durban, KZN’s biggest city, in late 2018, it is now easier to access than ever. I was sold.

Out to sea