A vibey KZN road trip from Umhlanga to St Lucia

Posted on 29 March 2022

Getting there is not half the fun; it can be all the fun, especially when the road travelled is the Elephant Highway, the stretch of the northbound N2 from Durban to the tropical hideaway of St Lucia.

Most people whizz along this road without paying much attention to the byways and side roads. They are losing out on unusual and offbeat adventures that are family-holiday memory makers. So as a public service, here is a four-day plan to make this road trip a memorable part of your holiday.

Written by Claire Lathe

Day 1

Picture: Brahm Meyer/ Unsplash

Start in Umhlanga at the Royal Palm Hotel & Apartments by BON Hotels, close to the Umhlanga Lagoon Nature Trail set in the Hawaan Forest on a raised wooden boardwalk ending at Umhlanga Beach.

The walk only takes an hour even with frequent stops to look out for rare birds and trees. Waves wise, there are three beaches to choose from—Umhlanga Beach, La Lucia Beach, and Umvoti Beach. All three beaches have ample safe parking, tidal pools and rocky inlets with clear, warm water.

From Umhlanga Beach, you can take a brisk walk down the promenade to the Oyster Box Hotel for High Tea—a time-honoured tradition. You will just need to change out of your slops and boardshorts into something a little more formal as the High Tea is ‘very proper’. Booking is essential.

Day 2:

BON Hotel Empangeni. Picture: Supplied

Set out from the Royal Palm Hotel and hit the highway. This part of the road is a long, unbroken stretch with patches of indigenous forest, hills covered in sugar cane, little towns nestled in valleys, tranquil rivers, and glimpses of the sea. A morning at Flag Animal Farm at Umhlali is a morning well spent, after which you can stop for lunch in Ballito where a beachfront terrace with a number of restaurants overlooks the sea.

Shortly afterwards, you will cross the bridge over the Tugela River and will officially be in Zululand. They do things differently here, as you are about to find out.

On the northern side of the Tugela Bridge is a gnarled old tree, and it is here that the British ultimatum was handed to the Zulu people as a precursor to the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879. It was supposed to be a short skirmish between the superior firepower of the British and the Zulus but the British were handed their hats at Isandlwana. The reminders of this war and its aftermath are dotted throughout this green and rolling countryside and make for fascinating exploration.

Day 3:

Picture: Supplied

After breakfast, you will set off to Eshowe. The road takes you through spectacular countryside that is undulating, green, and lush. As the road climbs through the hills, a craft village on the left offers handmade curios, baskets, and beadwork together with pineapples, oranges, and madumbis.

At Eshowe, the 30-metre-high boardwalk through the treetops of the Dlinza Forest will make you feel like Tarzan swinging through the trees, and nearby Fort Nongqayi has the Vukani Museum with a world-famous collection of Zulu pots and basket ware.

Lunch at the George Hotel, which hosts the Zululand Brewing Company with its acclaimed Zulu Blonde beer, will take care of most of the afternoon. After all those mountains, you are probably now yearning for a beach again so head off down the hills to Richards Bay.  Perhaps there may even be time for a horse ride along the beach.

Day 4:

Picture: Pixabay

About an hour north of Richards Bay is the Enseleni Nature Reserve. Pull off for a stroll through an indigenous sand forest and have a picnic.

This stretch of road is famous for two things: the pineapple, avocado, and honey sellers next to the road and the world’s sneakiest traffic officers. Speeding is not recommended despite the temptation of a straight and smooth road.

After Kwambonambi, which is renowned for providing our country’s top polo teams, you will cross the Umfolozi River into a Zululand that is timeless. The road is lined with grass-hatted huts and grazing cattle, and people are dressed in full traditional regalia while sometimes riding a bicycle and talking on a cellphone.

Turn off at Mtubatuba. Stop for snacks at the Banana Box co-op and take the Monzi road to St Lucia. Shortly after you leave Mtubs, the famous Dukuduku Forest closes in on either side with soaring albizia trees and dense strelitzia thickets. Just before the bridge to St Lucia is Khula Village on the left, with the WOWZULU tourist hub offering a Zulu market, cycle tours through the forest, local crafts, and lunch with the chief.

From here onwards, the rest of the holiday is your own. St Lucia will keep you busy with game reserves, boat rides, fishing, hiking, night drives, foot safaris —and the occasional curious hippo window shopping in the middle of town.

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