Durban is a city on the eastern coastline in South Africa. It boasts beautiful beaches and a revamped waterfront district dubbed The Golden Mile, multicultural downtown, and historical and iconic architecture. The countryside of the East Cape has much to offer the tourist who is adventurous enough to get in a car and drive around this beautiful land.
Tourists can hire a car easily from a company in Durban, you may try southafrica-carhire.com. There are simple rules and processes for reservations, which are recommended to ensure the car desired is available. Most of the cars in South Africa are manual transmission, so if an automatic transmission is necessary that request should be made in the reservation process. South Africa will honor a valid driver’s license from another country, and along with a deposit secures a vehicle for a South African adventure. All traffic signs are posted in English, speed is measured in kilometers per hour, and the cars drive on the left side of the road, a departure for American tourists.
Driving up the coast to the north from Durban, the vacationer will find the Addo Elephant National Park. The Park is home to over 550 elephants, as well as black rhinos, Cape buffalo, lions, leopards, and many, many more. There are hiking and 4×4 trails, guided game tours, horseback riding, swimming, as well as a children’s program. The Park offers accommodations, ranging from luxury tents to luxury lodges, for the visitors who want to make it more than a day trip.
A few hours’ drive inland from Durban brings the traveler to Hammanskraal where the car can be traded for a hot air balloon ride over the Dinokeng Game Reserve. The Game Reserve is young, opened in 2011, and is only traversable by balloon or guided tour. Tourists from the sky or the ground will experience free roaming white rhinos, elephants, and giraffes can be seen, as well as lions, leopards, and hyenas.
One of the most remarkable driving adventures in South Africa is a trip through The Valley of a Thousand Hills. Just west and inland from Durban is a land of endless hills covered in green trees and grasses, cut through by crystal clear rivers. The drive itself is a tourist destination, but the region also boasts several independent attractions. Along the drive through Zulu country, where traditional Zulu homesteads still remain, also boasts the grand house from the 19th century Kloof area. There are Zulu dancing and cultural education and demonstrations at Sangoma. Rounding out the day is a stop at a snake park and a crocodile farm to keep the adrenaline flowing.
The East Cape region of South Africa is a destination in itself. The city of Durban offers culture and food and nightlife to entertain every kind of visitor. A few hours’ drive from the urban center and modern waterfront delivers the visiting adventurer to game parks, elephants and lions, hot air balloon safaris, and Zulu traditional dance. A region rich in nature and nightlife, Durban and the East Cape have a lot to offer.
