South African media houses – including Tourism Update – and content creators from across the country were given a taste of the rich diversity of the province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) during a pre-Indaba trip hosted by South African Tourism ahead of this year’s Africa’s Travel Indaba (ATI).
The familiarisation trip saw the media exploring the natural and cultural attractions of iSimangaliso Wetland Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – along with the Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve, South Africa’s oldest proclaimed Big Five wilderness area.
Highlights included a hippo and croc boat tour on Lake St Lucia, exploring the St Lucia Boardwalk, an early morning game drive in Hluhluwe Imfolozi and a cultural excursion at the Gooderson DumaZulu Traditional Zulu Village.
The media were accommodated at proudly South African businesses: Elephant Lake Hotel in St Lucia and ANEW Hotel Hluhluwe.
Durban-based guide Lucy Njeri, Owner of The Living Travel and Tours, who led the excursion, said northern KZN’s attractions deserve the attention of international visitors.
“There is so much to explore beyond Durban, including world-class Big Five game reserves, remote and spectacularly beautiful beaches and a rich mix of Zulu culture and heritage. This region should undoubtedly be on every tourist’s bucket list,” said Njeri.
Ute Hermanus, a presenter at Cape Town-based radio station KFM, said the fam trip, as her first safari experience, opened her eyes to the broader offerings of South Africa.
“There is an incredible amount that even we as South Africans are unaware of in terms of the activities and attractions available. It was a privilege to be able to explore more of KZN and discover how blessed we are as a country to have attractions such as these,” she said.
