Sea Park, South Coast

The little village of Sea Park, wedged between the towns Southport and Umtentweni on the south coast of KwaZulu Natal, provides the promise of beautiful unspoilt beach, tropical evenings, warm water and balmy air.

This is a beautiful part of the coast, the beach lined with indigenous vegetation separating the smattering of homes and apartments here from the beach. In the old days the little town here prospered on tea, coffee and sugar. Today it is more of a beach resort than a farming community, and a quiet one at that, providing the ideal spot to get away from it all. Neighbouring Umtentweni, which lies at the mouth of the Mtentweni River, has a beautiful calm lagoon and protected tidal pool perfect for swimming and fishing, whilst Port Shepstone, the coast’s largest town, is just a little further down the coast.

One of the highlights of staying at Sea Park is the Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve. One of South Africa’s most spectacular gorges, it is 24 kilometres long and about 400 metres deep. Its beauty is encapsulated in forests, cliffs, rivers and ravines that not only provide some incredible photo moments, but some amazing hiking trails too.

Self-guided trails make it easy to take in a walk followed by a welcome picnic on the banks of the river, provided you can resist the temptation to swim for fear of bilharzia. The camp here provides a reservoir swimming pool for residents, not visitors; but spotting wildlife, such as bushbuck, reedbuck and grey and blue duiker or the odd leopard, should more than make up for the lack of swimming.