Clansthal, South Coast

The beautiful little village of Clansthal, practically a retreat from other bustling towns on the south coast, lies snug between Umkomaas and Scottburgh, just 40 kilometres from Durban.

Clansthal is one of those gems where everything seems to take on a special quality and one manages to side step time and its demands. The beach is breathtaking - a long, secluded stretch of white sand used only by the locals and the odd shore fisherman. Watching a sunrise from here is almost surreal. One can walk along the shore all the way to the swimming beach at Scottburgh, a lovely beach and a safer swimming beach, even if it is a lot busier than Clansthal.

Between Clansthal and Scottburgh lies Green Point, a world-class surfing break behind which stands Green Point Lighthouse, on the hill above the waters. The lighthouse is a National Monument, and its beams warn ships off the famous Aliwal Shoal, just offshore. Aliwal Shoal is one of the top ten scuba diving sites in the world and a mecca for divers.

But it isn’t all about the water in Clansthal. There are a number of Nature Reserves close by, including Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve and Oribi Gorge. Vernon Crookes is largely grassland and forested ravines and lies on a plateau overlooking the green hills of KwaZulu Natal, intermittently scattered with the odd mud hut. There are a number of large herbivores, including zebra but the roads can be treacherous. Oribi Gorge, which derives its name from the rare Oribi antelope that inhabits the area, and its intense ochre cliffs and dense forests offer spectacular views and some wonderful hikes.